Chronicle

Director: Josh Trank
Cast: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B Jordan and Ashley Hinsaw
Release Date: 2012-02-03 08:00:00
Quick Take: Tech friendly superheroes rock




Ever wished you had super powers so that you could kick the bullying boss’ arse? It’s a wonderful gift we all pray for. It’s an aspiration that makes you pose in front of our bedroom mirrors. It’s a dream that puts you to sleep on many a portentous nights. That dream comes true in Chronicle. For three high school kids who really don’t know what to do with their gift. One of them has a voyeuristic streak of chronicling his life on camera and that’s how the fascinating story of their discovery and struggle gets told.

Andrew (Dane DeHaan), Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve (Michael B Jordon) are average high school guys with distinctly different personalities. One night they stumble upon a weird thing that gives them powers of telekinesis. If you’re a gamer you’d know that’s one of the best super abilities you can have. The three guys get their new powers but unlike Clark Kent or Peter Parker, they refrain from turning into crusaders of law and justice. Nor do they turn into maniacal geniuses out for world domination. They practise their newfound abilities at the local mall, at a talent show and generally doing fun and exciting things.

That’s the strength of Chronicle. It doesn’t feature the leading men turning into caped crusaders of vigilantes. They’re school kids so their efforts into using their powers are reserved for juvenile activities like playing pranks and gaining popularity at school. Of course they do have real world problems, which in turn create conflict in the story. By the end, the film does turn into a good versus bad saga, but it always remains the story of three supercharged friends.

The film’s greatest strength is the hand-held voyeur style camera work. Since the story is a chronicle of one of the protagonists it’s his camera that documents the whole situation. Watching a bunch of guys get the best of unsuspecting victims or fly in the sky around jetliners doesn’t seem like movie cliché simply because it’s presented in the handy cam format. For the average movie goer it might not seem like the best choice. But for a generation that calls YouTube its Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy this is as good as it gets.

If you’ve seen Cloverfield or if you’ve seen the new X-Men: First Class or even JJ Abrams’ recent Super 8, you’d be at home watching Chronicle. The film has some really powerful scenes and some kick ass action to boot. It’s a bit jaded in terms of story but the camera treatment and idea of guys having malevolent fun with power makes it worth a watch. Director Josh Trank can take a bow and so can his writer Max Landis, cinematographer Matthew Jensen and Dane DeHaan. This film is worth a 100 million hits and 10 million likes.

Journey 2 The Mysterious Island

Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens
Release Date: 2012-02-03 08:00:00
Quick Take: Abysmally blah


It’s been five days since Journey 2 The Mysterious Island hit theatres. It’s been as much time since I saw the movie. This review’s as late too. But what’s still fresh is the recollection of Michael Caine riding a giant bee and Dwayne Johnson bouncing berries of his chest. Journey 2 The Mysterious Island is full of such outrageous moments that no matter how much you try to forget will linger in memory.

Jules Verne wrote The Mysterious Island about 140 years ago. Read the book today and you’ll still feel a sense of futuristic drama about it. But that’s completely absent from the film, because Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is too busy grinning away to glory and Michael Caine is too busy being cocky. As the story unfolds, Sean (Josh Hutcherson) stumbles upon a radio transmission that gives clues to the whereabouts of the legendary Mysterious Island. From there on Sean and his stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson) tag along and head to the middle of the Pacific. Their journey to the island is as easy as hiring a chopper and flying a few miles.

The film employs such colossal levels of suspension of disbelief that the shock of sitting through the film pales in comparison. Sure the film was made for a young audience, but then so are the Harry Potter movies. And they don’t feature clichés like stepping on an angry mother lizard’s eggs and the hero having herpetophobia (fear of lizards in this case). But this film does. What saves the cause of the film is some fine 3D. But when the story dives to 20000 leagues under the sea there isn’t much cause celebre for watching.

That Caine and Johnson are reduced to mockeries amidst a million clichés is the lowest point in the film. Watch Journey 2 The Mysterious Island at IMAX only. At least the larger-than-life splendour of 3D will keep your brains from thinking too much. And if you call yourself a Vernian you’d better stick with the book. Because this film is like Captian Nemo’s Nautilus. It’s destined to explore the depths of uncharted abysses. All the way to the bottom.

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Director: Shakun Batra
Cast: Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah, Boman Irani
Release Date: 2012-02-10 08:00:00
Quick Take: Picture perfect




Be it films from the foreign shores or our local roads, rom coms are a stable but predictable genre. It’s the treatment, narrative and style which sets a good romantic comedy from the others. This is exactly where Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu scores. The film has a distinct voice and is ably supported by witty dialogue, quirky settings and well sketched characters. It’s that sweet break our movies were missing for a long time.

Directed by newbie Shakun Batra, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu has just about the right amount of romance and comic moments. Borrowing a phrase from the film itself, the movie is ‘perfectly average’. A failed architect Rahul (Imran Khan) is in search for a boost in his self-confidence. His parents live in their own bubble oblivious of his actual needs. While in the search of a job Rahul befriends a free-spirited, out of work Hairstylist Riana (Kareena Kapoor) in whom he finds the madness he procures. The film finds a perfect balance between being an all-mush romantic saga and an enduring coming-of-age film. It never goes over the top and it’s underplay is the sexiest thing about it. This is as Hollywood as it gets. We aren’t talking about slight similarities it shares with What Happens In Vegas and 500 Days Of Summer. EMAET is a good-looking film and its crisp editing puts it on a different level. The writing of the film is unassuming and its effort to avoid the run-of-the-mill route is one its biggest strength. Clocking just about two hours, the film keeps you engrossed throughout and kind of shocks you with an unusual climax.

Amit Trivedi does an impressive job with the music. It walks hand in hand with the script. Gubbare Gubbare and Aahatein stay with you long after the lights come on. One word for the number Aunty ji – Fun.

The lead characters of a romantic movie are its pillars and EMAET stands on two really strong ones. Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor are in the best of form and they really make the film work. Kareena is radiant and vivacious. Her character has traces of Geet from Jab We Met but she goes a step ahead and delivers a fun but matured performance. It may sound like a cliché, but she’s just getting better with each film. Imran Khan is a revelation. The role is tailor-made for him and he is at his earnest best. It’s hard not to like him.

The film has an easy, comforting charm. It can be your date movie as well as a buddy film. Go watch it and have a great time.

War Horse

Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson and David Thewlis
Release Date: 2012-02-10 00:00:00
Quick Take: Spielberg doesn’t horse around


War Horse is a children’s tale about a horse that lives through the First World War. That may sound like a fairytale to some because it is just that. The film deals with the improbable story of a thoroughbred horse travelling across Europe and miraculously finding his way through most obstacles. Horses with personalities and a goose with a temper make this movie a tale of fantasy. It’s a tale that requires imagination to appreciate and innocence to believe in bare emotions.

In an English town called Devon is born a colt who’s later named Joey by his young owner Albie (Jeremy Irvine). Right from the start you can see Joey is a spirited stallion, sort of like a Free Willy version of a horse. As destiny would have it, Joey and Albie who’ve become like blood brothers are separated at the time of war. That sets in motion Joey’s big journey with new owners, a battle against German soldiers and their fancy guns and meeting his best mate, obviously another horse serving in the war.

Of course the film’s main story is supported by such stereotypes like a farming family under financial duress, Germans being smarter and more ruthless at war than England and France, two brothers reluctantly serving in the war and a critically ill girl who finds happiness in her equestrian company. But all of those clichés come together to lend depth to a larger story. That of a horse winning over the hearts of men and women across borders. Heck Joey even inspires a British and a German soldier to work together in no man’s land pat in the middle of the war recess.

Steven Spielberg’s best war-related works like Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan and Munich had emotional depth through bonds between men. War Horse relates to the same kind of emotions; only they’re depicted through the reactions of people towards the heroic actions of a horse. A hackneyed sense of British humour accompanies the film not to mention unadulterated Manmohan Desai style melodrama right before the climax. All of it is enough to put you off in case you’re expecting too much.

The key therefore is not to have expectations of the story but of the storyteller. While his story stays naive, Spielberg the filmmaker excels at capturing drama, emotion and joy in all its glory. This one’s more about the artiste than the art itself.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (3D)

Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido and Idris Elba
Release Date: 2012-02-17 08:00:00
Quick Take: Style over substance




While it’s no reboot, the mere inclusion of how Johnny Blaze got his cursed powers from the devil at the start of the film makes it nothing less. Of course, this graphic novel style sequence is one of the best things about the film. The sequel of Ghost Rider is chock-a-block with inspired action sequences, manic energy and silly humour. They add a darker touch to the protagonist and make the hero look crazier than you’d expect him to be. But having said and done all of that, the film still lacks the proverbial punch. 

This is the story of the Ghost Rider who’s called upon for another challenging task. But this time, instead of working for the Devil, he works against him. The Devil in cinema really has no other agenda in life than to sprout an offspring and rule the Earth. So that’s what he’s about to do in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and obviously the anti-hero is out to foil his plans.

When one heard that Crank makers Mark Neveldine and Brain Taylor were helming the new Ghost Rider film, one thought they’d bring the much needed darkness that was absent from the first feature. In parts the duo has succeeded in bringing more character to the Ghost Rider but it’s still not enough. The point is they’re still treating a dark hero like a text book crusader. The juvenile comic book humour may go down well with a PG 13 audience, but those are not the people who pass the ultimate quality judgment on the film.

A guy whose head is on fire and who enjoys punishing people for their sins is unobtainium for a filmmaker. But to treat him like Spider-Man or Ironman is really a slap on creativity. Nevertheless a bipolar (on-screen of course) Nicolas Cage is perfect as the unstable Ghost Rider. But his antics look a bit ludicrous simply because there is no subtext to why he behaves the way he does. He just wakes up and wreaks havoc. The result of which is mayhem that can be very satisfying for the action junkie. A giant quarry machine, a Yamaha V-max and a bionic flamethrower are all amped with hellfire. If burning leather and bones are your fancy, this film can serve up some serious erotica.

But beyond all that detailed gothic styling and video game styled camera work lies nothing. It’s a vacuum created by the fact that the hero does absolutely no thinking by himself. The new Ghost Rider film, like the original, has very little soul.

Sonam and Asin bond

Sonam and Asin added all the calories to themselves at Farah's bash. And the reason was a homemade cake by Sunita Kapoor. It was a big bash at Farah's on her birthday but what caught everyone's attention is the lovely cake brought by Sonam's momma which was especially made for the special day at home. And Sonam's mom Sunita Kapoor was seen feeding the cake with all the affection to Farah, Asin and Sonam at the do. The girls loved the cake so much that a big discussion followed there after.

Saif adds another song to Agent Vinod

Saif Ali Khan has added another song to his film Agent Vinod. Apparently, Pritam, the film's composer had created a song for some other film but when Saif heard it he requested Pritam too add it to Agent Vinod. Being a good friend Pritam immediately agreed. They are still looking to finalise the singer.