Farhadi's 'A Separation' gives you a clear vision to look closely at human emotions and modern Iran...

Asghar Farhadi's Iranian classic bestows on the audience, the vision to look at a family life which gives powerful responses when it flows beyond the social limits. 'A Separation' is the writer-director's take on how a mistaken judgement can give impulsive results. A man torn of between his wife's urge to relocate out of Tehran and his father who is suffering from Alzheimer.

Simin wants to move out of Iran where her daughter Termeh would have many opportunities to carve her future. Nader wants to stay in Iran to look after his diseased and ill father. This difference in opinion causes an escalation finally calling for a separation. Asghar Farhad has carefully put his mind in the screenplay which reflects an ideal family situation where a divorce brings uncanny scenarios plunging the family into a depressed stage. In absence of wife, Nader hires Razieh to take care of his father and do the chores. Razieh is a strict at her religious beliefs to the extent that she has to confirm with the elderly if she is allowed to change the old man's pants.

Nader finds one day that Razieh tied his father to the bed and verged out of the house for her personal work. This is unforgivable to Nader and we cant help but agree with him. He dismisses pregnant Razieh and under the pretext of making her to leave the house, he pushes her. Razieh and her husband Hodjat files a case for manslaughter. The tensed situations and a depressed social life finally make their way towards the courtroom.

Farhadi paints us a beautiful but complicated portrait of human emotions, religious beliefs and modern -day scenarios we can completely relate to. The children are the soul of the film as they are silent observers to the trouble surrounding them. A Separation is one of the bechmarks of the drama genre and something which can keep you engrossed.


8 on 10 stars

Gratifying feel of dread and an outstanding ‘Gift’ from Edgerton

A family moves into a quaint locality in Los Angeles. As they get accustomed to their new life in the dainty new house, a malevolent entity from the past sets its destructive gaze on family’s happily cultivated life. Joel Edgerton’s self directed ‘The Gift’ is a piece of authentic psychological thrill that gives you a sense of terror and chill.

Simon (Jason Bateman) and wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) move into a lavishly looking house in L.A from Chicago. While they are shopping for the new house supplies, Simon meets Gordo (Joel Edgerton), who he was in high school with. Gordo looks polite and generous but you can’t help notice the profane and danger concealed beneath his gifts and his apparently selfless visits.

The first half promises a gratifying feel of dread. Jason Bateman as Simon is attentive and passionate husband to Robyn (Rebecca) who is emotionally fragile and sympathetic. Following the unwanted visits to Robyn when she is usually home alone, Simon tells Gordo that he can no longer see the couple only to invite more peril in their lives.  The dog vanishes, the fishes in pond are poisoned and Robyn is always looked at secretly and with immense voyeur.

The Gift is not about an ideal theme of good triumphing over evil. Infact it has a slight flavour of retribution to it.  The second half is less of scares but more of the fact on who is right and who is wrong.

The Gift has feel of Hitchcock coupled with a genuine story of how far a person can go to prove his might and how it can scar your soul for lifetime.

7 on 10 stars

Rain Man is fascinating, poignant and beautiful; undoubtedly the best movie of late 80's

An autistic victim has certain bounds. There lie limitations beyond which they cannot verge as a world lies above their understanding & imagination. They are simple, creative and extremely dedicated to their beloved.

Reprising the role of an autistic savant, Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbit displays innocence that lie beneath the layers of mental & emotional handicap. Head titled to one side, blank look on his face & speaking in a lunatic accent, Raymond Babbit has captivated immensely over the essence of Barry Levinson’s Rain Man.

Rain Man’s incunabula shows Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbit desperately striking car deals with the clients. He learns that his father who he had not seen since a noticeably long time has passed away leaving him with rose bushes and a 1949 convertible Roadmaster whereas the 3 million dollar property is left to his brother Raymond whose existence Charlie was completely unaware of. With a clumsy plan and a girlfriend, he takes off with Raymond to Los Angeles to prove himself as his sole guardian so as to acquire his half.

Raymond Babbit may appear as a simpleton but trust me he is one of rarest and sharpest know-it-all to be ever witnessed in the real world. He can count square roots of gigantic numbers in a jiffy, he can large number of toothpicks fallen on ground in a flash of light and also he can memorize half of phone directory overnight. There is a vast distinction in the way he approaches life. He doesn’t care about how much wealth he is left with but he does get perturbed if his daily routine suffers a nebulous drift.

Charlie, however, shows indignation to Raymond’s different behaviour. The movie takes you on a road trip which gradually changes his impertinence to a refined attitude and caring for his brother, unveiling a compelling story of love & affection.

Barry Levinson’s Rain Man has a credible storyline which is decorated by the adept screenplay and effective acting by the lead. Rain Man is a fascinating tale of two brother magnetically opposite to each other but bounded together by destiny. One of the best movie from the late 80’s.

7 on 10 stars

Replete with thrills and chills, Mission Impossible 5 makes you crave for more....

The latest instalment of Mission impossible franchise celebrates Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt) as an action hero more than the story which itself provides a structure to Ethan Hunt’s ways of working with fictional organization IMF( Impossible Mission Force). Directed by the screenwriter of ‘The Usual Suspects’, it is hard to believe that Christopher McQuarrie ever had some brilliant ideas. Honestly as a viewer I was dissatisfied with the screenplay. However the edge-of-the-seat action sequences acted as a savior in disguise.

The story involves a wicked replica of the IMF called ‘The Syndicate’, a criminal organization trained to bring down the IMF, as they stealthily go on killing leaders in bombings and assassinations to bring about the ‘change’ in the world. A Senate committee meanwhile dissolves the IMF, availing the efforts of William Brandt and granting the leftover assets to the CIA with Ethan Hunt on their prime target list. Now Hunt is left with only one job that is to prove that The Syndicate falls within the bounds of realism and is not merely the creation of his own. The Syndicate controlled by bespectacled and spooky Solomon Lane who is pursued by Ethan with his old sidekick tech-expert Benji and gorgeous Ilsa Faust to bring The Syndicate to ground.

Mission Impossible: The Rogue Nation provides the viewers with a glitzy appeal taking on a tour to Vienna, Casablanca and London and some promisingly heart-wrenching stunts and fights. Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt faces more serious and complicated obstacles to reach his coveted aim. He keeps you startled as he holds to a flying plane and his dear life waiting for Benji to open its door. He jumps in thousands of gallons of pressurized water to change to break into the data facility; he pursues on bike in high speed chase sequences and really keeps you engaged till the very end.

MI 5 was pure adrenaline as McQuarrie succeeded brilliantly in keeping the weak script concealed behind the nail-biting thrills that gratify the action-movie lovers to the extent that they certainly crave for the sixth installment. I personally think it should have connected well to the past ventures apart from the characters. However the film takes care of everything that MI series has boasted of in the past including flashy tech gadgets and stunts. And lastly, the credit to MI5 being an unarguably successful installment goes to Tom Cruise who has defied age and fueled the execution of the screenplay brilliantly.  

6 on 10 stars 

Baahubali stuns and surprises but fails to connect emotionally

SS Rajamouli's magnum opus Baahubali: The Beginning follows a stereotypical concept of disputes between two brothers which spans two generations. The mammoth canvas was readied to set up the glitzy visuals that gradually formed the plot of the film. SS Rajamouli's excellent imagination was engineered by high CGI and outstanding performances by the actors.

A child found on the river banks is raised by a tribal women. All of his adolescence, he seeks to verge beyond the gigantic waterfall that will connect him to his past. Failed attempts finally prove to be a success one day when young Sivudu scales the rocks and mountains lured by the beauty of Avanthika. Finally brought by destiny to doorstep of his perilous past, Sivudu finally encounters series of events which unveil the answers to his very existence. A child separated from his fate, a prisoner tied in shackles of suffering and endless wait, high graphic war scenes and demonic antagonist Bhalaldev all form the elements of Baahubali.

The film has an ocular spectacle with a predictable storytelling. SS Rajamouli has convincingly created the fictional empire of Mahismathi and predictably showcased the greed and lust to seize kingdom and power. However, film might be visually great but it loses track abruptly at several places to lead to sheer nothingness. An incomplete climax points to the second part of the ambitious project and makes numerous questions pop in minds of audience.

6 on 10 stars

Badlapur: New revenge formula for Raghavan's skookum venture

"If you prick us do we not bleed? 
 If you tickle us do we not laugh? 
 If you poison us do we not die? 
 And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?"
                                                                  - William Shakespeare

Script penned by Arijit Biswas & Sriram Raghavan, Badlapur is lucid and powerfully driven along its neatly crafted plotline. One of the Raghavan's skookum ventures, Badlapur is a fascinating tale of vengeance and hatred as the film plays a cicerone to the darker shades of his direction.

The first interim is about a bank robbery gone awry and Raghu's wife (Yami Gautam) and son getting trapped in the chaotic situation that follows. The escaped duo of robbers turn pillagers as Raghu's wife is shot and his son is thrown out of the moving car. The wild cat-mouse chase between cops and the thieves end with Liak (Nawazzudin Siddiqui) getting incarcerated for 20 years and his partner-in-crime fleeing with the weapon and the looted cash. A heartbroken and devastated Raghu (Varun Dhawan) takes shelter in a town called 'Badlapur' far away from the memories of his cherished past; his emotions fueled with hatred, revenge and anger.

Today where the filmmakers stick to the stereotype formula of hardcore action and crowd-whistling dialogues for revenge stories, Raghavan attempts to deviate from it to add a gritty and raw touch to the characters. He portrays Raghu's switcheroo from a beamish to a rugged look quite beautifully. Huma Qureshi, as a prostitute Jhumli, was flamboyant yet simple. Vinay Pathak, Radhika Apte & Divya Dutta make a short but an impactful appearance. However the limelight stealer of the film is Nawazuddin who makes Liak appear natural and stays true to his onscreen character throughout. 

Badlapur buys your vision for the its entire duration and keeps you gripped and thrilled. One of Raghavan's best films, Badlapur gives a new sphere to Dhawan's acting performance.


7 on 10 stars

Interstellar : More than a director, it is made by a DREAMER

Christopher Nolan's comprehensive Weltanschauung ( conception of universe and human's analogy to it ) Interstellar is his most endearing, audacious and expertly scripted venture. A script which once was developed by Jonathan Nolan for Steven Spielberg finally ended in the helms of his brother Chris. A sheer ocular pleasure, when viewed on 75 mm screen, this movie based intergalactic space voyage smells of ambition, emotion and beauty. The viewer doesn't needs to suspend his incredulity inspite of the film being a piece of fiction, owing to the fact that it is one of Nolan's strongest narrative.

An enthralling and distinct start to movie reminding us of social documentaries which pictures blight-induced earth as a dust bowl with last shades of humanity left, earth has become inhabitable over time with increasing crop failure and frequent dust storms. Amidst the scenario comes Cooper (McConaughey), a widowed engineer-turned-pilot-turned-farmer who is prompted by some ghostly forces ( who send coded messages) to visit NASA facility in the outskirts of his village.  The facility led by Dr John Brand (Micheal Caine) reveals Cooper about a secret mission in search of a habitable planet beyond the solar system and he asks Cooper to pilot the space ark 'Endurance' with the team. Devastated at the thought of her father leaving her, Murph (Mackenzie Foy) is filled with discontent and hatred for him.

The film tracks Cooper's odyssey along with the NASA team and two robots CASE and TARS as they travel through the wormholes to discover a sustainable living environment while Dr Brand and grown-up Murph (Jessica Chastain) try and solve the inevitable problem of gravity. The direction is accurate and film balances well between different time zones as Cooper and his accomplices verge many light years ahead.

Unavoidable comparisons with Gravity and 2001: a Space Odyssey, Interstellar thinks more about the future than focusing all its attention on the present and past. A graphically rich special effects packaged with a mammoth script which reflects a large time devoted to research and a great casting, Interstellar might be specious and flawed at places but it doesn't stop the movie from being a winner.


8 on 10 stars