Madagascar (2005)

"Cute and Cuddly boys, CUTE AND CUDDLY"
That's what Madagascar promises, and well it delivers. We can see the trend in the likes of Toy Story, Incredibles and this Madagascar series, these are flicks made for children, which are enjoyed by adults alike.
Madagascar provides a fun ride with a few technical loopholes, which if ignored, will surely land you admiring this cute piece of cinema.

Madagascar is a story of four animal friends, who have not seen much (or almost nothing) of the wild, and have been  raised in the New York central zoo enjoying all the comforts of the Royal upbringing. Incidents turn in such a way that all of them are transported to madagascar, a colorful, vivid and secluded island.
Here they meet a range of characters who keep adding to the fun.

Now the plot goes haywire at times, not keeping up with the fact that one central storyline should have been focused instead of tits and bits of everything. The characters are not well developed and the central characters at times seem under-timed and left out. The typical bildungsroman is not much followed which makes the plot to stray at times.

Madagascar works mostly because of its witty humor and colorful scenery created intelligently using the best of technologies. The actors give life to their voice characters and all are well played.

What I like most about this flick is that thing which is true with most of the animation movies. You can fly away with anything you can imagine, wether its animals walking on two legs, or reading newspapers, or creating human hostages for that matter.

The part of penguins is too good and they light up the screen every time they appear. King Julian also needs a special mention for its brilliant voice over from the actor playing Ali G on american television.

All in all Madagascar creates some beautiful visuals, some rib tickling comedy and some memorable scenes to envisage. I would give it 3/5 stars. 

About schmidt (2002) Movie review

Dir: Alexander payne

About schmidt is Different.

"About Schmidt" is a great film. Bitter humor, all-pervading lie, the infinite sadness of loneliness and failure, sincere egoism, everyday dullness, desperate and quiet hope - this is life, and in a non-blatant, nor melodramatic manner.

It is a story about a retired insurance biggie, who has made quite a fortune for himself, has been married HAPPILY for 42 years, and now just about to start the pleasurable post retirement journey. Everything set and done, but somewhere a little thing crops up, where was life in all those years he worked to earn a house, an adventurer caravan and a wife whom she thought to be "Who's that old lady living in my house ?"

About schmidt doesnt comes up with the "old man gettin a life" notion, instead its more of a gradual journey which ends up with the conclusion that time wasted is TIME WASTED.

Schmidt knows or as the movie progresses comes to terms with himself and discovers that when you need to fake it, you need to fake it. The movie basically scores for me for two main reasons:
One, the brilliant cinematography, the beautiful travel postcard images and the near perfect use of color hues to carry the emotions Scmidt is in (All through the film, schmidt is surrounded by melancholy blues, whether its his office, his couch, his clothes or the night sky).

Two, the film doesnt have an ending where the bucket list is completed and the protagnist dies smiling, its an end which could well tell you that you better do some thinking about your life boss.

About schmidt is certainly worth its time and a good watch. JACK NICHOLSON is a brilliant actor and anything said about his performance would be an understatement, he restrains from his wicked humor characters and delivers a perfect semi broken schmidt.
Its a Sad movie, the sort of which gives you something to churn on.

I suggest ABOUT SCMIDT to be a 7/10.

Schindler's List (1993)

 

Dir: Steven spielberg

I learnt that Spielberg had the rights of the novel on osker schindler 10 years before he made Schindler's list. He thought he was not mature enough to handle a holocaust film. I would like to say "Thank you Mr. Spielberg" coz what you made is truly genuinely and in every cinematic realm, A MASTERPIECE.


Schindler's list is the story of Osker chindler, Who was a Nazi businessman, trying to take advantage of the war and make huge money in jewish poland, but ended up saving the lives of some 1100 jews by hiring them as his factory workers.


The most beautiful part of the film is that it takes its time. The change in schindler's character is not shown to be an overnight change, in which a savior is born, but it is meticulously engineered as the story unfolds. The film is a little over 3 hours, but trust me you wont feel a second worth wasted. The director takes out sequences which aptly set base for the next sequences to follow. The screenplay is tight and every character has been etched out beautifully.

The actors, whether its Liam neeson as Oskar Schindler, who reproduces the panache and vulnerability  of Schindler at the same time beautifully, or its Ralph fiennes as the Nazi general Goeth, who is carved out as a perfect human portrayal of suffering inside a ruthless murderer. All the mill workers play their part well too.

The decision by Spielberg to shoot the film in black and white proves to be a big big plus point for it. The black and white look gives the perfect war documentary look to the film and at times you completely forget if its actually a scripted movie. Lights and cinematography are above par/brilliant as characters have been defined so exquisitely through lights (Schindler's face is shown in partial lights till the time he rescues the jews just to show the good and bad sides of his character).
Most of the film was shot with a hand held camera, giving it a war documentary feel and making it more REAL. The cinematographer deserves all the appreciation.

Spielberg has also beautifully used parallel editing in the shot where the rich couple is forced to leave their home and Schindler gets it for free and then the beauty of dialogues make it a wonderful sequence where schindler says "It couldnt have been better" and the evicted jew lady while in her ghetto home utters "It could have been worse".

All in all it has some really wonderful dialogues and near perfect editing to depict all the metaphors that one could comprehend in a war.
Steven spielberg has made a masterpiece where he has managed the largest of crowds with ease, shot the most depressing scenes with an intent to make the viewer comprehend, and produced a movie which would always live on as one of the greatest work of cinema.
Its simply one of the very best movies. I give Spielberg's War drama 9/10.

Zindagi na milegi dobara (2011)

Dir: Zoya akhtar

Zindagi na milegi dobara succeeds where Luck by chance (Zoya akhtar’s directorial debut) couldn’t score. Despite being technically excellent, luck by chance lacked the plot which could adhere to the Indian audiences, but ZNMD is no such film. It is technically excellent and so simple a plot which could keep you enchanted and sit through all the two hours gaping at the picture perfect extravaganza. The story is about three childhood friends reunion over Kabir’s (abhay deol) bachelor party. Within this bachelor trip they take on three adventure sports which ends up a life changing experience.

Nothing so out of the box, but the treatment to its subject is certainly something exciting.

The main plot is beautifully embedded with sub plots like the undercurrents playing b/w Hrithik and Farhan’s characters or the disturbed past of Imran (Farhan akhtar).

The scenic beauty is well captured making Spain as much as a character as all the actors.

ZNMD does to Spain what DCH did to Goa. Aerial and underwater sequences are so well shot that you are left mesmerized and wanting for more. SEL’s music is with the theme and they score a perfect symphony.

As per the ACTING, Farhan akhtar dazzles with his comic timing and lives out the character, Hrithik is again flawless and Abhay deol plays it just apt. The girls don’t have much to do, but Katrina certainly shows some acting DNA in evolution.

The CINEMATOGRAPHY is just brilliant. Watching a road trip was never so soothing and the way he has captured the fields the flowers and the beautiful spain is just mind blowing. The skydiving sequence is so well shot that you seldom doubt if they ued the chroma screen or not. Highly recommended for sheer genius behind the camera.

EDITING is just perfect, the film runs a little above 2 hrs and the pace is never settled for the plot. Also the song sequences also are well placed, but just one title track not appealing to me being placed in the opening credits.

Zoya akhtar promises to be a DIRECTOR to watch out for, she knows the commercial Indian audience and also respects the masters when it comes to film making. She choses a perfect cast, a perfect location and a perfect medium, a road trip, to take us through three lives.

I just loved the film and wont treat is below par to any technically superior film.

I suggest ZNMD is worth 8/10.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump (1994)

So stupidity meets luck, innocence meets luck, goodwill meets luck.
I find forrest gump as a slight overdose of happy go lucky syndrome.
But right from the start till the very end, the movie never bores you for a moment,
be in forrest's world and you'll enjoy the ride.
There must be a reason the movie is in every "TOP" list....i havnt figured it out except for the innocent treatment of gump's character.
There are some really nice twists n turns in the movie which could make you smile or go into splits.

ACTING:
What to say about tom hanks....brilliant...brilliant...brilliant
Watch it n u knw where did SRK gt MNIK...LOL
the body posture, speech pattern(which tom hanks admitted to copy from d kiddo who played junior gump)
Tom hanks just creates ripples on screen....u watch him in Cast away. and den in Forrest gump and you know he lived two DIFFERENT people.
The leading lady's character has been etched out really nyc and she lives up to it too.
Bubba is typical nigga buddy u gt to see in so many american movies.

Editing:
No real idea but as the movie has really nyc transitions from one sub plot to another, i must say good work.

Direction:
Adapted from a novel it wasnt an easy task to get it to this level on screen....but the director has pulled off well.
The integration of CGI effects and the narrative are two things which he should be applauded for.

Basically Forrest Gump is happy cinema....spend any 2 hrs of your life smiling.

I give the happy go luck gump a 7/10

The motorcycle diaries (2004)

Dir: Walter Zallis

It was ever long since i wanted to watch this film, but laid my hands just yesterday.
The motorcycle diaries, as i came to know in the ending credits is a tale about che guevera and the events which triggered his revolutionary road. So it was easy when i started it as just a tale of two guys riding the continent on their motorcycle.
The film deals aptly with the metamorphosis of a simple graduate who's just excited to undergo this road trip in search of girls and wine all over america, but ends up seeing the real native south america.
There are scenes which completely justify his metamorphosis like the one in which he swims the amazon to be with the lepers, and the scene where his pain is depicted through an asthma attack, but somewhere it lacks the pricking effect which should underline such a massive change in a 23 year old guy.
Overall the film is GOOD.Both the lead actors acted really well. Although i feel some threads are left incomplete like that of the leper girl sylvia.
The movie has pace and no sequence looks like a wasted one. So, it has some nice editing.
Its a film i wont mind watching once. And the best part, the director choses to tell the story only uptill the trip ends.
Not making it a Lakshya-type mistake.
I'd rate it 6.5/10. Marks included for some good locations too. :-)