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Reviews
Fight Club (1999)
Time releasing mix of wisdom and action
This movie had been in my WatchList for a while and due to being a Brad Pitt starrer with a tell tale name I imagined it to be a hardcore action movie. Nothing could be farther than that notion.
The Narrator (Norton) is a Recall specialist of cars. His job is formulaic to him and he is doing well there. He is a compulsive shopper and suffers from insomnia. He cannot sleep and tries ways and means to get sleep.As fate would have it he meets Tyler Durden in a flight on his way back from a business trip. Tyler who makes soaps and tells him there are ways to make explosives at home and unlike Narrator believes in a non materialistic life. As a twist of fate ( or is it) these two become housemates and start fist fights as mode of recreation. This sport becomes popular enough to be a structured club and makes Tyler a cult leader.
This is such a clever movie and hides so much wisdom between its layers. The crux for the movie is how the young generation of today is having it all and yet so shallow and empty within. We try to fight our depressions and troughs in mood by retail therapy. We become the donkey with the carrot dangling in front of it. The corporate giants convince us that the secret to our happiness is the new anti wrinkle cream or owning the latest fashion or technology will ensure us the perfect soulmate and yet here we are doomed to strive on for the proverbial carrot. A generation slave to consumerism and driven by credit card companies. A generation whose pearly white smile doesn't sprout from the soul. Men who are members of the FightClub do fist fighting as recreation sans any ego or getting personal . These men could be anyone from a hot shot manager of a firm to your delivery truck guy. They invest their time after work in an active sport rather than drinking at the bar or playing video game in their room. While ideas and philosophies can be great but who knows when a philosophy becomes radical and an act of enlightenment becomes that of extremism. The line is so thin and it resides right within us. Even if you have firm faith on your leader should you not ask questions? When and how gradually does an avid anti materialistic movement becomes a militant group and what is that line that differentiates a degenerate from a guru? This movie reminded me of American Psycho and helped me better understand it too. FIGHTCLUB is stylish and punchlines to remember for life. Acting wise its a powerhouse with Edward Norton (Narrator) , Helena Bonham Carter (Marla Singer) and Brad Pitt (Tyler Durden) giving amazing performances. This movie far exceeded my expectations and it challenged my intellect.
Jenny's Wedding (2015)
A very down to earth movie!!!
Even telling what this movie is all about is a spoiler. Jenny is our girl next door belonging to an "ordinary" family who grew up in a closely knit neighborhood. Jenny does get married but not as per her parents expectations. She is gay, a fact that she kept away from her family all along until her as well as her family's attempts at getting her set up on dates with random guys pushes all of them to frustration. So at her father's behest she finally decides to tell her family who she was dating. This is a coming out story of a woman who was openly lesbian in the city but all sly when it came to her family and locality. It's about how the parents reacted when their favourite child threw something at them that they just didn't understand. When Jenny tells her to her mom who she was particularly close to she wasn't so much afraid of her being gay as she was of what "people will think". Its clear from the fact that she asks Jenny not to tell this to anyone except her father right now. She is worried of her life in that community where she has lived all along.Jenny's father's reaction is equally baffled although he rests his gun on the mother's shoulders and would rather talk about how her mother was getting hurt rather than his own confusion and resentment. They are baffled that they never understood this about their child. This is a textbook reaction of parents that they are "ordinary" people and they don't get it. The movie was very down to earth about handling this subject from the POV of a regular family. Tom wilkinson and Lind Emond as the parents were extremely believable. It was amusing to see how the father couldn't look on as the brides kissed after cutting the wedding cake although he had come around to accept his daughter's sexuality. Katherine Heigl's performance as Jenny was good. Her partner performed by Alexis Bledel didn't have much to do except look on supportingly. It was taken for granted that her parents had no objection and all was well at that front. This movie is not an out and out war cry for the LGBT community. It is not corny Or prudish nor is it overtly sexual. It is targeted at those people who dealing with the uncommon sexual inclination that they do not understand. They they never have come across in their known circles.These are regular people who do not deal with the ultra liberal ideas that come with cosmopolitan life. I see a lot of critics panning this movie. Someone blamed it of dealing with "too much sheltered people". But that is the fact. Not everybody lives sex and the city kind of life. Majority of people live an ordinary low key life and yes a "sheltered existence". Someone has to make a movie about that kind of people too. A movie's degree of impact varies based on the context and complexity of the situation addressed in it and not every movie will address the most complex even though talking about the same issue. Not every gay person evolves to be a LGBT revolutionary and not all families are utterly rejecting although they have their sets of challenges. This movie is a low key drama which is very identifiable and extremely approachable.
Collateral Beauty (2016)
I do not understand the utter bad reviews for this movie
This movie is about a parent (Will Smith) coping with the grief of losing a 6 yr old child. This was in no way as bad as the critics cried out to be.
Howard (will smith) used to be an advertising genius and entrepreneur before he became devastated with the loss of his daughter. Being the majority shareholder of his firm he became a ship which was pulling everyone to the bottom as it sank. So when his partners were unable to bring him back over a period of 2yrs they "gaslight" him. Howard in his own grief was completely detached with the world outside. His partners and employees were at the brink of joblessness and financial ruin. Whit (Edward Norton), Claire (Kate Winslet) and Simon (Michael Peña) are his long time partners and friends. They employ a PI to monitor his actions so that they could render him mentally unsound and thus incapable of using his majority shareholder voting rights in the decision to sell the business to another firm. In the meantime Whit whose mother is slightly mentally unsound has an idea to employ actors impersonating Love time and death , the 3 abstracts that Howard is obsessed with. HOWARD had written poignant letters to all 3 abstracts which the PI had acquired.it was an attempt to step into Howards reality and help him recuperate or else use the evidence against him. The letters written by Howard were soul wrenching. This was a father whose career and marriage fell apart because he didn't know how to deal with his grief. The story shows different ways to cope like going to group therapy sessions. It also shows that there is a difference between how each parent of the same child copes and perceives the situation. There are sub plots revolving Whit,Claire and Simon too who think they have chosen actors but actually the 3 abstracts chose them one each to show what they were each missing out.
Helen Mirren as Death couldn't be more firm in her consolations or more sassy in her attitude reflecting the inevitability and finality that she represents. Its also ironical that death which should be the end of all pains is a woman as opposed to all cultures showing Death as a formidable man. Keira Knightley as Love was the cutest and smartest form Love could come in. She looks fuller,says clever and funny lines and yet reflects compassion and pain in her eyes just as love should be. Jacob Latimore as time is curt and impatient. He is smart and speaks in mysterious ways contradicting himself at times, rebukes and mocks Howard and Claire on how we waste its gifts. I liked the movie. It touched my heart although the plot could have been smarter. May be more depth and credibility could have been lent to the sub plots. Kate winslet was good but was wasted in a somewhat soppy character. I resented that. Edward Norton as Whit who was recently divorced due to his philandering, stayed with his sick mom and at the brink of financial ruin was aptly portrayed. He is the suave Newyorker who takes advices from uber driver (Try to step in their reality rather than force our own on them.Would love to take therapy from such an uber driver).Micheal Peña as Simon who way dying due to cancer, was mostly coughing through the movie which was slightly cliché. These are some holes i found but not worth panning the movie altogether.
The Astronaut's Wife (1999)
Waste of fine actors
This movie shouldn't have been made. I wonder if the writer and the director had any insight into what they were dealing with. Seems like they had an idea of a space and alien thriller which they made into a movie before it took any concrete shape. What started on a promising note becomes completely lost and shallow. Johnny Depp is a complete miscast as an astronaut. His expressions are too casual for an astronaut and he seems like he has no business being in a sci-fi movie. Even the actor cast as his fellow astronaut looks more like a mercenary. Depp did manage to look a bit creepy when the mystery is out. Theron fares better and is more convincing as a 2nd grade teacher and the chemistry between herself and Depp is pretty good. The plot is wanting in substance and lacks the impact of a haunting and creepy thriller about alien invasion. It fails to make the point of how chilling an alien invasion could be or how easily progress of science could be the doom of mankind. Hell, it even fails to cut a mark about how suddenly a young happily married couple's life is devastated. It was nothing more than a waste of time watching this movie.
Cake (2014)
Electrifying performance from Jennifer Aniston
Cake is the story of a woman named Claire (Jennifer Aniston) grieving and recovering from the terrible aftermath of a horrific accident. This movie is different due to the fact that it never shows directly what tragedy struck Claire.The audience is left to deduce that by collecting pieces from her current activities and attitude. What we see is a not so young, terribly irritable and sometimes viciously rude woman who is in chronic pain, addicted to pain killing drugs whose marriage is over, seems wealthy and has no need to go to work. She goes to support groups and therapies but is not liked anywhere and she doesn't care. Supporting her way beyond her expected duties is her housekeeper. A God fearing Mexican lady who drives her around, puts up with her tantrums and genuinely cares about her. The movie dwells on the daily regimen and broken personality of Claire for a long time before we finally gather what happened. She obsesses over the suicide of Nina (ANa Kendric) from her chronic pain supporting group. She blackmails the therapist to get Nina's details and reaches out to her family thereby starting to take a step forward towards healing. The best part of this movie is the absolute and amazing performance by Jennifer Aniston and Adriana Barraza. I have mainly seen Aniston in quirky comedy movies. Her performance here as a lady coping with the outcomes of an accident is a pleasure to watch. Barraza was equally fabulous as the overworked,taken for granted, empathetic Silvana who cared like a mother for her sick employer. I like the fact about the script that the audience is forced to think but the movie dwells too long on building on Claire's character and thus the later half of the movie becomes malnourished. Around the first half when i was getting almost impatient the story moves forward from the scowl on Claire's face. But the friendship between Ninas husband and Claire although understandably platonic lacks depth. It doesn't spend much time on how they affect each other to heal.Somehow the director failed to treat this part with more maturity and depth. Sam worthington as a single grieving father suitably underacted. His character could have been given more meat though. Overall i quite liked the film.
Mirzya (2016)
The kind that sets no trend and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth
Mirzya, when the trailer came out I couldn't help checking on the legend. The legend of Mirza Sahibaan. A sad tale of two star crossed lovers. They did elope together on Sahibaan's wedding day to another man and when found were killed by the relatives of Sahibaan. It is that poignant story that this movie set out to deliver with parallel drawn to a modern romance between two young people from Jodhpur. Oh how it fails !!! Firstly, the modern story of love doesn't make any sense. It has no practicality and absolute non trend setter. In the actual legend Mirzaa and Sahibaan grew up together and were in love since childhood. They were detached for a short time after their mutual attraction was discovered. Here, the girl moved abroad at a very young age and came back only to be betrothed to another man. This man she knew very well and she lead him on. Her betrothal wasn't against her wish. By this time she hadn't seen Her childhood friend the title protagonist of the movie for a minimum of 15 yrs. still when she comes across him and recognize him she hands herself over not caring to break her official engagement also. Riding 2 horses on one arse anyone? How can a person expect an old acquaintance to stay the same after so much time. Allowing a grungy horse care taker who never went to school and has a violent history to access you can only happen when you know the actor is Harshvardhan Kapoor. 2ndly there is a line repeated over and over "hota hai, pyaar mein aisa aksar hota hai". Especially after a murder and a suicide. I felt like finding the script writer or director and asking what they were thinking? Mirzaa of legend was not a sociopath or a criminal. If a child shoots his teacher he needs help. It doesn't happen often in love. No. Children that small are not supposed to feel in love like that. If one girl commits suicide in order to let another one elope with her friend, i am sorry, but that also does not happen often in love. Lives matter and are not disposable for main protagonists like flies dropping dead. 3rdly justice wasn't done even to the legend of Mirza. What was that tribe he was shown belonging from? What were those burning meteor like things dropping from sky? The script was so weakly written i couldn't believe it came from Gulzar. The music although annoyingly frequent was the only saving grace of the movie. This movie turned Mirzaa into a criminal and a stalker. Sahibaan turned into a beauty with no brains who came all finished from abroad only to have eloped with a guy she didn't know for years and whose plan was to "cross the border and phir dekhenge.." . Cross the border to where? Pakistan? The lesser being said about the performances the better. Harshvardhans face wasn't visible fully for the entirety of the movie and his dialogue delivery was weak.