Inception

Cast And Credits:
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Produced by: Chris Brigham

So where does one start with a movie like Inception? It’s arguably the most anticipated film of this summer, if not the entire year. Without revealing terribly much in the clips and trailers (thankfully!) it’s been one of the most hyped films of the year as well – if not by the studio, then by movie news sites (including this one) and their readers. Following a monster hit like The Dark Knight is a heck of a task for Christopher Nolan, who not only directed Inception but wrote and produced it as well.

Well now that it’s done and hitting theaters, I believe Mr. Nolan can relax – because this film is all kinds of awesome. Cutting edge 3D Camera Rigs 3D Stereoscopic LED Walls

This is one of those movies that’s difficult to review without revealing at least some minor spoilers, so be warned. It won’t be anything that will even remotely ruin the film for you, but I do have to bring up a few things in order to describe the story. Let’s start by explaining exactly what “Inception” is in the film: It is the process of imbedding a thought in the mind of a subject in such an incredibly subtle manner, that they end up thinking that they came up with it on their own. No, don’t think hypnotism, this is a much more sophisticated thing. As a matter of fact, Nolan makes a point to get at least one “oh, I know what this is going to be” thought out of your head within the first few minutes of the film: This is much more than the old dream within a dream plot line.

Leonardo DiCaprio is Cobb, a man who works with a team stealing corporate secrets from the minds of executives while they sleep. The 1984 film Dreamscape may come to mind, but things are much more complex here. In order to retrieve what Cobb’s clients want, he can’t just enter the dreamworld of the subject and poke around until he finds it – an “architect” is required to construct a world and settings that will lead the subject where Cobb wants him to go, and there is a backup man who also goes into the dream (Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur) in case something goes wrong or it’s a two man con game.

As the film opens, we find that Cobb has failed in his mission for a client for the first time ever, and for this failure the corporation is out to kill him. Besides the obvious, Cobb has another problem: He is the father of two small children who he has not seen in quite a while yet both of whom he loves very much. Sadly for him, the last place he can go is back to the United States to be with them (there is another major reason as well). However an opportunity to fix all that lies between him and his children presents itself in the form of Asian corporate mogul Saito (Ken Watanabe). If Cobb does an almost impossible job for him, Saito is powerful enough to call the dogs off Cobb and to fix everything so he can return to his family.

The plan involves implanting a thought in the mind of one Robert Fischer Jr (Cillian Murphy), the son of a competitor who is on his deathbed and whose death will make the rival corporation so powerful it will rival that of a government. To carry off this plan, Cobb needs a new architect and an additional partner – so he finds his old teacher (Michael Caine) who despite misgivings points Cobb to a young woman named Ariadne who has inherent skills surpassing those of Cobb himself (Ellen Page). While hesitant at first, she becomes intoxicated with the idea of being able to create worlds as if a god, and signs on for the task at hand.

From there begins the exceedingly complex and multi-layered process of not only building the world in which they will place Fischer Jr, but the script they will have to follow in order to lead him to an initial seed of a subconscious thought that will eventually grow to a major, conscious decision that he would not otherwise make. The story is riveting and will take you through one level after another, until you’re not quite sure where, exactly, you are.

While much of the film feels somewhat “cold,” DiCaprio is the emotional touchpoint for the audience — he’s a tortured man, not only due to the separation between him and his children, but the death of his wife, with whom he was very much in love. While the male members of this little band are oblivious, Ariadne becomes aware of these deep emotional issues that Cobb is going through — and the fact that they are so deep that they may seep into their combined dream world and risk not only the mission but all their lives.

Christopher Nolan has crafted an incredibly complex and layered film that although it runs just about 2 1/2 hours, does not feel like it’s that long due to its excellent pacing. That is not to say that it moves at breakneck speed, but that the film opens up before you like an architectural marvel, with something more fascinating and engaging in the next room than the one you’re currently in — with every subsequent room being more interesting than the last.

If you still picture DiCaprio as the kid in Titanic, you really need to update your point of view — he’s turned into a solid, gritty actor with an air of gravitas. Everyone gives excellent performances here… Joseph Gordon-Levitt is suitably intense, although he’s not given much to work with. Ellen Page was good, not great — but again, she wasn’t given enough to do to really let her spread her wings. I particularly enjoyed Tom Hardy’s character and performance — he was the guy that really understood how to cut loose in the dream world.

Hans Zimmer’s music fits the film wonderfully, helping to carry along the story and pacing. Nolan’s cinematography was beautiful and creative, and some of the visual effects scenes (in particular the floating hallway scene from the trailer) makes similar scenes from The Matrix look old school (yes, I realize The Matrix is over 10 years old now).

It’s one of those films that warrants multiple viewings to let everything sink in. Is itabsolutely perfect? No, but any minor issues melt away in the overall experience of the film. It will entertain you while at the same time challenging you. And all without the gimmick of 3D. And for those of you going to see this based on your love of The Dark Knight: While Inception is a different type of movie, the latter is indeed better than the former. If you’re hungry for a film that has action, mystery and respects the audience, Ihighly recommend you go see Inception.

Inception is rated PG-13 and there is nothing too objectionable for kids, although if you bring children under the age of 10 or so you’re probably wasting your money as this is not going to be their cup of tea. [- via screenrant.com -]

Rizvan Khan - Shahrukh Khan

Rizvan Khan, a Muslim man from India, moves to San Francisco and lives with his brother and sister-in-law. Rizvan, who has Aspergers, falls in love with Mandira. Despite protests from his family they get married and start a small business together. They are happy until September 11, 2001 when attitudes towards Muslims undergo a sea-change. When tragedy strikes, Mandira is devastated and they split. Rizvan is confused and very upset that the love of his life has left him. To win her back, he embarks on a touching and inspiring journey across America.

Every single scene of the movie has great links to convey, so you can’t afford to miss even a single act.

Movie has many appealing & simple scene, but they are very convincing & attractive. Though the romance between Rizvan & Mandira is subtle, yet it’s appealing. The life of SRK in the movie is the best part of the film.

There’s a minor holdup in the IInd half, when Rizvan proceeds to Georgia to put aside a hurricane-ravaged hamlet. Moreover, media also implement tends to make the movie lengthy.

Work of Shibani Bathija should given the credit.

Kudos to Karan Johar for making this brave attempt but how one wishes he had reined himself in during the second half. The flood sequence and the sub-plot involving Mama Jenny and funny hair Joel in Wilhelmina, Georgia, were totally dispensable.

Rizvan Khan & Mandira

But my salutations to the man who breathes life and soul into the movie – the King Khan. And I say it as much from my epiglottis as from the heart.

The Spy Next Door

Starring: Jackie Chan, Madeline Carroll, Alina Foley, George Lopez, Billy Ray Cyrus
Directed by: Brian Levant
Produced by: Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley, Solon So
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Kids/Family and Thriller
Release Date: January 15th, 2010 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG for sequences of action violence and some mild rude humor.

While we anticipate Jackie Chan’s Asian production with Little Big Soldier this Lunar New Year, he continues his journey in the West with yet another kid and family friendly production with The Spy Next Door, which would fit into the Disney Channel stable given Chan’s penchant to appeal to the lowest denominator to draw in the family crowd, and you know just how safe the stunts of Hollywood tend to be when appealing to this demographic.

Which leaves The Spy Next Door pretty much a departure from contemporary adventure flicks which tend to draw upon violence and gore in its action sequences, to keep it within a safe, acceptable rating. Jackie Chan plays Bob Ho, a man with as much personality as his any of his past heroes, which tend to be cop / secret agent belonging to the Hong Kong / Chinese police / spy agency, and here he’s on loan to the CIA because of warming Sino-US relations. For years he’s been helping out and solving what the Americans cannot, keeping in line with Hollywood’s trend of putting China in good light, and he does so undercover and under fake glasses, living next to a divorcée (played by Amber Valletta) whom he fancies, and her three kids.

They do not know his identity as his cover is as a geeky pen salesman, and like any super- hero film, has to keep his identity, abilities and tools a secret, which you know will be threatened for exposure as he grows closer to the family, wanting to take his relationship with Valletta’s Gillian to the next step, and working toward seeking acceptance from her children, only for a Russian criminal to escape and threaten the world’s oil reserve, and having to grapple with a mole within the CIA. Sounds complicated, but it actually isn’t, really, especially when the main villain (Magnus Scheving) spends a lot of his time trying to look trendy and fashionable.

If there’s something that will appeal, it’ll be two items. First up the opening credit montage which played like a celebration to Chan’s illustrious career as an action hero, where you get to see clips from classics such as Hong Kong’s Armour of God when he was at his peak, to disasters like Hollywood’s Tuxedo when he sold out to the West. Then there’s even some drawing from Chan’s own real life experiences in his character’s monologue about love and family, exploited to add certain emotional gravitas in an otherwise empty film that spends fleeting moments in its underdeveloped subplots about the adventures in parenting/babysitting, from the youngest daughter with a fetish for anything pink, the only son who’s a school-bully fodder trying too hard to be cool in school, and an eldest daughter with the usual rebellious teenage attitude problem.

With Jackie Chan growing older and slowing down, this shows up in the carefully crafted action sequences, which while I didn’t notice any obvious signs of a stunt double, the stunts performed here are quite the walk in the park for Chan many years ago, where I remember being thrilled by the money-shot stunt sequences that each of his films would highlight. Of late there’s none and he seems to be relying on his past laurels, though “improvised” fights and acrobatics that Chan is famous for, still has enough legs to entertain, especially when battling the bad guys in closed quarters using everyday household items. If anything, there’s a number of obvious wire-work that you know Hollywood would dabble with, either for stunt safety reasons, for laughs, or just to plain exaggerate.

The Spy Next Door works as a family popcorn movie, keeping a lot of things safe and will entertain any 5 year old kid. Stay tuned during the end credits with hilarious outtakes from the film, and you see that JC still struggles with the English language. (- source : imdb -)

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Starring: Jason Lee, Zachary Levi, Anjelah Johnson, Wendie Malick, Justin Long
Directed by: Betty Thomas
Produced by: Karen Rosenfelt, Ross Bagdasarian Jr, Janice Karman
Genres: Comedy, Kids/Family and Sequel
Release Date: December 23rd, 2009 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG for some mild rude humor

In the final scene of Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Alvin and his two brothers bed down for the night just a few feet away from three singing female chipmunks. Chipmunks are not exactly known for their restraint, which leads us to some depressing math.

Your guide to the news and the nonsense of awards season. Join the discussion.

The Eastern chipmunk can produce two litters a year, with up to five young each. Thus within a decade, since cartoon chipmunks never die, there will be thousands of talking, singing chipmunks running around the animation universe, far more than the ecosystem can tolerate. They will begin showing up everywhere: stampeding through The Simpsons, mucking up Japanese anime, driving Clifford the Big Red Dog bonkers. Earplug sales will soar as they sing their electronically manipulated heads off.

Anyway, the latest adventures of Alvin, Simon and Theodore find them pursuing the rock-star careers they began in the 2007 Alvin film (which, like this one, mixes live action and computer-generated imagery). Their human handler, Dave, ends up in traction within the first minutes of the movie, which somehow results in the boys™ being enrolled in school, which they inexplicably begin at the high school level. Or something like that.

The school’s music program is about to be cut, so the boys enter a talent contest, planning to use the $25,000 prize to save the music department. Whichever of the writers credited here thinks $25,000 is enough to finance a high school music program needs to go to a few more school budget meetings. In any case, a girl chipmunk group, the Chipettes, is also in the hunt, providing the plot, such as it is.

The earlier Alvin movie made more than $217 million just in the United States. It’s hard to imagine this somewhat confused sequel doing as well.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested) for a small bit of rude humor. (- via magforyou -)

3 Idiots

Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Executive Producer / Co-Producer: Anil Davda

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Mona Singh, Parikshat Sahni, Javed Jaffrey, Akhil Mishra, Rahul Kumar, Omi Vaidya, Rajeev Ravindranathan, Sanjay Lafont, Achyut Potdar, Amardeep Jha, Farida Dadi, Jayant Kriplani, Arun Bali, Supriya Shukla, Atul Tiwari

It would be unfair if I tell the story in one go, it would ruin the suspense but.. without telling story there won’t be much to tell..

So bear it!

3 Idiots is a movie where you would laugh a minute and cry next minute, yes.. a total emotional roller coaster. 3 Idiots encourages you to pursue your passion, it tells you to go where your heart wants to go.., not to burden yourself and mess things…

Everyone has done a nice job, as for Boman Irani , he lives the part he plays , be it Being Cyrus or the lecher in Khosla ka Ghosla, he is the matured old wine that keeps getting better with age. Wonder why he is never nominted for any awards for his outstanding and memorable performances?

Aamir Khan has done excellent job like past, being 44 he has awesomely performed as 22 years old guy just like we expected from him!

3 Idiots is a movie you can watch with family easily no age-restriction!

Avatar

Director: James Cameron
Producer: James Cameron, Jon Landau, Rae Sanchini
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald

Avatar is a perfect amalgamation of virtual visual splendour and close-to-the-human-heart sentiments. It’s a hardcore Hollywood masala that treats you to ’shock-n-awe’ of the extra terrestrial kinds. Top Gun fire fighting atop friendly flying dinosours and a cute romance between strong willed ET Princess and his saviour American warrior. Amusing. Visual effects through 3d glasses transports you to an amazing land blessed with a delectable celestial charisma. Fantasy come true.

The best thing about Avatar is the dedicated behind-the-scenes team. Actors just happen to deliver the goods. But it’s the magnificence of the vivid imagination that director James Cameron and his team are imbued with that transforms this film into a successful experiment of fusing the real with the imaginary. Mauro Fiore’s breathtakingly crafty cinematography, James Horner’s Pied-Piper effect like background music score, Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg’s incredible production design, Kim Sinclair’s masterful set decoration, the long list of team members involved in God-like visual effects, spot-on make up department, magic-clarity given by the sound department, flying-fists-in-the-air stunts….it’s a long list of never ending behind the scenes brilliance that has nurtured this spectacle.

Where writer-director James Cameron scores brownie points is the way he has interwoven the testosterone-powered visual effects with an age old story that strikes a chord with the viewers instantly. Jack (Sam Worthington) is an ex-marine who was wounded in a combat and paralysed from waist-below. He is a part of the Avatar program which will gift him the ability to walk again. He is virtually transported to Pandora, an extra terrestrial moon blessed with wondrous life forms and beastly animals.

Pandora is inhabited by Navi, a sentient humanoid race. Americans want to capture this land because of its rich minerals. But humans can’t breathe in Pandora, hence Jack is transformed into the Avatar of a genetically-bred Human-Navi hybrid. After facing resistence, he learns to be like them and also falls in love with their ferocious-yet-virtuous princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldana).

The sensitivity with which the underpriviledged are showcased is fascinating. It’s as if Americans are taking a potshot at many of their policies. When the main villain Colonel Miles (Stephen Lang) screams about destroying ’terror with terror’ or the ’shock-n-awe’ treatment one is reminded of the Big-Bush statements that earned a lot of hatred for Americans all over the world. By supporting the downtrodden and establishing the rule of the meek over the powerful (supposedly called civilised but are worse than beastly), Hollywood has taken the step in a more humane direction.

On the flip side, Avatar tends to be a bit slow at times and you feel that let’s-get-going guys. And yes, the story follows the graph of any Hindi potboiler with all the trappings of action, romance, the chance-pe-dance survival moments and a poetic ending. The attitude of the actors is kick-ass laced with Rambo-glares for the pilots and their wry sense of humour that cracks you up. The visual effects artistry has to be seen to be believed. It’s unbelievable. I am not saying much about the actors as anyone would have played the part since it is so well written and is backed by an astoundng script and a grand production design.

Avatar is a must watch film. Feast on this treat. Today. (- via mouthshut -)

2012

Cast List:
John Cusack – ‘Jackson Curtis’
Amanda Peet – ‘Kate Curtis’
Chiwetel Ejiofor – ‘Adrian Helmsley’
Oliver Platt – ‘Carl Anheuser’
Thandie Newton – ‘Laura Wilson’
Danny Glover – ‘President Thomas Wilson’
Woody Harrelson – ‘Charlie Frost’
Tom McCarthy – ‘Gordon Silberman’
Liam James – ‘Noah Curtis’
Morgan Lily – ‘Lilly Curtis’
Zlatko Buric – ‘Yuri Karpov’
Johann Urb – ‘Sasha’
Chin Han – ‘Tenzin’
Beatrice Rosen – ‘Tamara’

Crew List:
Directed By: Roland Emmerich
Screenplay By: Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
Producers: Harald Kloser, Mark Gordon and Larry Franco
Executive Producers: Roland Emmerich, Ute Emmerich and Michael Wimer
Director of Photography: Dean Semler
Production Designer: Barry Chusid
Editors: David Brenner and Peter S Elliot
Music By: Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander

Theatrical Release Date: November 13, 2009
Genres: Action, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language

I was totally kicked about watching 2012; any disaster movie, is my favourite. This movie did not disappoint, specially with the visual effects. But the story line was a little non-convincing for the actor

John Cusack always as a close shave with death and survives, the other reason was there is only a mention of the Mayan Prophecy.

As we all know it, the world is coming to an end, and how will one survive. The best part to this is that the prediction was made by an Indian played by Jimmy Mistry. This was the opening scene in the movie, of course India, didnt look like India in the movie. The other thought that i had was, would it be possible for the movie to customise the story for each country.

Other than John Cusack, there could have been a better and known actors and more believable and achievable storyline. Not like the one, when all the buildings are falling down, airport runaways going down, water is rising, volcanoes are erupting, earthquake is highest on the righter scale; the hero always is the one who is unhurt, unscathed. The other side of the story has to how mankind survives is because of a country called China, this is enough of the movie given away. You have both Indian and China, being mentioned in the movie – India discovers, China invents, Chindia saves the world.

If you are special effect crazy, looking forward to Armageddon, this movie would not disappoint you.

A Christmas Carol

Cast: Cary Elwes, Ryan Ochoa, Daryl Sabara, Robin Wright, Bob Hoskins, Michael Fox, Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Christopher Lloyd, Fay Masterson, Sammi Hanratty, Tarah Paige
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Date Released: 6 November 2009

Story? Well, don’t we all know it? No? Ok, here’s a summary. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is a rich man, but a very miserly man. Miserly to the limit of cruelty. He runs a counting house (what sort of a job is that?!!) with the assistance of a sweet man called Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman). It’s Christmas time and it is the time when Scrooge is his miserable best. He frowns at the carolers, kicks away the people asking for donations, refuses the invitations from his own nephew (Colin Firth). Later that night, he is visited by the ghost of his dead partner who warns him to mend his ways; else he is doomed to carry heavy chains till eternity. His chance to mending his ways are three ghosts, Ghosts of Christmas Past (Jim Carrey), Christmas Present (Jim Carrrey, again), and Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghosts make him realize that consequences of his actions and what might happen to him if he didn’t mend his ways. Realizing his mistakes, Scrooge mends his ways and slowly gains respect in the eyes of the people around him.

The dialogues, the music are awesome. All that with the 3D-effect is truly a breath taking experience. I was completely absorbed in the movie. The part showing Scrooge’s stint with Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was scary enough for the kids watching the film and if they understood the film, it will scare them off the errors made by Scrooge.

But what I didn’t like about this film was that the (same) section depicting Scrooge’s stint with the host of Christmas Yet to Come was very confusing and dragging. I didn’t quite get the point of showing the chase with the scary horse carriage, turning him into a miniscule form, that whole section. I found it a bit dragging and boring. But then, that is me.

All in all, it was a wonderful 3D movie experience. I really recommend this film, whether or not you are a children’s movie buff.

Law Abiding Citizen

Genres: Thriller
Running Time: 2 hr. 2 min.
Release Date: October 16th, 2009 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape and pervasive language.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Produced by: Neil Sacker, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel

A poorly delivered and uninspired tale about one guy’s misguided revenge. Everything about it is just utterly ridiculous and hard to put in words.

One ordinary (or at least that’s what the promos claim) man wreaks havoc after his family is murdered by fighting the system on his own. But at the end of the day, he isn’t better than the men who killed his wife and daughter.

What can I say about this film? It was horrible from Jamie Foxx’s wrong choice of movie, to the “moral teachings” of it, to Gerard Butler’s Americanized accent, to the nice poor District Attorney running around as the city blows up, to the wrong people dying, to how everything happens outside the prison when the man responsible for it is in prison, to the system winning at the end, to…just everything about it – I hated!

Sloppy, predictable, lame excuse for an action film, quite senseless, pathetic…just plain awful and a waste of time.

The invention of lyring

Cast: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Rob Lowe, Louis C.K.

Producers: Lynda Obst, Oly Obst, Ricky Gervais, Dan Lin

Genres: Comedy

Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min

Release Date: October 2nd, 2009 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language including some sexual material and a drug reference.

The first half-hour of “The Invention of Lying,” co-directed and co-written by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, is so sharply fresh, clever and laugh-out-loud hilarious that you can’t help but wonder how they’ll sustain it for another hour.

To be honest, they can’t.

The early reels are a marvel of sustained comic invention and verbal wit, with a dash of speculative humor that borders on science fiction. Bus ads and building signage offer priceless sight gags (a retirement home bills itself as “a sad place for old hopeless people”), while the movies Mark writes are essentially unvarnished history lessons, read directly to the camera with nary an ounce of Hollywood artifice.

But everything changes, including the pic’s tone and momentum, when Mark, fired and broke, catches a lucky break by telling the world’s first lie. Shocked by his newfound powers, Mark finds himself the hero of a sort of reverse “Liar Liar,” in which his every fabrication is accepted at face value. Before long, Mark is back at work, Anna renews her interest in him and — in a twist that approaches Capra-esque levels of sentimental lunacy — he becomes a celebrity with his revelatory, gotta-be-true insights into the nature of God, morality and the afterlife.

Things admittedly get clunky in the third act, when they attempt to work a convincing Gervais-Garner romance into the glib proceedings, but the truth is perfection’s a minor quibble with the likes of Fey, Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Lowe, Jason Bateman, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Guest, Louis C.K. and Edward Norton providing expert comic backup.