U - TURN Short film review

U Turn

The title made me sit up, the innovative creatives made me long for it and by seeing my friends name appear on the credits my want became desire. Finally before anyone could see the movie I got a sneak peak of this 7 minute short about love at its innocent best.

U turn is about teen love, the problems and innocence associated with it. The best part of the movie is that, it never sets out to preach us or to shock us with a twist or make you sit up with a deadly climax, but instead it makes you lean back and relish love- simple, cute and above all – relatable.

Ramiez Raja the director of the movie have decided to take a simple theme, give a simple treatment and all it needed is a heart and Raja's film is filled with it. Its about a teen couple who decide to elope but a fight makes them change their mind and from then on its all about how the lovers get back together. The director has proved that two characters and a car is all it takes to showcase a cute love story.

Lakshay Gupta and Vahbiz Dorabjee's chemistry sparkles on screen, whether in the beach scene or the scene in the Dhaba they both have shown amazing character and are right-on natural. Vahbiz might have gone a little overboard in the Dhaba scene at first but the last shot of her giving a small sign of her love for Lakshay in the same scene makes up for the lost ground.

Cinematography by Guruvyurappan is a treat to watch. Whether it was the dolly at the first or the long shot at the beach, its simply spell binding. Might be the best camera work I have seen for an Indian shot film. Ragavendra's music is another big plus for U Turn, brilliant work by the young musician. Novel, Varun and Shashank's editing is exceptional. Kudos to the trio.

If you are expecting high concept and lot of u turns in the plot, you will be disappointed with this U-Turn. But if you are looking out for a cute, romantic story turn no further, U – TURN is for you.

Stars – 3/5

MY OSCAR 2010 Predictions

TEN HOURS TO GO

And i reveal my Oscar predictions

My Best FIlm of the year- The Hurt Locker (2008): Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Greg Shapiro

But i am very sure Avtaar is going to get .


Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2009) - Finally getting his due.


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (2009)
Brilliant performance


Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role -
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role-
Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)


Best Achievement in Directing
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Quentin Tarantino

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Up in the Air (2009/I): Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Avatar (2009): Mauro Fiore

Best Achievement in Editing

Inglourious Basterds (2009): Sally Menke

Best Achievement in Art Direction

Avatar (2009): Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair

Any doubts???




Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

Avatar (2009): Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Star Trek (2009): Mark P. Stoeckinger, Alan Rankin

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Avatar (2009): Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andy Jones

If it goes to anyone else its a SIN

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Up (2009): Pete Docter

Y do they even have other nominations when Pixar’s movie is up for contention.

Best Short Film, Animated

Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' (2008) (TV): Nick Park

Have no clue about the others but Wallace and Gromit have never ever lost out in an oscar race.. SO...


PLease feel free to post ur comments..

Road to Witch mountain- A Disney disaster

RWM is a movie which i expected to be a fun joy ride with enough laughs as i was quite impressed with the trailers. And as it is Disney's production i wanted this to work. It did get decent numbers in US which just increased the hype. But when i finally happened to see the 100 minutes i finally understood that with proper marketing and good trailer even a B grade no good movie can be pushed to the A segment. Dwayne Johnson was good and he acted much better than his previous attempts but he needs to work on the importance of reading the script and not just his dumb dialogues. The movie opened with a impressive title credits. But the very next second you will understand that the production company had to work with little funds as the sfx shots used was very cheesy and they tried not to use much of sfx footage. Maybe if the sfx is done properly the movie might have been much better movie but overall there was a lack of depth in the movie and it just was too plain for me to enjoy. I will advice you to skip this as this race is not worth taking.

A B-grade movie trying too hard to come as an A grader.

Stars - .5/5

Chills and thrills...

Its been quite a while since I sat down to write for this blog, as I am working in a website called behindwoods.com where i have taken the role of a movie critic for Hindi movies. You might think i am trying to sell my stuff, market the website but trust me in this world there is a need to market yourself, if not u will be left behind, far far behind.

Now back to serious stuff I happened to see three hindi films of varied genre, Stoneman murders, Mumbai mere jaan and Mithya. Two of which are real life incident based of which one is a thriller and another a drama, and the last is a dark thriller with a comedy undertone. Its really encouraging to see such diverse movies tried in bollywood now a days, and these three are examples of how bollywood has evolved over the years.

Stoneman murders which is based on the serial killings in Mumbai in the 1980s and the plight of a ex-policeman who wants to prove his worthiness by solving the case but in the process he becomes the bait of the killer and people start thinking him to be the one. Is he? well, suspense are better kept a secret. The director has made the script very tight much like a hollywood edge of the seat thriller.

Next up is Mumbai mere jaan which released a few months ago, it deals with the aftereffects of the Mumbai train blast on 6 different people. I happened to meet Nishikant kamat in the premiere of Yevano oruvan and i told him that the movie was a good one, if only i did see him this time around i would surely hug him and beg for an assistant's position. Loved the movie and loved the acting of everyone in the lead be it Kay kay, Irfan, Madhavan, Paresh or Soha, everyone were perfectly cast and were spectacular. Pls dont miss this movie, highly recommended.

Mithya, its been a year since it released and i feel so ashamed of callin myself a movie buff and seeing this movie so late. Rajat kapoor has made a movie which can be compared to none other we have seen in Indian cinema as he has mixed - realism, black humour and violence so effortlessly into the script that we are left wondering how simple and at the same time complex a movie can be.

Except for Mithya both the movies fared badly at the ticket counters But such movies have really made bollywood look cool. Of your foreign frnds are askin you a list of movies these three should surely be included.

TAKEN - Liam neeson Vs Obama

An English movie has defied the usual norms of contemporary cinema. This hollywood flick which has an age old story about a girl getting kidnapped and how her father, an ex-government spy saves her, took almost 1 year to reach the US theatres after releasing in all the major countries like France, China, South korea and even United Kingdom. its getting a release almost 2 to 3 months after pirated DVDs was made available and the best print was available in torrents too. And to top it all there are no major boxoffice draw except for the always dependable Liam neeson. Would you be interested in going to the theaters to see this movie?

The movie which was expected to rake in almost $20 million on its first weekend and the final estimate of $40 to 45 million, projected by all the major box office analysts went on to gross $100 million so far and when the movie finishes its stint at the theaters it might well have reached something close to $130 million in US alone. Thrice the predicted final gross.

How did this happen? There are many analysts trying to reason the surprise performance of this action flick. The simplest analysis being that the US audience were hungry for an action thriller for a long time as the oscar probable dramas ruled the theatres for more than two months. But the most interesting one was that the audience paralleled the movie to to present US. The daughter being the country, who is helpless and is going down the drains thanks to the recession and her father, the president, Obama would risk anything to save her. At the end of all its just a movie about hope, something which the Americans need a lot now. The same factor which was instrumental in the tremendous response of 'Slumdog millionaire' which also broke the $100 million mark last week.

Whether Obama delivers or not, Liam neeson sure does and with style. And Taken is getting richer by the second and will also get itself a sequel in 2010. If the last analysis is to be believed then the producers of Taken would just love the recession to continue till then. Unless the father of US has something else in mind.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO..... Part 2

Welcome back everyone for the next round up for this years oscar's. Feeling that two movies wont be enough to catch up to the oscars this time we are going to analyze three probables and as usual one goof up and one Razzie favorite.

Lets get on with it (exams are nearing so all of you gets pardoned from all the superficial things which i would have written in the name of introduction)

OSCAR PREDICTION

Rachel getting married

The man who gave us the heart wrenching Philadelphia and the spine chilling Silence of the lambs, Jonathan Demme has come up with this movie. "Rachel Getting Married" is a drama with an aggressive sense of humor about the return of an estranged daughter to the family home for her sister's wedding. Kym's arrival brings lot of chaos in the family but the return of this dysfunctional kid from Rehabilitation would not just teach Kym about the importance of family but the whole family about family values. This trip is sure to bring in a smile on your face. The movie has a shot in the best original screenplay, Best director and Best Film but what seems to be a sure shot is the statue for the Princess herself, Anne Hathaway. She has already bagged the best actress in the National board of Review awards and with the Golden globe right around the corner there is a possibility she can sweep all the Awards. All the very best Anne.

Oscar Chance – 75%

Watch the trailer here

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=1wDDgSwEo1s&feature=related


The Dark Knight

This Christopher Nolen directed masterpiece is no ordinary tale of a masked vigilante but the movie which showed how a blockbuster movie should look like. The darkest Batman movie ever not only collected a record 158 million dollars in the first weekend which led to the staggering figure of 530 million in US alone (and counting) but reaped in 460 million worldwide to bring it in inching distance from the one billion mark. The summer blockbuster brought in the oscar buzz even before the movie released, for the late Heath ledger's portrayal of the deadly Joker. The buzz indeed proved worthy as the Heath ledger's version of Joker has gone down in the books as one of the all time best performance by an individual donning a negative role. But the movie is not gonna stop at that, but this masterpiece of a movie by the classy Christopher Nolen is sure to get a few other nods too, which includes Best sound editing, Best sound mixing, Best Film, Best director, Best editing and Best cinematography. If anyone has not seen the movie yet, please do yourself a favor and go rent the dvd in a shop near you as its one of the best movies of 2008 and hands down the best super movie of all-time.

Oscar chance – 70%

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=6UBP2nXtRRo

Curious case of Benjamin Button

Now for the biggie, a sure shot to the Oscar this year. A fantasy movie by a director who has made name for f directing thrillers. Imagine David Fincher the man who gave us Seven, Fight club and Zodiac coming up with a movie like Benjamin which looks more like a movie which would interest Tim Burton. But the oscar buzz is over the roof, the trailer looks damn interesting and the people who had the opportunity to get a sneak peak cant stop talking about this sensation of a movie. The movie has already been selected as the top ten films of 2008 by the National Board of Review apart from winning the Best director and Best adapted screenplay awards. The movie can expect the record number of nods but are favorite to win the Best film, Best director and Best make-up.

Oscar chance – 100%

Watch the trailer

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=UsJXFRsmPa8



OSCAR GOOF UPs

Oscar has taken many unpredictable decisions and one of the many blunders came in the year 2001 when one worked for more than a year to act in a role which got him all the awards in the book and was so certain to win the Oscars too. But Tom hanks and his mono act in Cast away was beaten by Russel crowe for his grim performance in Gladiator. The role as the Gladiator didnt expect much from the actor as he just have to look stern and do cry in one scene when compared to Tom hanks where he has to redefine all the emotions written in the book to act as the Fed Ex supervisor and a good friend to a basketball. But the very next year Russel Crowe did understand the pain Tom hanks went thru the previous year which will be discussed next time.


RAZZIE FAVOURITE

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Raja Gosnel does it again, making dogs talk, making a pathetic movie and still making it a hit. Kudos. But making it gross 92 million dollors in US itself doesnt give it respite from the critical eyes of the Razzie masterminds. The movie is considered the worst and by getting a meagre 2.3 rating in the IMDB list it places itself in the 95th position in the all time worst movies which is good enough for this year's worst director and worst movie awards. After the Scooby doo series and its stint at the razzies I am quite startled at how Raja got Disney to nod for this pathetic movie. Disney might have got more than what they have invested but its reputation has definitely gone for a toss.

See the trailer here

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=K7tleFb6TlI


Coming soon – Part 3

Dasvidaniya - Movie review

Vinay Pathak is back on the screen with his new Dramedy Dasvidaniya. The movie directed by debutante Shashant Shah was not marketed well, and even the production value looked tacky which was clearly shown in the not so impressive trailers but there were positive buzz for the movie and with zilch expectation did we sit to watch the movie? And what a nice little surprise it turned out to be.

The story of a man who is facing death, we are not talking about the glossy Kal ho na ho or the Classy Aanand but the story of a simple middle class man who has never tried to do anything out of the ordinary decides to live the last few days of his life to the fullest by writing a wish list. Yes! the movie is inspired from the Jack Nicolson and Morgan freeman's movie Bucket list, but quite cutely desified.

The movie is about Amar(Vinay Pathak) a 37 year old accounts manager who leads a less than ordinary life, but never complained. But when he finds out that he is having stomach cancer and has only three months to live with the help of his alter ego decides to write the ten things he wants to do before his death. This wish-list includes the average aspirations of almost every common man from owning a car, learning to play guitar, getting to hit back at his boss, finding his first crush (Neha Dhupia), going on a foreign trip, meeting his long-lost school friend (Rajat Kapoor), finding love in life, patching up with his younger brother (Gaurav Gera) and things alike. Whether he achieves those ten to-do things is what the story is all about.

The wish list looks so easy and normal but that is what Amar is all about, he has never achieved even the normal stuffs in life. As he says in life Life is his problem, but at the end of it we do feel happy for him which is all the film set out to achieve.

Shashant Shah has impressed with his very first movie and from now on if he just improves, he is sure to go places. The scripting by Arshad Syed is decent but the pace does drop thanks to some unwanted scenes. The cinematography by Arun Varma is functional. The scene where Vinay tries to become the Boss ka boss looks so amateurishly done, it could have been much better portrayed if they had thought it out imaginatively. The dialogues at many instances are inventive and intelligent. Kailash Kher has not just scored the music but also written the lyrics which does go hand in hand with the overall mood of the movie, kudos!!

The movie is all about Vinay pathak and the performance he has given is sure to be lauded by one and all. Watch out for the scene where he expresses his love to Neha Dhupia through dumb charades or the time when he shares a tender moment with his estranged brother, just brilliant. Everyone in the supporting cast from Sarita Joshi, Gaurav Gera, Neha Dhupia, Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla and Joy Fernandes play their parts to perfection.

Overall, a movie which can make your handkerchief wet and bring out a smile on your face at the same time. The people who loved Hrishikesh Mukherjee's kind of movies would love this fare.

Dasvidaniya – An emotional cycle trip towards the horizon.

Ratings - 3/5