Elysium (2013) Rating 2.5/5

This one is a highly decorated piece of science fiction which the science part is very wrongly missing. For the first half it gives a solid run with slight plot holes but once it hits the second half it looses it brains completely. This packs some very good visual effects and thumping amount of action which most of the time resembles modern day computer games. Definitely the gamers will have a run watching all those 3^rd person shooter action sequences opening up. And the plot for sometime sounds pretty good but overall it is feeble and intolerable. Though it tries to live up to standards of a science fiction what it really ends up is being an action movie. Comparing with District 9 this is not even close. What’s truly commendable in this is the production and that’s about it. 

Elysium (2013) Rating 2.5/5

Bicycle Thieves (1948) Rating 3.5/5

Some movies are valid for a certain era. Some manage to thrive the changing times and live for couple of decades. But few like this one becomes classics after so many years like vine in a cellar becoming better by the age.  No doubt this plot can be playing in real life in many parts of the world even today. Societies that struggle to survive after the effects of the brutal economic collapse or wars and families striving to put food on their table are still a common thing though how developed we may the call world as of today. Hunger means the same thing everywhere. Bicycle Thieves speaks about a father who gets the opportunity to have a job in an age where poverty is hitting the roofs of many homes. And this job requires him to have a bicycle which he does not possess at the time. And this wonderful movie flows with his struggle to find this bicycle and the incidences that happens afterward that puts him in a very emotional situations. The director skillfully manages to engage the viewer in a heartfelt journey from scene to scene with this man his wife and the little kid. This certainly is a classic from the past but valid for ages to come. 

Bicycle Thieves (1948) Rating 3.5/5

Primer (2004) Rating 3/5

This movie is low budget with the same crew in production and acting both, but it definitely is one of the controversial pieces of science fiction movies you can lay your hands on. It’s so complex that you might need to break your mind to even come to your senses if you manage to go through the pain of watching it first. Certainly I’m not a nerd nor has any idea what kind of scientific basics this movie runs on. And it has a very different stand point on time travelling. Yet only thing what I feel is that if someday what we fantasize comes true it would end up being mind boggling and complicated like this for sure. I always thought if time travelling was possible how that could influence the people and circumstances you have being to earlier. Or the ones you will get involved in the future. This movie no doubt plays a major part of bringing that in to reality. And don’t expect any great CG or mind blowing sequences like you find in Loopers. This is far beyond the brains of a normal sci fi movie. And honestly I’m not sure if I got it all. 

Primer (2004) Rating 3/5

Clear History (2013) Rating 2.5/5

I can’t recall if a comedy movie having this kind of a plot before this. It’s definitely hilarious and worth seeing. Though it won’t make you laugh your guts out it does remove some wrinkles off your face for sure.  Clear History has a smooth flow, some interesting characters and bunch of witty dialogues in it. And it takes place in a scenic island that might actually make you feel like home. This is not the greatest comedy ever but it has its moments. And you might wanna drive a Howard after you see this ;) And yes it’s actually a name of a car.

Clear History (2013) Rating 2.5/5

Talk to Her (2002) Spanish, Rating 4/5

As this has being praised over a decade by many critics around the world and after truly witnessing it, I have to admit this is one beautiful piece of cinema. Dramas are meant to be serious, practical and more than anything emotional. Talk to Her is all of that plus many more. This starts with powerful visuals of a stage play and it returns into one at the very end as well. And we find one person common in the audience and another replaced in the final sequence. But the truly remarkable things are the incidences happen in-between these two stage plays taken over months to evolve. It speaks of a story about two men who have fallen in love with two women who ends up in a coma and has very little hope of ever living a normal life again. But there are significant differences between these two men and the relationships they are in. One maybe conditional and the other with great pain is unconditional. But both of them find comfort of their own dilemmas and strive to give the best. This movie flows smoothly and gives you some hints of things to come. But it’s purely based on a scenario which anyone of us would never want to experience in our lives. That’s the tragedy that brings this movie to an artistically perfect point. As a viewer you will cry with the cast and hope there will be some hope for them. Yet you may find little of that in the end. There are no mysteries here. It’s straight as breathing through a coma.

Talk to Her (2002) Spanish, Rating 4/5

Lootera (2013) Hindi, Rating 4/5

Vastly Indian cinema is known for vibrant display of fascination and romantic melancholy mixed with colors and tunes. And most of them just leave you with short memories and empty mind. But Lootera has vastly broken that code and stands out to be a bittersweet movie experience. And a vastly memorable one. This movie from start to end runs with a great deal of silence embedded. Which means it’s mostly filled with expressions and dramatic and artistic visuals. For this very reason it just sinks right in to your heart. The songs are subtle yet beautifully placed. The mood it creates with the settings taking place in the mid 50s and the details in the cinematography along with makeup and costumes etc is quite a beauty to witness. And finally keeping all the visuals away the story which flows smoothly like silk takes the number one spot in what’s good about Lootera. It’s genuine, twisting and most strikingly heartwarming. If you take the two halves of the movie they are completely different from each other and still equally effective. Definitely an Indian melodrama that does exactly what’s it meant to do. Feed your mind.

Lootera (2013) Hindi, Rating 4/5

Despicable Me 2 (2013) Rating 3/5

The most adorable and the prominent change in this movie from its previous installment is the increased involvement of the Minions. And that indeed is a good decision made by the producers noticing how those short cute creatures has influenced the viewers right from the start. Talking about the movie as a whole it doesn’t let you down. The story is good and indeed the humor. Gru and the kids are again completely adorable. The beauty of the movie is totally in the awesome CG department which is commendable. Where many new animations movies struggle to make a mark this movie still holds its flags high. And I always thought that stealing the moon is a very cool idea.

Despicable Me 2 (2013) Rating 3/5

2 Guns (2013) Rating 2.5/5

2 big names, few big explosions, averagely twisted plot and all sums down to 1 typical action flick. But 2 Guns is not a complete let down. It has a gripping go from the start and quite a number of headless chickens in it. But the real question is how all this can be possible if it’s really possible. My theory is that when heroes don’t die and they have an insane amount of luck in their side and all coincidences favor them it’s possible. Almost all action movies runs based on that theory and especially this one live by that code. This is a good watch. It has ample amount of action and equal amount of comedy too. But only thing it doesn’t have is brains. Guess we can live with that for 2 hours.

2 Guns (2013) Rating 2.5/5

Wolverine (2013) Rating 3/5

In an age where comics turning into movies in a raw and most of them has nothing new to offer than CG and screen full of destruction, Wolverine manages to stand tall. While being a successor from the well worthy X Men franchise and the following X Men Origins, this movie runs solid keeping its heroic spirits alive. No doubt the energetic and simply electrifying performance by Hugh Jackson breathes life to this fictional mutant character just as everyone expects. And it’s a must to mention that he has evolved with the character over the past few years and now it seems the claws are actually a part of his body. Wolverine is not over flooded with long boring action sequences or mind numbing CG. Everything here has its place and its phase to fit in well. Particularly if you are a fan of X Men and its leading mutant this is a must watch. And it ends promisingly with a hint of many big things to come.

Wolverine (2013) Rating 3/5

Lost Highway (1997) Rating 3.5/5

This is definitely one of those mind f… movies where you can’t stop thinking about. Honestly it took me some long thinking to build my own theory about it and then reading tons of material from the net to realize that I was a fool. Obviously this movie will break your brain cells and fry your circuits in the first viewing. And movies like this require a second viewing to get somewhere. Having the David Lynch flavor without a drop less this comes very close to be great as Mulholland Drive. (And maybe it’s in par with it when it comes to flow and twist). I won't even try to give you any hints about the plot because no hint can make you prepare for what you’re about to witness. Get ready to get lost in Lost Highway.

Lost Highway (1997) Rating 3.5/5