HALL PASS (2011)

Is Hall Pass a good movie? Yeah it is. Is Hall Pass a crap flick? Oh yeah it is!! What????

That’s because it all depends on what you mean by good or crap. Hall Pass is not a master piece. It’s not going to run for Oscars for any category even if there was a category called the best ‘poop scene’! But for some it might make sense as a comedy and for light weight carefree viewing pleasure.

The plot is simple but a bit wicked. Two married men with children get an official off the marriage pass from their wives for seven days. Yep! You heard me right. And the men are set free to do anything within that 7 days and now you can imagine what they will be up to. But the funny thing is when the wife’s starts to get the kick off the marriage as well, and when they also want to have some fun things goes way south! 

Seriously this movie has some sick humor. You will never wanna watch it with the family. Oh yeah keep that in mind. The visuals are not that bad but believe me the words can hurt. 

Apart from that it’s the typical dirty comedy together with hot woman on and off with some funny circumstances including things which are directly or indirectly related to sex. So all you can do it watch it and then forget it if you really have to. 

My score 2.5/5

Genre: Comedy

Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Writers: Pete Jones (screenplay), Peter Farrelly (screenplay)

Stars: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate

WIN WIN (2011)

Here comes something that you can really watch true to your heart and say I liked it. It’s filled with emotion, achievement and most of all unconditional love. When certain people make certain decisions in their life just to make themselves feel a little better, they sometimes do the wrong thing without expecting the worse to happen. But when things turn out to be not so looking good most might back off or put the blame on someone else. But some people take the situation in to their hand and actually do something to correct them and the lives of others involved. “Win Win” is a story of such individual. 

Briefly put Mike is an attorney who is struggling to keep up his practice going with expenses piling up on his home and family. Running out of options and looking for some extra buck he cheats the court and an old helpless man by becoming his guardian with the intention of claiming the guardian commission. But when the old man’s grandson Kyle suddenly shows up on his door step Mike runs out of options once again and agrees to keep the 16 years old at his place. But soon Mike realizes that this young kid who is homeless and running away from his drug addicted mother is a talented wrestler. Mike being the head coach of the small towns wrestling team put Kyle on his team and his family really starts to like him. But soon things turn ugly when Kyle’s mother shows up expecting other benefits.

Win Win has a nice flow in the plot. It never rushes or never lags. It portrays the slow and dull life in the small town and Mike’s internal sensitiveness towards it. The story put the viewer in some kind of a trance and makes them believe that the characters are real and they have real feelings. And when things happen to them the viewer makes it their own. And that’s brilliant movie making.

There is no magic in this flick. It’s just pure humanity and survival. And no doubt Win Win is a win for all just as the name states.

My Score 4/5

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Director: Thomas McCarthy

Writers: Thomas McCarthy (screenplay), Thomas McCarthy (story)

 Stars: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and Jeffrey Tambor

SENNA (2010)

This documentary covers the unparallel and legendary life and the tragic death of the Brazil born greatest sportsman and the most amazing Formulae one racing driver the world has ever seeing, Ayarton Senna. Starting his driving life from pro carts and winning 3 world championships before his untimely death at the age of 34 in 1994, Senna has done what many would say impossible more than once. 

This film follows Senna’s racing career very closely with ample footage from the past starting from the 80’s including news and TV footage and family videos. And it gives a deep insight to the rivalry he faced from the great French co team mate Allen Prost and the struggle he had to put upon the F1 committee at times where his actions were condemned and resulted in suspension from the track. 

When you dive in to half of this wonderful film, you will start to realize what a wonderful sportsman Senna was on the track and equally or beyond a normal person off the track. Senna was a great patriot who bought laughter to millions of his fans from Brazil, in a time where the country had no hope and engulfed in political instability and poverty. Privately very humble to his beginnings and sometimes shy he donated ample to the benefit of his fellow men. 

Not just a hero in Brazil but Senna soon becomes the most muttered name in the world of racing where at times he is treated like a god more than a super star. Though he cheats death many times and fearlessly believed in the supreme power of god, his life tragically comes to an end at the peak of his career with a fatal crash. As the whole world lies speechless with tears filled in their eyes and memories of the greatest driver they have ever known, Senna’ s life story ends way before anyone expected. 

This documentary is simply touching. And it will touch your deepest corner of the heart not just because it’s a good production but because Senna himself is an eternal flame. 

My score 4.5/5

Genre: Sport, Biography, Documentary

Director: Asif Kapadia

Writer: Manish Pandey

Stars: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Frank Williams

THE BEAVER (2011)

A man who is depressed expresses his true self through a talking puppet doesn’t really sound sane at all. But in The Beaver it works fine and proves effective though the doctors don’t recommend it. 

Walter Black (Mel Gibson) used to be an important man in the workplace and a good father at home until depression took him over. Totally affected by the sickness he wonders about like a sail less ship creating a mockery of himself until one fine day his family tells him goodbye. Troubled and not knowing where to find his life back he decides to end it. But suddenly and unexpectedly a talking Beaver puppet (apparently attached to his own hand) recues him from his misery and put him back in the circle. And the society around him is not prepared to accept his new self immediately. 

‘The Beaver ‘at a glance reminded me of ‘The Lars and the real girl’ (2007). Though the tales are noticeably similar they are totally different at the same time. For sure this is one of the best performances ever by Mel Gibson. I sometimes wondered if to observe Mel or the Beaver when he is talking! Because those two were very well bound together with each word and expression. 

This flick is not boring. It’s quite the heavy drama at times but has its own little laughs too in between. Overall it will quite effectively take you in to a troubled person mind set and make you feel for him. Which I believe is the sole purpose of any good movie should be. Make the viewer to live as someone else for the span of the movie. 

My Score 3.5/5

Genre: Drama

Director: Jodie Foster

Writer: Kyle Killen

Stars: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and Anton Yelchin

X-MEN:FIRST CLASS (2011)

As soon as I was done with X-Men: Fist Class my immediate impression was ‘Wow that was awesome’.  The reasons were very simple. It gives totally tolerable answers to how the X-Men came in to play and how all the saga was created from the scratch. And most importantly the history of Charles Xavier and Magneto and the cold war between the humans and the mutants. 

X-Men is one of those amazing comics created by some people with fantastic imagination. And when it comes to movies the creativity and the plotting was equally over the expectation. Each X-Men movie (including the Wolverine) was true movie craftsmanship and never disappointed the crowed who was insanely following it. And the same goes with X-Men: Fist Class no doubt. 

Comparing with the previous X-Men flicks this maybe having less action and CG involved. But when it comes to the story and character development this is richest of the series. That is the reason why I love it the most. Each of the important character is well crafted and presented. Especially the leads Xavier and Magneto. And it filled with dialogues which bring in the true self of mutants and their long future ahead. 

If you’re a serious X-Men fan and want to know how it all began this is a must watch. And if you’re comic fan skipping this one is sin. 

My Score 3.5/5

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writers: Ashley Miller (screenplay), Zack Stentz (screenplay)

Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence

THOR (2011)

Thor is a good looking super hero. Just like Superman he comes from a distant place in the universe. But unlike Superman, Thor brings a war of his own when he arrives. And while he fights bravely and manages to save the world, he finds a lovely human girlfriend as well. And she is quite sweet and prettier than the Superman’s girl Louise! 

Thor belongs to the mystical realm of Asgard. (Rhymes a bit familiar if you have the Lord of the Rings tongue). Though he is this much closer to become the king of Asgard he is expelled by his father due to his mischievous behavior and lands on Earth after traveling via a very colorful beam of light. Here with his unknown stupidity and the well toned bare chest along with some Asgard martial arts he manages to impress a lot of people, including some dumb FBI agents and the girl whom I mentioned before. Then there are some gruesome battles here and there in order to defend earth from the fire breathing iron man kind of machine that comes to destroy him and to save Asgard from his evil brother so on and so forth. 

What’s good about Thor is that it’s a visual extravaganza. Asgard is just one hell of a breathtaking place. Kingdom to be more precise and you must see the palace to see its glory. It looks like musical instrument when I used to play when I was a kid but very much grand scale. And then there is the dark place where the Frost Giants live. Both these realms are well presented in CG and set making. They will blow you away. And then comes the action and the graphics. Pretty awesome they are as well. No doubt I would love to see some action sequences all over again. 

What’s normal about Thor is the plot and acting. Not really a story which impressed me, or the performances. But this is what you always get in a superhero movie. It’s all about the summer and the action and big budgets. Not really about the drama. 

Thor is not the best superhero flick released so far, but it has its own awesome moments. And overall it’s a good watch and worth keeping hopes for the next installment. 

My Score 3.5/5

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Director: Kenneth Branaghand

Writers: Ashley Miller (screenplay), Zack Stentz (screenplay)

Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman