Perfect Sense

Movie Name: Perfect Sense
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Romance, Slice-of-life
Stars: Eva Green, Ewan McGregor

After a long time I got to watch a movie which moved me deeply. This movie forces you to think about the thing which is important in life.
The movie is about a disease which is spreading across is globe and rendering people devoid of senses one by one. First people loose sense of smell, then taste, than hearing and in the end - the sight. Movie deals with the panic caused by the disease and the aftermath. Amid the chaos, there are our protagonists, Michael (Ewan McGregor), who is a cook and Susan (Eva Green) who is researcher on epidemics. Both of them are brought together by the common factor - disease and are separated also due to the same factor. The movie leaves you delving about the importance of love and loved one.

This movie is entirely different from Matt Damon starred "Contagion" despite the fact that both the movies deal with the same subject of 'contagious disease'. This movie does not depict the efforts of any government of system; rather it displays the plight of common people. It spreads it message "life goes on" strongly. It depicts that love can conquer anything & everything. It makes us realize that in the end love is the only necessity in life which sprouts from our heart. Love exists even when all our sensory perceptions desert us.

Ewan McGregor has once again won my heart with his excellent acting. All kinds of emotions come to life in a natural way in his acting. Eva Green is also impressive. The narration style of the movie has been enhanced and more impressive with the help of small clips and photos of people around the world. The sound effects are excellent and helps you to feel the plight of people. The movie is successful in delivering the message. It is must of all the people who believe that movies are not just made for entertainment.

My ratings are 4.5/5.0

50/50

Movie Name: 50/50
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice-of-life

After a long time, I got to watch a movie with right combination of elements that is essential for a great movie. This movie does not have extraordinary cast, plot, dialogues or special effects. But this movie does have all the right pieces at right place to make a perfect fit.

The plot is pretty simple. The story revolves around a young guy, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is informed about the vicious tumor that is growing within his spinal cord. Rest of the plot follows the ordeal of the protagonist and effect of his disease on his family, lover, and friends. There is nothing unique about the plot, yet the movie portrays the issue in a different light. The movie neither is overflowing with overly sentimental dialogues nor is making a mockery of the fragility of human existence. The movie depicts various genuine characters whom we encounter in our daily life be it doctors who work mechanically without emotions or be it lovers who leave your side when you are down.

The acting is great by everyone be it Seth Rogan, who is playing the friend who is more concerned benefiting with friend’s disease or Anjelica Huston, who is playing the mother of a young guy suffering with cancer. Joseph has impressed once again with his acting prowess. He has potential of becoming a great actor. The movie makes perfect sense unlike various others in its category. It treats a social cause and all related aspects with complete respect without being smothering or sarcastic. In a way, the movie treats the issue of cancer in the same way as "Thank You for Smoking" treated the issue of smoking. This movie is a must for all the movie lovers who seek some meaning or message from the cinema.

My ratings are 4.5/5.0

Karigurashi no Arrietty

Movie Name: Karigurashi no Arrietty
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life

Somehow watching Ghibli Studio movies make me feel good, therefore I watched one on my birthday. As always, it did not let me down and I was once again filled with new enthusiasm and a will to fight for survival.

The story revolves around a "borrower" girl named Arrietty. Borrowers are small sized people who live beneath the wooden floors and survive by borrowing from humans. A young boy named Sho comes to visit his grandmother's house, where he sees Arrietty. The story follows the survival story of Arrietty and her family. The movie is all about the will to survive against all odds. Arrietty gives hope to Sho also who has to undergo a heart surgery. The story leaves a deep impression despite being simple and pretty much predictable.

I always liked the simplicity and the characters of Ghibli movies. Sho and Arrietty depicts the pessimist and the optimist respectively. The animation is great and beautifully shows the importance of trivial things in the life of borrowers which are not much valued by humans. The music is okay. This movie may not be as great as other Ghibli productions but still I feel that for animation lovers, it is a must to watch.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Kiki's Delivery Service

Movie Name: Kiki's Delivery Service
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama, Romance, Slice-of-Life

I like Ghibli movies as they depict the everyday trials of human with such a ease in the movies. I recently watched another masterpiece by the Studio.

This movie revolves around a young witch named Kiki. She needs to live independently for one year as per her training as a witch. Therefore she lefts her home and reaches a coastal town where witches are not so common. She makes new friends and opens a delivery service for survival as all she can do as witch is flying. The movies depicts her trials and her efforts as she makes friendship with locals. The movie gives message that everyone needs inspiration to do one's task wholeheartedly. One can continue one's work only when one has strong feelings about the work and great inspirations to do the same.

The movie at its course also delivers the message about individuality. Kiki wants to buy a dress in the movie so that she can look pretty like the other girls of her age but she does not have enough money to spare. In the end it is shown how her way of dressing has become a fashion. Kiki inspires one to maintain one's own individuality rather than following others.

This movie was like all other Ghibli movies with a simple plot and lovable characters. The music was good and the dialogues were simple. The movie is ideal for the teenagers who are eager to go out in the world and experience the things first hand. My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Whisper of the Heart

Movie Name: Whisper of the Heart
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama, Romance, Slice-of-Life

I like Japanese animation movies. I watched this Ghibli production animation movie recently. Again the movie did not fail my expectations.

The movie revolves around a young girl named Shizuku who is studying junior high school. The plot revolves around her life, her friends, her love and most importantly her aim in life. The movie is successful in giving message that everyone needs to search for one's true inner calling. Humans are like rocks which are needed to be dug deeper to find gems and later to be polished to reach at its actual worth. The story is about Shizuku's journey to find her place in the world. The movie is able to give deeper sense to any simple scene. For example, there is a scene where Shizuku's boyfriend tells her that he wanted to carry her on bicycle on a steep road. But the girl declines and tells that she does not want to be a burden to him, she rather wants to help her on the steep road. The scene renders the beliefs of a couple beautifully without much ado.

As the movie deals with the life and trials we face everyday, important aspect of the movie are dialogues. Scenes and dialogues combined are capable to deliver the message. The music is great. This movie is must for any Chibi movie fans. This may not be as great as "Spirited Away" yet it is a treat for the people who believes in trying and trying hard with everything they got.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Everything Must Do

Movie Name: Everything Must Go
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life

I generally find Will Ferrell movies funny. I started watching this movie due to Will only without looking for reviews of the movie. I lost interest in the first twenty minutes, yet somehow I completed the movie. I did not like it much because the subject matter was not treated properly.

The story revolves around a senior sales person, portrayed by Will, who is fired after 16 years of service due to his alcoholism. His wife deserts him on the same day. So he is alone without money, car, job or family at his lawn in front of his own house which is locked by his wife. The story deals with how he makes acquaintances with some neighbors and moves forward in his life. The impact of alcohol on his life is depicted in length but the journey back towards a fulfilling life is not shown. The movies leaves the viewer wondering about many points; in some sense it is an open ended climax :-)

Will has done great as the man suffering from acute drinking problem. He loses everything without realizing that it was his fault only which made the condition so bad. There are not many characters in the movie. The pace is bit slow and movie seems dragging without much development of the plot. Nothing less is worth mentioning. It is not a great way to pass time if you are not into drinking ;-)

My ratings are 2.5/5.0

Chillar Party

Movie Name: Chillar Party
Language: Hindi
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life

This movie was produced by Salman Khan. I was surprised to see Salman advertising so passionately for his home production movie. I got a chance to watch the movie recently.

This movie is about a group of kids who live in a society. A new kid with his dog enters the society as the person responsible of washing cars. The group makes friendship with the kid and the dog after some initial tussle. Later when a minister makes a law to confiscate street dogs due to his personal vendetta against the dog staying within the same society, the group does all in its power to save the dog. The story is simple but it is stretched to 135 minutes. The story is about friendship and passion. It makes us realize that as adults people re forgetting what is important in life.

The script is well written. Dialogues are funny. I will not say that acting is superb but considering the low budget and acting experience of kids, the movie delivers acceptable performance to its level. I liked Naman Jain who has portrayed Balwan aka Jhangiya. The music score is good and helps in the flow of movie. Direction is good. There are some negative points also. First of all movie is a bit long for such a simple story. Then, main antagonist fails to deliver commendable performance. But overall, movie is worth watching. One more thing is worth mentioning here, item number by Ranbeer Kapoor.

Overall, movie is good watch for a soothing weekend. It forces us to think that we generally avoid the path of righteousness thinking that it is full of difficulties. But kids never leave the path they think is right. So never take kids lightly. Considering this I will rate the movie as 3.0/5.0 :-)

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Movie Name: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of life
Language: Hindi

I always appreciated movies made by Farhan Akthar, as they go beyond singing and dancing and seek some answers, which challenge the life of common men. This movie also succeeded in keeping up to my expectations.

The movie is about three friends who embark on a road trip, as a bachelor party for one of the friends. The friends come from different segments of society. They have their own fears and reservations. Together they face these fears and come out as winners. They learn to their callings in life and decide to act upon them. The movie gives message that life is all about choices, which are to be acted upon without fear to live to the fullest. The movie is a bit long (2.5 hours) but still has ability to keep the audience tied to their chairs.

The acting by Hritik is great as he portrays the transition from money minded Financial Trader to a free person who believes in living life in present. Farhan and Abhay have also done well in their roles. Katrina was not that impressive, but it is okay as her role was only to increase glam points. The locations in Spain are beautiful. Music and songs are not great but keeps with the flow of the movie. The end seemed a bit arbitrary as ending song was not aligned to the choices made by the trio.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Naruto Shippuden: Bonds

Movie Name: Naruto Shippuden - Bonds
Genre: Action, Drama, Slice of life
Language: Japanese

I like animation movies and Naruto is among my most favorite characters. I was planning to watch the movies for long and finally last night I was able to spare time to watch this movie. I always believed that Naruto is not just about action; it is about the life in general. Naruto always inspires me to fight with all my might for the things I believe in.

The story of the movie is about Sky Country ninjas, considered extinct during the Great War, who attack Konoha, hometown of Naruto. Naruto is sent on a mission to save one fire village from the Sky ninjas. He there meets with his long lost friend Sasuke and eliminates the threat of Sky ninjas. The story is not about the fights; it is about the bonds between people – bonds between friends and bonds between teachers and their students. I felt that there could have been more to the story as most of the movie is devoted to development of plot and lesser attention is given to relationship between Naruto and Sasuke. This might have happened to keep the movie aligned to the main series.

The action sequences and dialogues are the main selling points of the movie. There are not much to do for other characters as this movie solely belongs to Naruto and his bond with Sasuke. The animation is great as always. The music score is not that impressive as with other Naruto franchise. I will recommend this movie all anime fans even if they have not seen other Naruto movies/ series.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

Romantic Heaven

Movie Name: Romantic Heaven
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of life
Language: Korean

I watched this movie yesterday night. I was in a mood for some light movie and from its name movie seemed a typical romantic comedy. But I was mistaken as the movie was much more than the wide spread rom-com. It made me to think about love and everything related to it.

The story is divided in four parts: A mother, A wife, A Girl and Romantic Heaven. The parts are strictly separate stories; rather they provide glimpses of life of various people whose lives meet at a single point. One can easily connect with these people as they are facing the life, as one knows it. That point is heaven, which is connected to everyone’s life. The movie is not just another feel good movie but it gives message to seek for the most important companion for the journey called life.

The acting was not as important as the story was. It questions the religious facts such as are there separate places named hell and heaven, and did god took a rest on the seventh day. The answers are also provided in the movie itself. The locations used are great and make one believe in existence of heaven. It is must for the people who prefer drama and slice-of-life genre.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

The Adjustment Bureau

Movie Name: The Adjustment Bureau
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice of life
Language: English

I am die-hard fan of Matt Damon. I was waiting for this movie with great enthusiasm. The plot made a impression that movie will have some good action plot. I liked Matt in Bourne series and I was expecting the same with this movie also.

The story follows a person who is running for the senator seat but on the last moment loses due to some scandal he caused in his youth. On the same day he meets up with a girl who lefts a great impression on him. Later he is captured by some people who tells him that he cannot be with the girl. They are mysterious organization with great powers who adjust people’s life according to Chairman’s plan, so the movie name “Adjustment Bureau”. Then story forwards to 3 more years. He meets the girl again, falls in love. But later leaves her alone for the fear of girl’s future as threatened by Adjustment Bureau. Story again forwards 11 months. This time our hero fights against all odds to get the girl of his dreams. The story ends with a happy note. The movie reminded me about the greater power which plans for our life. We sometimes call it fate, destiny or God. The movie is all about how one can try his hardest to change his fate and even the supreme power will help him to attain the same.

Once again Matt has impressed me with his great acting skills. He is so natural in expressing different emotions. The leading lady, Emily Blunt is gracious in her role. Her scene where she is performing on stage is great. The strong point of the movie is story line. It makes you keep wondering about the events that may happen. Supernatural element is also available in the movie which makes it different from other action movie. The movie can easily be categorized as drama because it is not depicting fight with some enemy; it is depicting fight with destiny to fulfill one’s dream. The locations and picturisation are good. Camera work is impressive when showing the chase scene near the climax. I will recommend this movie as it carries hope to the individual and asks you to leave your inhibitions and fight against all odds to make your own path in the life.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

Shor in the City

Movie Name: Shor in the City
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Slice of Comedy
Language: Hindi

I watched this movie on Sunday evening as I heard good reviews for the same. I was not expecting much from the actors but I was hopeful with the story.

The story is about many a people. There are small time thieves, a man in piracy business, NRI who wants to settle a business and about a cricketer who wants to play for his state. The movie shows the day to day struggle for the common man. The also indicates to the various issues prevailing the City. The ending is good which shows the hope amid the chaos.

Tushar Kapoor had done justice to his role. Sendhil Ramamurthy is also looked genuine in his role of NRI suffering from mafia interference in his life and business. But the show is stolen by Pitobash Tripathy. He is the epitome of simplicity and facing the life as it comes to him. The movie is not dragging but keeps you engaged with the plot. The twists are a bit predictable but still it is a good watch.

The locations are genuine. Music is not the important factor. The story and the dialogues keep you bound to the seat. The director has used all the actors judiciously as for screen space. It is good watch before starting Monday where we face the similar situations and dilemmas in our day to day life.

My ratings are 4.0/5.0

The Ninth Gate

Movie Name: The Ninth Gate
Genre: Action, Drama, Slice-of-life
Language: English

I saw many a movies on weekend with Good Friday holiday. I started Friday morning with Johnny Depp’s movie.

The plot of the movie revolves around the book which can summon the Devil. Johnny Depp is assigned with the task to check the legitimacy of the book as the book is famed to have portraits by Lucifer himself. The rest of the story follows Depp’s quest for the book.

There was nothing complex about the movie. I liked it for its simplicity. They have not used any excessive drama, violence or dialogues. It follows the story and the story keeps you bound to your seat. The ending is good and not a predictable one. As for acting, most of the screen space is taken by Depp who has performed brilliantly as a man whose God is money. I will give him thumbs up for his act.

My ratings are 3.5 /5.0.

Finding Mr Destiny

Movie Name: Finding Mr Destiny
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice-of-life
Language: Korean

I came across the movie some time back. I like the “Coffee House” star, so I decided to watch the movie.

The story is about two persons, one of them fails in his different jobs as he wanted to be true to his profession. The other person is carefree stage director. Male lead opens a company which helps people fiddling their first love and the female lead is the first client who wants to find her first love whom she met in India. The movie is about the search and accepting the fate.

The acting by both the stars is good. There is not cluttering of cast. Story is kept on the track the full time. Yet the movie is a bit too long for the story. The idea behind the movie is to relay the message that one need to accept his fate to reach to one’s destiny. The music is so-so.

This movie is not exactly a out of the mill romantic comedy. It has some underlying tension between the characters. There is no larger than life character. It is about options we get in life and to choose the best for ourselves. It is definitely a worth watching if you are planning to relax and enjoy a simple romantic movie.

My ratings are 2.5/5.0

Heaven's Postman

Movie Name: Heaven's Postman
Genre: Romance, Drama, Slice-of-life
Language: Korean

I watched this Korean movie on Saturday. The movie was a nice surprise as it had elements of good drama and a purity of romance.

The story follows a lad who claims that he is postman to heaven. He carries a bag with letters to the deceased one by their beloved to be delivered to heaven. He meets a girl who has lost her lover and has sent a letter to him in heaven. The story has good element of surprise and an ending which is happy and justified. The movie gives a whole new meaning to the death, to the loss of someone beloved.

I liked the movie for its story. It is simple yet gives a very strong message. It tells us what is important for human. It tells us the methods to deal with pain of losing someone beloved. It is not a story of death, it is story of life. It tells us that life goes on and so the people.

The acting was not that great by the lead actress as she was not able to display the grief of losing someone precious. As for the lead actor, he was unperturbed by most of the events so his looks helped. The music was fine and locations were excellent. I will recommend this movie for spending a nice evening with your loved ones.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0.

Happy Together

Movie Name: Happy Together
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice-of-life
Language: English

I was having ample time to spare this weekend so I decided to watch some light comedy. I choose this movie as I was impressed with Patrick Dempsey with his performance in “Can’t buy me Love”.

The story is fairly simple. A well groomed boy with refined taste and desire to be a play writer enrolls in a fine art college. He is assigned to a dorm mate Alex Page which happens to be the single girl in boys’ dorm. She is fun loving, party person. Both of them start a relationship even when differences between them are great. Rest of the story depicts their growth in personal life as well as in their relationship.

The movie depicts that for a relationship most important thing is love. Both the main characters have not been loved in their childhood. One turned introvert due to that and the other turned extrovert. None understood them better then themselves. In the end they choose love over all other things.

The performance is good by both the characters. But there are some scenes when both of them fail to show the emotions, the frustration and the maturity of the character they played. It is understood as such characters are not generally written for young actor actress. The music score is good. The chemistry between them is something to look out for. There is a special treat to see Brad Pitt in a special appearance. If you are looking for a romantic movie without futile drama and hardships then this is it.

My ratings are 3.0/5.0

It's Kind of Funny Story

Movie Name: It's Kind of Funny Story
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice-of-life
Language: English

What will happen if you don’t follow the conventional path and take a road less traveled? This movie ponders over the same.

The story follows a suicidal boy who checks himself into a psychiatric ward in a hope that will held him from committing suicide. But he ends up being there for five days. These five days are spent in communicating with fellow patients, understanding their issues, understanding his issues and coming up with a solution to his problems.

I liked the way the plot unfolds. It has all the essentials for a perfect drama. The family of the protagonist does seem abnormal but imaging the similar family in the neighborhood will not make one feel uncomfortable. Such are the other characters. You are made to believe in their existence so that you can sympathize with them. The ending is a bit cliched one. But one is free to imagine otherwise also as there are many open areas to ponder upon.

The acting is superb by Keir Gilchrist. He has portrayed the nervousness and fear of a teen who is laden with the burden of accomplishing so many different task. Zach has been successful to once again leave a mark on viewers memory with his quirky personality. Other actors are also fine.

My ratings are 3.5/5.0

The Seaside Motel

Movie Name: The Seaside Motel
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Slice-of-life
Language: Japanese

I watched this movie yesterday. I wanted to watch some interesting movie after the disastrous Friday movie. I preferred it over others as I am confident with Japanese directors when it comes to Slice of life dramas.

The story is of occupants of four rooms in a hotel named The Seaside Hotel, so is the movie name. The hotel is surrounded by hills without any real view of sea. The occupants vary in their nature and profession widely. There is a gambler, his girlfriend, a department store owner with his wife, a cosmetics sales man, a call girl, a female escort and her client. The plot develops as the different characters are introduced and their stories are carried further. All the stories end with a twist.

The acting was great so were the dialogues. The development of the plot keeps one bound to his seat as to expect what is going to happen next. There are all the flavors of cinema available in the script whether it is love, hate, tragedy, action, drama. The characters leave a lasting impression and easily recognized as the people around us.

The movie is around 105 minutes long, yet it succeeds in keeping the person bound to the movie. There are no side tracks or deviation from the main plot.

My rating is 4.0/5.0.