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THE GRINCH
Starring: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen
Directed by: Ron Howard

The Whos of Who-ville love Christmas, but the hairy green Grinch (Jim Carrey) is bent on ruining it for them.Cindy Lou Who (Momsen) is a young Who who feels the true meaning of Christmas is lost, as she is overwhelmed by all of the commercial and materialistic commotion. She is fascinated with the Grinch and wants nothing more than to get him into the Christmas spirit again. She convinces the Grinch to participate in the Whos' Christmas festivities, but he insulted by others. He vows revenge, and it is up to Cindy to remind him and the rest of the Whos about the true spirit of Christmas.

This is one traditional Christmas watch for me, as it will definitely be shown on one movie channel or the other. When I first saw it, I was like, Whoa! That is Jim Carrey! He looks quite grotesque and pitches in a good performance. I haven't read the Dr. Seuss book (hey, don't be so shocked!), so I came with no expectations, and came away quite entertained. It is a cute movie, a nice reminder of what the Christmas spirit truly is.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub

Lucy (Sandra Bullock) is a lonely train fare collector, the highlight of whose day is selling a ticket to a handsome commuter Peter Callaghan (Peter Gallagher). When she saves him from an oncoming train and takes him to hospital, his family thinks that she is Peter's fiancee. Peter is in a coma, and Lucy doesn't want to break their hearts, so she plays along. But then she falls for Peter's brother Jack (Pullman), and complications arise.

This movie is set in the backdrop of Christmas, and is a sweet little romantic movie. I first watched it with my friends last Christmas, and all of us went "Oh, they are so cute!" every time Lucy and Jack talked. I especially loved the ending, the part where Lucy says "I object", immediately followed by Pullman, saying "I object" too. This was the movie that shot Sandra Bullock to fame, and I liked it very much. Bullock has a sweet innocence about her which was quite endearing. A Christmas movie I'd recommend.

A WALK TO REMEMBER
Starring: Shane West, Mandy Moore
Directed by: Adam Shankman

A prank gone wrong on a fellow high-schooler has the rebellious Landon Carter (Shane West) punished with mandatory after-school activities, where he has to interact with the quiet, bookish Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), a girl he had known since childhood but always ignored. Landon and Jamie spend time together while practicing for the school spring play, though Landon is initially reluctant to acknowledge her in front of his friends. They gradually fall in love, but they cannot be with each other for long.

I enjoyed this movie; it was quite sweet. Shane West is especially good as the rebellious Landon, and the growth in his character from a callous teenager into a caring guy was well-shown. The movie has a lot of sweet romantic moments; I especially loved the whole bit about Jamie's wishlist and how Landon helps fulfill it. I'm not much of a romantic, but this movie leaves you with a nice feeling. There are shades of Erich Segal's Love Story in the script, but the way the whole movie is treated makes a difference. Watch it this winter; you'll feel the warmth creeping up on you.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Starring: Will Smith, Jaden Smith
Directed by: Gabriele Muccino

Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a salesman who invests his family's entire savings in a bone density scanner which is double the price of a regular X-ray machine, but only slightly more efficient. This costly investment causes great financial headache for him, and his wife also leaves him. Chris refuses to let her take his son Christopher (Jaden Smith), because he believes that he can care better for him than his wife can. Chris applies for an unpaid six-month internship at a stockbroker with a possibility of a stable job, but acute financial troubles, including tax problems and homelessness, mean that he is not on an even footing with the other candidates.

I loved this movie. It is such an inspiring tale that you cannot fail to be moved by it. Honestly, I was amazed at Chris' resilience. He faced every problem that you could possibly face, and his luck ran out at almost every turn, but he never gave up. He also never dumped his frustrations on his son; he always tries to stay positive in front of him. I almost cried at the scene where Chris and his son have nowhere to sleep and end up in a bathroom at a station, and Chris desperately tries to keep the truth of their sorry situation from his son. The movie is based on a true story, and I immensely admire the real Chris Gardner's strength. Watching this movie, you realize that all your problems pale into insignificance in front of the numerous challenges that Chris encounters, and you are struck by how he copes with them. Will Smith pitches in an inspired performance as the dauntless Chris Gardner, and I really think that this is one of the best roles of his life. Jaden Smith is very cute as Christopher, and he complements his dad (yes, he is Will Smith's real-life son) very well. Watch this movie; you cannot fail to be inspired.

WATCHMEN
Starring: Billy Crudup, Malin Ackerman, Jackie Earle Haley
Directed by: Zack Snyder

In the 1930s, a vigilante group called the "Minutemen" were created to do what the law couldn't. After the original group died violent deaths, another team of superheros called "Watchmen" pick up the mantle, changing many events such as the outcome of the Vietnam war and the assassination of JFK. But by the 1980s, at the height of the Cold War, anti-vigilante sentiment leads to disbanding of the Watchmen. After the Comedian is killed, renegade vigilante Rorschach (Haley) goes to visit the godlike Dr. Manhattan (Crudup) as he suspects that someone is killing the Watchmen off.

I watched the movie without having ever heard of the Watchmen graphic novel before. Initially I found it a little difficult to understand, but I was drawn into the flow of the movie. The movie is dark and Gothic, totally unlike the conventional superhero movie. I haven't read any graphic novels, but the movie was how I imagined a graphic novel would be filmed: sleek, stylish and grand. Essentially, it examines how a hero is born and made; the rise and fall of heroes. It is a little disturbing, though, quite a lot of violence and gore. Some of the movie is told in flashback, as Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan reminisce about their lives as vigilantes. The soundtrack of the movie is especially cool, with awesome songs like The Times They Are a-Changin' and Sound of Silence picturised against a medley of haunting images from the vigilantes' lives. The dialogues are sharp and cutting, especially Rorschach's thoughts as written in his journal. I will have to read the book to fully understand the deeper layers of the movie, but I did like what I watched.

THE PROPOSAL
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds
Directed by: Anne Fletcher

Margaret Tate (Bullock) is a much-hated editor-in-chief at a publishing company, who is facing deportation back to Canada as her visa had expired. She bullies her hapless assistant Andrew (Reynolds) into agreeing to a fake marriage. They have to spend a weekend at Andrew's parents' home in Alaska to sell the lie. During the weekend, Andrew and Margaret connect as Andrew discovers a softer side of Margaret.

Honestly speaking, I'm not really a fan of Sandra Bullock, but I liked her performance as the cold professional Margaret. The movie has quite a few hilarious moments, such as the one when Margaret first enters the office and also when she's trying to retrieve her cellphone from the eagle. But she looks a little old for Ryan Reynolds; their pairing reminds me of the Shahid-Rani pair from Dil Bole Hadippa. I liked Reynolds a lot, though, he was charming, and I have a little crush on him. While I found this movie okay, my friends liked it a lot, so give it a try.

BECOMING JANE
Starring: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy
Directed by: Julian Jarrold

Jane Austen(Anne Hathaway) is the youngest unmarried daughter of Reverend Austen, and harbours dreams of becoming a published writer. Tom LeFroy (McAvoy) is a brash young lawyer, who Jane develops an instant dislike for. They spar occasionally, but slowly fall in love. But their love is not easily fulfilled, as Jane's family is poor and Tom has many siblings depending on him.

I like period dramas, and I enjoyed this movie. It's supposed to be a fictionalized account of the posited relationship between Jane Austen and Judge LeFroy. LeFroy is said to be the inspiration for Mr. Darcy's character, and the script shows many parallels between Pride and Prejudice and Jane's life. Jane's parents are replicas of Mr and Mrs Bennett, her sister Cassandra so like Jane Bennett. I enjoyed the performances; Anne Hathaway was refreshing as the spirited Jane, and her chemistry with McAvoy was wonderful. Right now, I have a small crush on McAvoy; I liked his portrayal of the charming "bad-boy" lawyer. I'd definitely recommend this movie.

STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK
Starring: William Shatner, DeForest Kelley
Directed by: Leonard Nimoy

After Spock's death in The Wrath of Khan, the Enterprise, along with Admiral James T. Kirk(Shatner) return to base. But then, Kirk learns that Spock (Leonard Nimoy) transfered his katra or living spirit to Dr. McCoy(Kelley), Kirk and crew steal the Enterprise to return Spock's katra to his body. But the Klingons are after the Genesis device for their own evil ends, and Kirk must face many battles and losses to get his friend back.

After the recent Star Trek movie, I was really looking forward into my first initiation into the Star Trek franchise. But I was a little disappointed. I thought the movie was a little dated. Maybe I'm used to the glitzy action of today, so I found the action and drama of 25 years ago a little insipid. The acting was a little over-the-top and the whole movie seemed quite theatrical. Should I have expected this? I don't know. The original Star Wars movies are nearly 30 years old, but I loved them; there was nothing melodramatic about it. A disappointment for me, but I won't give up on Star Trek.

DIL BOLE HADIPPA
Starring: Rani Mukherjee, Shahid Kapoor
Directed by: Anurag Singh

Veera Kaur (Rani) is a perky village girl who loves playing cricket, but there is no team she can play for. Chaudhury Vikram Singh (Anupam Kher) organizes an Aman Cup between his Indian and his friend's Pakistani team, a tournament his team has been losing for years. He asks his son Rohan (Shahid) to come down from England and lead the team. Veera wants to play in the team, but she is turned away as she is a girl. So she gets the idea of dressing up as a boy, Veer Pratap, to be accepted into the team. Everything starts clicking for her, her dreams, cricket and love.

I was in a pretty good mood when I watched the movie, so I overlooked many things that would have irritated me. The movie is a direct lift from She's the Man, but then every Bollywood movie is "inspired", isn't it? It tries to be fun Punjabi, but ends up being kinda loud. I liked the Rani-as-sardar part, she was fun and enjoyable. She looks older than Shahid, but the age difference is not very noticeable in most parts. I admit I like Shahid, though the hair was more Kaminey-bad-boy than Hadippa-cool-guy. I think he's a good actor, though the role didn't demand much. The movie started to go down about halfway into the story, and even Rani and Shahid couldn't save it. All the funda-giving about national pride, Indo-Pak brotherhood and feminism got tedious, and the ending was quite cliched. An okay movie, I'd say.

FASHION
Starring: Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Mugdha Godse
Directed by: Madhur Bhandarkar

Meghna (Priyanka) is a small-town girl who comes to Mumbai to become a model. She is mocked at her first show, but is helped by a few friends. She gets small assignments, including a lingerie ad, which causes her relatives to cut off ties with her. Slowly she works her way up the ladder, getting shows with her idol, the arrogant drug-abusing supermodel Shonali(Kangana). A wardrobe malfunction helps her dislodge Shonali, but she gets drawn into the seamier side of the fashion world: the booze parties, the drugs and the affairs. She is traumatized by her experiences, and a surprising encounter with Shonali helps her get back on track.

Madhur Bhandarkar's movies are well-written and hard-hitting, and Fashion is no different. Priyanka pitches in a powerful performance, possibly the best of her career. It's a very topical movie, and exposes a lot of the darker aspects of the glamorous fashion world. He packs in a lot of things into the movie, including the Gitanjali Nagpal story. The movie is different from the formulaic romances that form part of Bollywood, but I felt that the Madhur Bandarkar formula was there: choose an industry, show the seamy side, have the protagonist transform from starry-eyed girl into a hardened woman. I've seen it in Page 3, Corporate, and this formula, while not jaded like the Bollywood cliches, is getting a little old. Nevertheless, it's different from the conventional fare, and I liked the movie.

THE GODFATHER
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Don Vito Corleone(Marlon Brando) is the head of the most powerful Mafia family in New York, but his old-fashioned beliefs, especially his opposition to drugs, ruffles many feathers. When a smart, greedy drug dealer, Sollozzo(Al Lettieri), decides to take the Don out with the help of the rival Tattaglia family, the Corleones find themselves bombarded on all sides. It is upto the Don's youngest son, Michael Corleone(Al Pacino), who had wanted no part in his father's activities earlier, to take charge of the situation.

I loved this movie, almost as much as I loved the book. I have watched the movie once before, but that time I wasn't really able to appreciate the scope of the movie, as I was mostly distracted by Marlon Brando's accent, but not this time. The vast tapestry of characters came together perfectly to create this gem of a movie. The performances are all superb; they brought out the depth and complexity of the characters. But the best was Al Pacino as Michael Corleone. He gave a powerful understated performance, his transformation from a quiet, unassuming war hero into the ruthless, chilling Don was fantastic. Coppola stays true to the essence of the book, but makes the movie his own. I loved how deftly he handled the subject, his compassionate portrayal of the Mafia. The different threads weave together into one thunderous climax, and the depiction of Michael's revenge is splendid. Another highlight of the movie was the music; I loved it. I would say the music played a big role in making the movie the classic it is, as it complemented the story so well. A really awesome movie, one you shouldn't miss for the world.

NATIONAL TREASURE2: BOOK OF SECRETS
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub

At a Civil War conference, black market dealer Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) shows a missing page from John Wilkes Booth's diary, which implicates bounty hunter Benjamin Gates'(Cage) ancestor as the architect of Lincoln's assassination. To prove his ancestor's innocence, Gates finds a cipher on the page which leads him from Paris to the Buckingham Palace to the Library of Congress, leading to a treasure hunt in Mount Rushmore.

National Treasure is a campy adventure movie, not much to write home about. It has an average plot and okay acting. There is quite a bit of humour in the movie, which is the only plus point. The scenes between Helen Mirren and Jon Voight are fun to watch; their chemistry is quite crackling. The ending of the movie seemed a little lame to me, a little forced. This is a movie to watch if you have nothing else to do, or you are a big Nicholas Cage fan.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Directed by: David Fincher

Near the end of World War I, a watchmaker creates a backward running clock which is hung at the New Orleans train station. Some time later, a baby is born in the rich Button household, with the features and ailments of an 85-year old man. The boy's father is horrified and dumps him on the porch of a nursing home, where the matron Queenie, takes him in and cares for him. Benjamin (Brad Pitt) grows older in intellect and younger in appearance, and lives a complete life, sailing at sea, fighting in World War II and travelling the world. All the while, he is in love with his childhood friend Daisy (Blanchett), a dancer who ages normally, but they cannot be together, except for a short while when their aging processes meet.

I don't really care much for Brad Pitt, and his performance seemed a little insipid to me. The movie proceeds really slowly, and I almost fell asleep, but that could also have been due to the fact that I was quite tired that day. The whole reverse aging process was done very well, but it seemed like the movie concentrated on that a little too much. But despite that, and despite its length, it was a nice movie, a visual spectacle, with a lot of special scenes, like the one where Ben sees Daisy dance and the final montage of his life. The scale of the movie is very lavish, and the post-war era very nicely caught. The cinematography is excellent, it's the highlight of the movie. It's worth a watch.

TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Starring: Shia La Beouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel
Directed by: Michael Bay

Sam Witwicky (Shia La Beouf) is going to college, leaving girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox) and robot-disguised-as-yellow-car Bumblebee behind. But when Sam starts getting weird visions of ancient symbols, he asks Optimus Prime for help. The Decepticons, headed by a resurrected Megatron, are instructed by the ancient Transformer leader The Fallen, to search for an energy source called The Matrix of Leadership. The Decepticons attack Earth and want Sam to be handed over to them, as the symbols Sam is seeing are clues to the location of the Matrix. So it's time for our favorite Autobots, aided by the U.S. Army, to save the world and help Sam destroy the Matrix.

Okay, there is a lot of fodder for action fans: lots of things blowing up and falling apart. This time, it's not just New York City which gets hammered, but also the pyramids which have Decepticons swarming up them. It's a really cool movie in terms of special effects, Megatron and The Fallen are real menacing. There is a lot of humour and sarcasm throughout, which makes the movie an entertaining watch. But if you are looking for a story, forget it. The movie is not mindless action mumbo-jumbo, but there's not much to look out for in the plot. Watch the movie for a couple of hours of fun.

KAMINEY
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra
Directed by: Vishal Bharadwaj

Guddu and Charlie (Shahid Kapoor) are identical twins with a speech defect, but different in everything else. Guddu, who stutters, works for an NGO and plans to marry his pregnant girlfriend Sweety( Priyanka Chopra). Charlie, who lisps, fixes races for a band of Bengali brothers. Avenging his double-crossing at the hands of a jockey, Charlie stumbles upon a guitar case filled with Rs. 10 crore worth of cocaine, and tries to cheat the dealer out of it. Guddu learns that his girlfriend's brother is a gangster who puts a price on his head. Trying to run from the mafia and police on their tails, the brothers' lives collide. Guddu and Charlie, who hated the sight of each other, must now co-operate if they are to survive.

The movie was brilliant, one of the best Hindi movies I've seen in a very long time. Shahid pulled off his double-role so well, morphing from the quiet Guddu to the street-smart Charlie effortlessly. The scene where the two brothers first meet is very good with great direction and superb acting. Priyanka is also good, no hysterics, no over-acting. But the best of the lot is Vishal Bharadwaj. He directs this cast of top-notch theatre actors and A-class movie stars with panache, creating a film that will grip you from scene 1. He is the Indian Scorsese, he manages to tell the story of the underworld much like Scorsese told it in The Departed. The climax is reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs, a dark shootout that was awesome in its picturization. I had a lot of expectations from this movie ever since I fell in love with the Dhan Te Nan song, and it didn't let me down.

SARE CHUATTOR
Starring: Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen, Bhanu Banerjee
Directed by: Nilima Dey

In the Annapurna boarding house for men, a family come to stay for a few days while they search for a house in Kolkata. The daughter, played by Suchitra Sen, attracts the attention of the bachelor men. She is headstrong and frequently gets into arguments with Uttam Kumar. But opposites attract, and the two find themselves falling in love with each other, but not before a lot of misunderstandings and confusion ensue in the process.

This is a really cute Bengali romantic comedy made in the 1950s. It stars the golden couple of Bengali cinema, Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, and they look positively adorable. But more than the romance, it is the comedy in this movie which is par excellence. It has two great comedians, Bhanu and Tulsi Chakraborthy, who light up the screen with their performance. The comedy of errors involving Tulsi Chakraborthy and his wife, is the best part of the movie, and reaffirmed my opinion that he is one of the most under-rated actors of Bengali cinema. The songs are also very good, especially the light and frivolous Amar E Joubon (My Youth). If you are a Bengali, don't miss it (of course, if you are a Bengali, you've probably seen it already).

THE GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS' PAST
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner
Directed by: Mark Waters

Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) is a womanizing fashion photographer. At his younger brother's wedding, he makes it amply clear that he doesn't believe in love or marriage. That night, he is visited by three ghosts, three women in his life who show him how he has treated women and what will happen if he continues on his present ways. They give him a chance to reform and reconnect with his childhood sweetheart Jennie (Jennifer Garner).

The movie was below average. I think romantic movies survive on the cuteness factor and quotable quotes, and this movie had neither. Jennifer Garner looked old, and McConaughey could not really bring out the roguish charm that his character was supposed to possess. If there was something good about this movie, it was Emma Stone as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Her high-school act was comic and endearing. Watch this if you have nothing else to do.

X MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston
Directed by: Gavin Hood

When James Howlett sees his father being killed by the groundskeeper Thomas Logan, bone claws shoot out of his hand to impale Logan. He then learns that Logan was his father, and flees with half-brother Victor Creed. After surviving three wars due to their regenerative abilities, Logan (Jackman) and Victor (Schreiber) are recruited by Major William Stryker (Danny Huston), along with other mutants, to form the mercenary group Team X. Disgusted by the bloodthirsty ways of his comrades, Logan leaves the team and builds a new life with girlfriend Kayla Silverfox. But he can't hide for long, so when Striker comes calling and Victor a.k.a Sabertooth comes hunting, Logan must embrace his animal side and become Wolverine.

I thought this movie was super cool. I've loved Jackman in the X-Men movies, and here he carries the story on his muscly shoulders. I especially loved the scene in Stryker's lab, when he emerges from the tank after being implanted with adamantium. Schreiber was also excellent and complements Jackman very well. Their fights are very well executed, and bring out the menacing and animal nature of Wolverine and Sabertooth. The final fight of Wolverine and Sabertooth vs Deadpool was one to die for, it was awesome. This is a classic superhero movie, it has deadly villains, the tortured hero, fabulous fights, the works. Go watch it, if you haven't already.

P.S. Here are this week's giveaways, since I missed my Sunday Salon post.
Trisha's Book Blog is giving away Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by till August 28
Book Tumbling has Frozen Tears by Mary Ann MacAfee to give away till September 2

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth
Directed by: Louis Leterrier

I started this blog to write about books as well as movies, but the movies part of it fell off somewhere by the roadside. I've been watching a lot of movies, but I haven't really written much about them. So I thought I'd make movies a weekly feature.

The Incredible Hulk features Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, the brilliant scientist who, due to a laboratory accident, is pumped full of gamma radiation and transformed into a superhuman green monster, The Hulk. Hiding out in Brazil from the U.S Army, led by his girlfriend Betty Ross' (Liv Tyler) father, General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt), Bruce tries to find a cure for his condition with the help of the mysterious Mr. Blue. But circumstances don't allow him to stay hidden for long, and he has to return home to fight the Army, the Abomination and above all, himself.

The Hulk series was rebooted with this movie after the Ang-Lee directed 2003 movie didn't do well. I may be the only one who says this, but I found the Eric Bana movie better than this one. The special effects of this movie are probably better and the movie moves at a faster pace due to the numerous action sequences. The Abomination was Godzilla-like, the final Hulk-Abomination confrontation a battle of monsters. But the 2003 movie was more human, more engaging. Bruce's dilemma to stay human or become monster drew me into the story. I love action movies, the more blowing up the merrier, but nowadays I look for story as much as I look for SFX.

I like Edward Norton as Hulk, he portrays the shy, tortured genius quite well, and it was nice watching him on screen after a really long time. His performance in the lab scene, when he transforms into the Hulk and back again, was really cool. But I didn't like Liv Tyler, I thought she was too simpering, more eye candy than anything else. However, the best was Tim Roth as the vengeful, super-soldier Emil Blonsky. A superhero movie is just as good as its villains are, and he was quite the menacing one. But, to me, the Hulk is more about fighting the inner villains more than the outer ones, a topic this movie deals with but doesn't explore quite as well as the first.


THE HANGOVER
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helm, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
Directed by: Todd Phillips

Doug (Bartha) is getting married, and he and his friends Phil (Cooper), Alan (Galifianakis) and Stu (Helm) go to Vegas for the bachelor party. They wake up in the morning with no memory of the previous night, with a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, mayhem in the suite and Doug missing. Their search for Doug leads them to the police station, the chapel and Mike Tyson's villa, as they retrace their steps to bring back Doug in time for his wedding.

The movie has like lot of profanity and vulgar cracks, and partial nudity too, so be careful about what you are getting into. I felt grossed out at some of the scenes, especially the Chinese guy in the trunk of the Mercedes. But if you manage to overlook the crudeness, it is really a cool movie. The plot starts off with so many disconnected elements that, at first sight, you feel that any way the writers would wrap up the threads would seem a little silly at the end. But it wasn't. I enjoyed the bit about the tiger in the bathroom and how they return it; it was quite dextrously resolved. It's an action movie without the action;fast-paced and not a dull moment in sight.

The best part about this bromance is that none of the humour was forced. There were none of the corny one-liners which are supposed to make you laugh, but actually make you wince. A movie that seems like one of those generic bachelor-party-gone-wrong movies, but manages to bring something fresh to the table. The actors do a really great job of bringing out the craziness in the situation. Ed Helms was too cool, as the hen-pecked boyfriend who becomes braver and smarter as the movie progresses, ending up as the guy you cheer for. Definitely a movie to watch if you are a guy (and I'll be very surprised if you haven't watched it yet), and for women, well, now you know why guys don't tell you anything about their bachelor parties.

A LOOK INTO EVIL'S PAST

I read the book before I went to watch the movie because all I remembered in the book was how it ended and that Ron and Hermione had romantic troubles. Honestly, I don't really like this book that much, though it ranks above its predecessor on my scale.

Harry starts his sixth year at Hogwarts with the Dark forces growing stronger. Dumbledore enlists his help in bringing a old teacher Slughorn out of retirement, who turns out to, surprise, surprise, replace the Potions Master, making Snape the Professor of Defence Against Dark Arts. This discomfort aside, Harry has to persuade Slughorn to give up something he is hiding, deal with love pangs for Ginny and learn more about Voldemort's past, so that he can defeat him.

I didn't like the book much. I thought there was too much of fluff, it read more like some teen romance, you know, girl and boy like each other and are separated by misunderstandings. The Ron-Lavender track was quite irritating to me. Granted that the trio is growing, and hormones are stronger than ever, but this story is about good vs evil, Harry vs Voldemort, not Hermione vs Lavender. It seemed like Rowling was writing a young adult romance, then would remember what the story was about and come back on track.

But I really like the insights into Voldemort's past, the sneak peeks at the man before he became the mask. The concept of Horcruxes was elegant, inspired in part, I think, by those olden folk tales which talk about removing the soul from the body and keeping it in another being for safekeeping, but with darker undertones. However, I was disappointed by the lack of coverage given to the half blood prince subplot. I mean, when I heard the story, I figured that the Half-Blood Prince would be like a central plot element, connected with a challenge Harry has to face (like Goblet of Fire or Prisoner of Azkaban), but apart from being a mysterious author, not much coverage was given to his story. The book, I believe, could have been a good 200 pages shorter with no loss whatsoever.

A word about the movie. It takes a lot of cinematic liberties with the book. Now, I don't expect the movie to be a xerox of the book, but HBP has, in the words of one of my friends, 30% of the story with 130% of the romance. It's not a bad movie, its cinematography is great, the sets and locations wonderful. If you watch it forgetting that it's an adaptation of the book, you'll love it; in fact I liked it too.

Have you watched the movie? How did it compare with the book?

My top tunes from the last six months. It took quite a bit of thinking, as I couldn't remember 9 songs that particularly stood out, except for the Delhi 6 soundtrack, and a couple of songs from Dev D. Movies included are those released in 2009 (though the music may have released earlier)

1. Masakali (Delhi 6): Who doesn't love this song? The opening vocals are strikingly awesome and just draw you into the song. Mohit Chauhan's drawling voice, A.R. Rehman's awesome music, and of course, the pigeon- just some things that put this song at the top of my Hindi playlist.

2. Emosanal Attyachaar (Dev D): This is the 'in' song for broken hearts and single guys. Nasal, funny and completely irreverent, this song is not for everyone, but I never get tired of listening to it.

3. Aasma Odh Kar (13B): A really nice, soft song, and a surprise find (this movie has been made as Yavarum Nalam in Tamil too). Chitra's voice is sweeter than honey, and I thought she stole this duet away from Shankar Mahadevan.

4. Arziyan/Maula Maula (Delhi 6): I didn't want a movie to be repeated, but this track so blew my mind away that I had to include it. Reminds me (as if I needed reminding) of why I love Kailash Kher.

5. Sapnon Se Bhare Naina (Luck By Chance): I really liked the classical feel of this song, and the lyrics are so pertinent. I usually listen to this song when I'm a little off-colour- it strikes a chord.

6. Maahi (Raaz 2): Interesting song. Composed and sung by one of my mom's favorite contestants on the reality singing show Voice of India, I found it pretty good: Western beats with Sufi influences.

7. Nazaara Hai (8X10 Tasveer): The movie apparently flopped, but this song stayed on. A nice rock number, with shades of Rock On in it. Biggest failing: the 'hai', which sounds like the chorus is puking.

8. Aa Dekhen Zara (Aa Dekhen Zara): This is essentially a remix of an old song, but they didn't ruin it like I had heard another DJ do it. Neil Nitin Mukesh sang this himself, and he hasn't done a bad job.

9. Chandni Chowk to China (Chandni Chowk to China): No, it's not part of my favorites, but I needed to complete the 9 for 09. Well, to tell the truth, I found the song funny initially, but repeated listening took its toll.

Do you like my list? I know I missed out a couple of awesome songs, but I didn't want the list to be repititive: it probably would have had only Delhi 6 and Dev D and a couple of songs from 13B. Tell me about your favorite Bollywood tunes.

GOOPY GYNE BAGHA BYNE

Starring- Tapen Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh, Santosh Dutta

I've been wanting to see this movie since I was a kid, and it was worth the wait. An awesome, Awesome movie, directed by Ray at the prime of his career; a movie I totally loved.

Goopy is an awful singer, kicked out of his village for annoying the king with his singing. On his travels, he meets Bagha, an equally bad drummer. Both of them take shelter in a bamboo forest, which, incidentally is home to a group of ghosts. The King of ghosts is fascinated by their music and grants them three boons: they can eat what they like and get the clothes they want with a clap of their hands, they can go anywhere while wearing the magic slippers he gives them, and they can mesmerise people with their music. They hear of a music contest organised by the king of Shundi, and their adventures begin.

This movie has a bunch of lovely songs, penned by Ray himself. The movie is a fantasy which kids adore and adults enjoy, but is also a thinly-veiled allegory of today's world. The lyrics reflect modern concerns, Ore Baba Koto Sena (Oh, how many soldiers) saying how futile war is. When this movie was released, many said it would tank, as it did not fit into either the action or the romance genre, which were the only two kinds of movies popular in those days (and even now). But Ray proved all his detractors wrong, scripting one of the most popular Bengali movies of all time, and scooping up a host of national and international awards in the process. I'll leave you with my translation of my favorite song from the movie, a song with deep meaning and beautiful melody (and some humour from Bagha, which I'm not including, but which adds to the song).

Ek Je Chilo Raja (There was a King)

There was a King,
He had many sorrows.
Look at the King, he weeps,
Poor King, he has many sorrows.

How does sorrow arise?
It is not the sole domain of the unfortunate,
Whose home is lined with gold and silver, he also suffers,
Know that he is also not happy.

Will the sorrow go?
In solitary silence, the King wonders.
How will the King get peace after punishing the innocent,
How will the sorrow go?

How does sorrow go?
Confinement in his prison of a palace doesn't help,
If the King leaves his golden throne and breathes in the fresh air of the field,
Only then the King will have peace.

AAMIR- Starring Rajeev Khandelwal
A WEDNESDAY- Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir

These two movies released last year were the best to come out of Bollywood in a long, long time. And particularly relevant too, considering the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Lahore and concerns about future ones before or during the elections.

Aamir introduces Rajeev Khandelwal as a UK-returned Muslim whose family is held hostage by a unknown group of people, as he is sent on a journey through the gullies of Bombay, with the kidnapper gives him increasingly dangerous tasks, all the while trying to provoke him into violence in the name of his 'mazhab' and 'kaum'. The script is tight and fast-paced, without as many loopholes as other movies based on terrorism. I liked the music, especially the song 'Mehfuz', which, incidentally, is playing as I write this. The movie doesn't demand extraordinary leaps of faith in terms of the protagonist's choices and the situations he faces. It's not exactly a work of art, but is worth spending a couple of hours over.

A Wednesday is packed with powerhouse performers and deals with the aftermath of a bomb threats made by an unknown caller, which throws the whole system into disarray. The caller demands the release of four terrorists and their delivery to a Juhu airstrip. The Commissioner initially suspects a bluff, but after a bomb at a police station, he is forced to reconsider. I absolutely loved the story and the way it has been handled. The acting was restrained, with Jimmy Shergill, Deepal Shaw and Aamir Bashir holding their own opposite stellar performers like Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher. Shah's monologue at the end of the movie captured the frustration we all feel, and our sense of desperation as more attacks rip apart the cities we live in.

These two movies are extremely relevant to the times we are living in. It shows a maturity level in Bollywood, earlier seen only in arthouse movies, and its first steps to actually show ground realities. The protagonists are ordinary people we meet everyday, and what defines them is the choices they make. It is also heartening to see these movies being promoted by biggies (UTV distributed A Wednesday), and I really hope to see more of such stuff on screen. Makes a refreshing change from the mindless mess that was Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

THE PRESTIGE- Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlet Johansson
THE ILLUSIONIST- Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell

Two movies, two stories, one theme. Both Prestige and Illusionist, set in the early twentieth century, explore the world of stage magicians and the people behind the tricks we love to see.

The Prestige traces the rivalry between Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale), assistants of the same magician, who go their separate ways after an accident involving Borden kills Angier's wife. Borden becomes 'The Professor' and Angier 'The Great Danton', each desirous of upstaging the other. Borden's new trick 'The Transported Man' astonishes Angier, who first tries to duplicate it, then is fixated about learning the true secret. Themes of obsession, sacrifice and secrecy interweave the story, building up to a truly awesome climax. The narrative moves fluidly back and forth in time, with mesmerizing music complementing the story. Though Scarlet Johannson is more eye-candy than anything else, Jackman is great as the jealous, obsessive magician, but Bale steals the show, with his classic brooding act.

The Illusionist begins with the secret affair between the Duchess Sophie (Biel) and Edward Eisenheim (Norton). Separated due to their difference in position, they meet years later, when Eisenheim is a famous illusionist, and Sophie engaged to marry the Crown Prince (Sewell). Their ensuing affair has tragic consequences owing to the ruthless Prince's jealousy, and Inspector Uhl (Giamatti) brought in to investigate the matter. The storytelling is fantastic, with superbly shot scenes which build to a shocking crescendo. Norton is perfect as the inscrutable magician, and I really want to see more of him on screen.

Adapted from books, both these movies give a sneak-peek into the magician's world, and their Victorian setting definitely adds to the story. They are both richly textured, alluring and suspenseful, and the twists and turns of the tale lead up to a mind-blowing finish. In my book, Prestige wins by a whisker, not because of anything missing in Illusionist, but because I am a huge Christian Bale fan. So, grab a DVD or book your place in front of the TV the next time either movie is shown. Abracadabra!!

The votes are in...the result is out. Slumdog is the proud winner of 8 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. A.R.Rehman has brought joy to a billion-plus hearts by bagging Oscars for both categories he was nominated in: Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

Slumdog is a mix of Oliver Twist and Peter Pan: stark reality interposed with fairytale fantasy. Jamal's story from rags to riches is captivating, but doesn't really have repeat value (I got bored when I watched it a second time). I absolutely loved the 45-odd minutes of the story when the child actors dominated the scene. They were brilliant, realistic and cute(especially young Salim). Their introductory scene, with the 'Jai Ho' song, was very well filmed. My favourite scenes: young Jamal jumping into the shitpit, teenage Jamal conning the foreign tourists at the Taj, young Jamal and Salim snatching food atop a train. Older Jamal and Latika weren't really convincing; to me, their chemistry seemed forced.

I can't say I am totally happy with the product that Slumdog is. My complaint is not that it peddles poverty and shows India in a bad light. On the contrary, the movie just touches on the fringes of what Dharavi really is. The conditions of the beggars is a reality, and "slumdog" is a way nicer slur than some of the swearwords you get to hear on the streets. I just think that the story is way too implausible. If you show the reality in slums, you are expected to continue the realism in the rest of your story as well. You can't have one-third of the movie in Hindi, and then suddenly have Jamal switch to speaking impeccable English with a Brit accent. Jamal's answers to most of the questions were logical, but his getting the final answer right despite his not knowing it was a tad too much. But I must say, Slumdog did deserve atleast 5 out of the 8 Oscars it won. Kudos to them and three cheers to Rehman!!

MEMENTO- Starring Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano, Carrie-Anne Moss
GHAJINI-Starring Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan

When I saw Ghajini, I found its plot with more holes than Bush's Iraq invasion plan. Then I applied the action movie standard to it, and the story started to seem plausible. The movie is about a man suffering from short-term memory loss, who is out to avenge the murder of his girlfriend. In an industry where total amnesia is the norm, short-term memory loss is a new concept and handled quite ok, but the director seems to have clubbed anterograde amnesia with retrograde amnesia. I liked the climactic scene where Aamir has killed Ghajini's henchmen, but then his 15-minute window closes and he forgets why he us there, curiously walking up to Ghajini, who is hiding from him. The love story with Aamir and Asin is fresh. Aamir's acting and his howls seemed a little demented, Jiah Khan was shrill, and the villain a caricature, even by Bollywood standards. Elements of the movie which stand out (not always in a good way): Aamir's killing machine act, his pointy ears, a fully-clothed Jiah Khan, the Behka song. I have just one thing to say: DON'T compare it with Memento. Ghajini is a regular Bollywood action-packed masala, it's just a couple of ingredients that differ.

Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, is unconventional. It is difficult to grasp at first viewing as it doesn't follow a linear narrative. Guy Pearce plays a cop affected by short-term memory developed after being hit on the head when his wife was attacked, and maintains a system of Polaroids and tattoos to record information and catch the supposed killer. This is where similarities with Ghajini end. Pearce's 15-minute memories are depicted in reverse chronological order in colour, while black-and-white scenes follow forward narrative. Both narratives alternate, and mesh in the climax as a single color scene. I liked how Sammy's story tied in with the cop's life, and how Pearce planned his revenge. Memento is a puzzle which the viewer has to solve, and the unravelling of the puzzle is riveting.