Hurt Locker vs The Blindside

Both movies are extremely good. But I liked "Hurt Locker" more.
Yes, I know you probably thinking about all the goof ups you have read about (all the wrong weapons, the British SAS unit getting taken out like a pack of dodos, soldiers playing on PS3,etc). But were you thinking of this when you saw the movie? How many people actually would think, "oh that is not used by the American army, and SAS people are not such dumb idiots." A movie consists of a lot of aspects, of which research is just one. OK, so the research was not up to the mark on this one, but most of the people who watch movies don't know that. The movie scores high on accurate depiction of a soldier's life. Yes it may seem monotonous, but is that not how a soldier's life is? Get up, go out on the streets, and do your job, at all times risking your life. I don't think a soldier's life varies too much. It is an action flick packaged like a documentary. But one must remember it is not a documentary but a Hollywood film. So the far-fetched characters like the fearless Williams who cares two hoots for military process are not too far-fetched. Did the film deserve so many Oscars? Maybe not. But I liked it anyways. Especially the end which although abrupt, seems appropriate.

Coming to "The Blindside", it is an amazing film. Good acting all around. Being a true story makes it that much more believable. Wonder if people would have liked it if it had not been one. Maybe they would have found it as unbelievable as "Hurt Locker".

Having said all this, I have seen far better films than these in the respective genres.

Zenda

I am now officially a fan of Marathi movies. Both these movies are too good.
One depicting the split in the Shiv Sena. It was refreshing to see a movie made from the point of view of the people working under these politicians. The movie had neither politician bashing nor glorification of any person. Instead it gave the viewer a dose of reality. The title track is amazing. Hence it is now my ringtone. :)

Natrang

Had been wanting to see this movie for sometime. The promos seemed too good for a Marathi movie. And I was not disappointed. Since this movie would never come to the theaters in Kolkata, I had to wait for my roommate to bring it on his laptop from Mumbai.

The movie is about Gunavantrao Kagalkar(Atul Kulkarni), a poor villager who makes money doing odd jobs. The man has problems making ends meet, but spends all his paltry earnings on the tamasha (theater) that comes to the village. He also has a passion for acting and theater and harbors plans to become a famous theater personality. The movie shows the tragedy of his life and the sacrifices he makes in order to achieve his goal.

Atul Kulkarni is superb as Gunvant. The character is very well developed.The transformation from manly body builder to the lighly built eunuch is too good. The conundrum he faces over his family and carrer is very well showcased.
Kishore Kadam deserves a mention for playing the role of Pandoba, the manager and friend who tries his utmost to further Gunvant's career.


The movie is very well made technically. The cinematography,make up and method acting is evident in this.
The movie is serious, some might find it sad. I would describe it as realistic, showing that nothing comes free and easy in life.
Go watch it.

Twilight Saga

Well,..I was forced into reading the book after one of my colleagues made me watch the first book motion picture.

For those who don't know
Twilight is a best selling series of 4 books by Stephenie Meyers, 2 of which have now been adapted to motion pictures. The third one is releasing soon.
The story is about Isabella Swan(Bella) and Edward Cullen,a vampire who lives with his family(all vampires) just outside of town.
The two fall in love and several complications are provided in the form of Jacob Black and his pack of werewolves.

When I started reading the book, I had already watched the first two episodes. So it was like getting a more detailed account of things. I must say the film has stayed true to the book in most cases. But some important details are missing, like Jasper's power of manipulating emotions are given only a fleeting reference in the second movie,the stories of the individuals of the Cullen family. The transformation of Jacob to a werewolf and the time Bella spends with the pack is completely skipped. Kristen Stewart is passable as Bella. The shortcomings in her acting overshadowed by the character. but Robert Pattinson as Edward needs to understand that even vampires can't seem so dead.
Coming to the books. The first two suffer from a slow pace. The first is just an introduction to the characters. But the second one is a painful experience. There are paragraphs devoted to Bella's suffering,which become monotonous as the book progresses. Going by the second book,I had decided not to read the last two books, but was pleasantly surprised. The last two books are amazing.The action sequences are too good. The fourth book is a faster read because of a part being narrated from the point of view of Jacob Black. Also, the mushy romance is shelved in favor of action. Among the characters Jacob Black seems to be the most well developed, striking a balance between romance and action.The lead characters seem very one dimensional to me.

I won't say more. Watch the movies. If you like them, read the books.

Die Hard, Read harder

Am getting bored sitting at home. My friends never seem to organize themselves. 4 years of engineering and our group of 6 has not gone for one single movie together. dhikkar hai !!
So my friend Ranade and I decide to go for Die Hard 4.0, which has just hit the theatres. What an awesome movie. Poora paisa vasool. The action sequences are amazing. As are the special effects. And Bruce Willis rocks and does the 'cop who is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time' routine perfectly. The one liners are to die for. The villain is far more high tech this time, it's all about computer hackers, explaining the '4.0' in the title. To top off the superior movie, the theater was awesome too. Starcity has improved its seating, and overhauled it's entire wall paneling for better sound absorbers. Also has a sofa section in case you want to take the special someone.
The downside is they charge double on the popcorn. 30 frigging bucks !!! Didn't eat during the movie.
Other than that have been reading books. No no, not those self help books, or those spiritual philosophical books. Just the plain old fiction thriller, by Lee Child, called Persuador, in which the bad guy ends up dying..slowly...painfully...well, it's a real nice read. So much so, that i got another one by the same author, called Killing Floor, and the protagonist is the same as the first one.