Reviews

Movies like Airlift are not rare. We get our dose of patriotism every year. The only things that change are the setting and the cast. Airlift, however, manages to strike a chord with the truth it portrays. Firstly, in sharp contrast to Argo, the Indian govt did not jump to the rescue of Indians stuck in Kuwait. Any Indian knows how things move in the govt sector and this was aptly portrayed. It is always one or two odd people who get things moving and such was the case in Airlift too. There are a couple of scenes which can happen only in movies but those apart, the movie painted a very real picture of the largest ever evacuation program conducted by any country. When Akshay Kumar signs off in the end saying he is still cynical about a lot of issues in India but never asks what his country has done for him, he is echoing the sentiments of 1.7 lakh people who were part of Operation Airlift and many more.

This movie is very close to real life, the life on the streets of Manila. The protagonist has been beautifully portrayed. Never once did she rise above the reality to become a hero of any kind. The music is the soul of the movie. The bonds between Blanka and others are handled with grace. The void in Blanka's life, her soul pining for a mother and resorting to evil means to gather enough money to buy one is also shown nicely. The way she peeps into classrooms and how she sets up her place to make it cozy was a delight to watch. This one however, plays to the festival crowd. There is very little scope for this movie to rise beyond that.

LTROI is a cute love story between two 12 year olds on the brink of adolescence with a small difference – the girl has been 12 for over 200 years. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, this is a directorial venture of Tomas Alfredson starring Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson as Oskar and Eli respectively.

Movies on vampires have been attempted by many with little success. However this one strikes a chord and has the making of a classic. Shot entirely in Stockholm, it has a serene touch coupled with brilliant performances. The movie has been named so because in popular folklore, vampires never come in unless they are invited.

The movie portrays the life of Oskar, a boy fathered by an alcoholic and mothered by a workaholic who have separated ways. Bullied regularly at school, he finds repose in books, puzzles and loneliness. It is then that Eli moves in the neighborhood with Hakan(an ex-teacher who willingly slaughters people to quench Eli's thirst for reasons unknown). They develop bonds and learn to interact through Morse Code, despite the fact that Eli is stone-cold and smells like a corpse. She teaches him to retaliate upon being teased. Meanwhile Hakan dies owing to circumstances. Oskar discovers that Eli is a vampire and what follows is one of the sweetest coming-of-age tales..

The two child actors carry out their roles to perfection. The plot has the perfect blend of terror and romance. It is essentially a dark movie and the palette is so dark that even fresh blood appears black. LTROI isn't a vampire story, rather it's the story of friendship and empathy between two of society's misfits. It avoids being overtly melodramatic and portrays an awkward relationship between the leads. Towards the closing minutes it gets predictable but keeps you glued nonetheless.

Movies with an open ending always leave an impact. Here too, the closing scenes are left to the audience's interpretation. Whether it's the beginning of a new love story or the usual process employed by Eli is for you to decide..

Ratings :- The movie is rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language.

Acting : 8.5/10 Plot : 7/10 Direction : 7/10 Overall : 8/10 LTROI was nominated for the BAFTA Awards and has won 61 awards in different categories. It is ranked as the 220th best movie of all times on IMDb. It has grossed in $7,282,007 worldwide since its release.

When a director of the prowess of Christopher Nolan makes anything that falls short of The Dark Knight(2008), it is considered a letdown. The Dark Knight Rises becomes a victim of the high standards set by Nolan and Heath Ledger(Joker) in the 2008 film which revolutionized the way the world looked at comic book movies. The most awaited movie of the decade failed to deliver on many accounts. However the sheer magic of Nolan and his cast create an indelible impact.

The movie discovers the chilling effects of terrorism and capitalism by portraying the worst that could possibly happen. The villain Bane(played by Tom Hardy) is imposing but his character is ill written. He is all brute force with no depth. That he is inaudible doesn't help. The inevitable comparison with Heath Ledger goes against him too, making him the weakest link in the chain.

Christian Bale gets into the character completely and delivers a stunning performance. Anne Hathaway is a pleasure to watch. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a surprise package. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman are their usual classic self. Marion Cotillard could have been explored further.

The action sequences are mind-blowing, the ending epic. The USP of Batman movies is that it stresses on the fact that anyone can be a hero. The legend of the Dark Knight ends but the franchise will live on forever and will be counted as one of the most successful trilogies ever pulled off.