Reviews

First, the all-important question: Is The Conjuring 2 scary? Like, jump out of your seat, watch through your outstretched fingers scary? The answer to that is "yes." Under James Wan's direction, even the most clichéd haunted-house tropes (and this movie is bursting with them) are genuinely creepy, and although the movie isn't overly reliant on jump scares, the ones it does use—well, they work. On a lizard-brain level, The Conjuring 2 taps into the universal childhood fear of the dark, and some of its simplest moments—like a little girl hiding under the covers with a flashlight—are its most effective, bolstered by skillfully executed sound design and Don Burgess' gloomy cinematography.

Speaking of tropes, that's where the "based on a true story" bit comes in. The main plot of the film revolves around a real-life incident known as the Enfield Poltergeist, an extremely well-documented case of a supposed ghost who terrorized the Hodgson family of North London from 1977 to 1979 and was apparently a fan of the classics: knocking on walls, shaking beds, throwing furniture, and even the occasional haunted kid's toy. And as malevolent spirits often do, it picked on one of the children in particular, 11-year-old Janet Hodgson (Madison Wolfe). Call it a collective delusion, or a desperate cry for attention from a disturbed child. Or call it what the movie very explicitly calls it: The Devil.

With this installment, the Conjuring movies may have overtaken The Exorcist as the most Christian of horror franchises, taking place in a universe where the Catholic Church is the spiritual S.H.I.E.L.D. and demon hunters Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) its holy roller super-agents. The film opens with the Warrens investigating the famous Amityville case, during the course of which Lorraine first encounters the hellish presence that will haunt her for the next few years. Fearing for his life, she begs her husband to suspend any future paranormal investigations, to which he reluctantly agrees. Until, that is, a priest arrives to give them their next mission: Travel to London and confirm the veracity of reports of a demonically tinged haunting.

Both Farmiga and Wilson are given their chance to shine in spooky set pieces—Farmiga early on in the film, Wilson later. But while they're both convincing in spiritual warrior mode, Wan's decision to play up the romance between the two doesn't quite work. We knew that the Warrens were a happily married couple in the first movie, but having them each individually tell the story of their paranormal love and Ed make suggestive comments about the sleeping arrangements seems odd, maybe because they're flirting in front of a possessed pre-teen whose soul is currently in the process of being swallowed by the Pit. (On the other hand, this is just another day at the office for the Warrens.) The non-horror elements of the film are uneven in general: The score, so effective in the fright scenes, suddenly evokes eye rolls when things start to get sentimental, and there's one scene of unintentional comedy where the film's retro '70s setting—another element downplayed in the first film but foregrounded here—collides with its demonic imagery in an honestly pretty silly way. (The Conjuring 2 shares its predecessor's eye for period details, some of which seem out-and-out ridiculous until they're juxtaposed with photos of their real-life counterparts in the end credits. The on-the-nose pop music gets no such redemption.) That being said, there are also some truly funny moments, like a shot of the Hodgson family running from their haunted house after a particularly intense bout of psychokinetic activity that riffs on smartasses' favorite retort, "Why don't they just move?" (And, for the record, they don't move because it's public housing, and the local council, which is naturally quite skeptical of the whole "ghost" thing, has to approve the relocation.) It's also worth noting that The Conjuring 2 is more than two hours long, allowing for lots of escalation. And while each individual haunting scene can be white-knuckle intense, by the dozenth or so such shock, the film starts to lose momentum. So the final confrontation, when it does come, is a relief in more ways than one. The long running time also allows Wan to overthink his demonology: The main villain, an infernal nun, is appropriately nightmarish, if reminiscent of the veiled "Bride In Black" from Wan's own Insidious. What's less compelling is the insertion of the "Crooked Man," a storybook scarecrow monster that starts spreading Babadook-esque chaos about halfway through and is explained as the demon assuming a form that's familiar to the Hodgsons. Which would be fine, if it weren't for the two familiar forms that the spirit has taken already.

When The Conjuring 2 focuses its efforts on scaring the audience, it succeeds, wildly. And why wouldn't it? Wan's got his horror technique locked down at this point. It's the parts where it wanders away from the basics of creating and releasing tension that prevent it from outdoing its predecessor.

It was love at first sight with this dark, twisted, witty film. American Beauty is a spectacular drama film brilliantly directed by Sam Mendes. The film displays some strong acting from it's actors. The story is quite strong here, and engages the viewer and you become suckered in by the solid acting and Mendes' strong direction. American Beauty is like a fine whiskey, you savor every minute of it, and you indulge in it's rich atmosphere it brings.

The performances all walk the line between parody and simple realism; Thora Birch and Wes Bentley are the most grounded, talking in the tense, flat voices of kids who can't wait to escape their homes. Bening's character, a real estate agent who chants self-help mantras, confuses happiness with success--bad enough if you're successful, depressing if you're not.

And Spacey, an actor who embodies intelligence in his eyes and voice, is the right choice for Lester Burnham. He does reckless and foolish things in this movie, but he doesn't deceive himself; he knows he's running wild--and chooses to, burning up the future years of an empty lifetime for a few flashes of freedom. He may have lost everything by the end of the film, but he's no longer a loser.

I think "American Beauty" is one of the most important films in cinema that will ever be released. The shots capture the elements needed in order to display the images of true human beauty, the dialogue is stupendously written, the tone of the film makes you want to cheer as tears role down your face in happiness, and the directing is indescribable beyond belief. In my opinion, "American Beauty" is one of the best films of all time!

What can really be said about The Usual Suspects? Its beautifully shot, stunningly well acted but that's really thanks in part to Kevin Spacey's masterful performance. Its one of the most simple movies you'll ever experience with some of the greatest plot twists in movie history. Thia film is a masterful thriller that toys with the viewer's mind and presents a deliberately unfocused narrative to confuse the audience and colorful characters.

The actors in The Usual Suspects are all perfectly cast. Gabriel Byrne presents the most mystery out of the five leads; his Keaton is the most murky and reserved. Kevin Pollak, known for more light-hearted comedic roles, makes Hockney the least serious and more witty of the main characters but still excels in playing a scumbag. Stephen Baldwin, before his career collapsed and he became a has-been born-again Christian, is suitably reckless and unpredictable as McManus. Benicio del Toro is the less prominent of the five leads, although his poor usage of English provides much of the film's humor. Kevin Spacey is the most impressive out of the cast, playing Kint as a sympathetic man who may be more than he appears to be which won him the Oscar. Pete Postlethwaite brings a non-chalant smoothness to the role of Kobayashi, a sleazy but unrefined criminal.

This movie gives you chills, it makes you think about what a person could do, an average Joe. It gives a twist known by many to be a surprise of a lifetime. You can almost feel the betrayal and the sense of trickery. It uses a firm plot and all the right hints to send you the wrong way. If a person watched the first five minutes, as well as the last five, you would have missed nothing short of a great movie. Now when you ad in the other ten minutes, you get a must watch film.

The Hunt is the story of a popular and well respected kindergarten teacher (Mads Mikkelsen) who's life and personal relationships are destroyed when he is falsely accused of sexually abusing one of his students.

The Hunt is a haunting and disturbing experience, but not in the sense that it is violent or gory, but more in the sense that the overall situation and events are so heavy and dramatic with such a bleak and depressing atmosphere, that it leaves the viewer with a feeling of discomfort. The biggest compliment that can be given to a foreign subtitled film, is that after a while, you forget that you're reading subtitles. The acting and dialog are so riveting and engaging, you forget that you're even reading the dialog. It feels like a great book that you just can't put down.

My only problem with the film is that the ending is very abrupt and nothing is resolved by the end of the film. For some films, an unconventional ending can work fine, but without a proper resolution to the central conflict, the audience feels unsatisfied by the conclusion. Nonetheless, The Hunt is a tense and uncomfortable thriller that hopefully more people will see thanks to its Academy Award nomination.

Everything about this film is brilliant. The directing, characters, acting, story and the theme score is excellent. The best western i have ever seen. A three hour journey of excitement that leads you to the long awaited and explosive climax. I can honestly say that the last twenty minutes or so of this film is the best twenty minutes of film i have ever seen. Absolutely phenomenal. Sergio Leone's directing with the three leading actors makes this one of the best films i have ever seen... Perhaps the best. Actually yes, this is my favorite movie of all time and i don't see that ever changing.

What makes 'The Good, The Bad and the Ugly' iconic ranges from many things such as Ennio Morricone's memorable score not only defining this movie, but spaghetti westerns, to its unforgettable scenes, depicting beauty and grit in the world created by Sergio Leone. Watching the movie feels like listening to a long musical composition, watching it build and build into a heart pounding crescendo, at the same time basking in the scenes where time feels like it slows down so we could soak in the beauty that this ugly, fragile world has to offer.

What I love about this film, is how it can be light-hearted and fun, yet still feel deep, heavy and contemplative at times. We don't get to know the characters at all (except a bit about Tuco), but we get to know them through their actions, and we truly find out the nature of why these three characters have these titles of 'the good,' 'the bad,' and 'the ugly.' To see these characters interact is a treat to watch, but what captivated me about the film was the great Clint Eastwood and his performance at 'The Man with no Name' or 'Blondie' as Tuco would address him as. He is the definitive embodiment of the stoic, anti-hero with an air of mystery as to where he comes from and his motives, which is what kept me in suspense through out the movie. From his strategic thinking in outsmarting Tuco, he is basically floating through a world of chaos, adapting to any unexpected messy situation these characters get thrown into. Then, when we finally get to the ending, we don't know what will become of the characters and that unpredictability is what makes this one moment in the movie one of the most intense scenes in cinema. Without spoiling anything, all I could say is that I felt the ending was clever in a way I didn't see coming at all.

With a great setting, a great score, great performances and a simple, but very great story, this is a western film I highly recommend you should watch, if you have never watched any westerns before. On that note, this is not only a great western film, but a wonderful piece of art from Sergio Leone. From the films I've watched by him, everyone of those films possess that layer of depth to them that feels like that feeling of bliss in life that comes once in a blue moon. Even with a film as dark as 'Once Upon a Time in the West' or 'Once Upon a Time in America,' Leone still manages to emit a feeling of warmth through his stories, and with all its guns and grit, 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' is pure beauty on film.

The Terminal was funny and a incredible film. Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) is a foreigner from the fictional land of Krakozhia, and he has come to America with nothing but a map and show the world you can make anywhere a home, even a man without a country. This film is a great turn for Tom Hanks, the plot is so original and sweet that it was made into an amazing movie. This is my favorite Spielberg movie besides saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. The Terminal was a genius piece of work that had me laughing the whole time and crying at the end. I am a man, and I am telling you, get yourself checked if you didn't enjoy this because people, only Hanks can take something as annoying as living in an airport and make it look awesome. The Terminal is one of those classic that for me, will always be incredible.

Although this film has many great actors it was Crowe and Connie Nielsen who give it heart. Crowe's presence fills the auditorium and convinces the audience important events are taking place. Crowe pulls you to his side and you root for him almost from the start of the film.

This work is his finest from his appearance as the fierce but reluctant general who was a farmer at heart to his work as the brilliant, unstoppable gladiator warrior to the final scenes when he finally faces the man he has cursed and vowed to kill.

He defies an emperor.

The Emperor is a yellow-livered, depraved poor excuse for a human being but he is no pushover. He is a determined worm of a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. He is ruthless in attaining his goals, always wrong-headed but unrelenting in his pursuit of satisfying his twisted desires.

The movie culminates in a life and death contest between the Crowe and the emperor and at times the outcome seems in doubt.

The film was lush and stunning representation of Imperial Rome and the action, both on the battlefield and in the Colosseum, is both beautiful and compelling.

This movie contains almost no historical truths but this quickly becomes a matter of who cares? "Gladiator" is story telling at its best and whether the naysayers, and there are many, like it or not, "Gladiator" is destined be a classic.

Connie Nielsen brings a strong and pure feminine energy to the film and her final scene, while is almost melodramatic, will remain firmly established in my mind as one of my favorite movie memories.

Could anyone have played the emperor better than Joaquin Phoenix? Possibly but could anyone else have given us greater insight into the twisted soul of the emperor? Could anyone else have allowed us to actually feel compassion for the tortured psyche of the emperor? I don't know but Phoenix did all that and gave us a portrayal of the complex and human side of a bad man.

Trekking through the dangerous jungles of Laos, 10-year old Ahlo (Sitthiphon Disamoe) is determined to convince his superstitious family that he is not a lightning rod for bad luck.

Blessed with a nutty uncle obsessed with James Brown (Thep Phongam) and caught in the middle of a village relocation program over the building of a dam, Ahlo's eventful journey takes him through the scarred landscape of his home, littered with Vietnam-era bombs that are still waiting to go off.

Australian writer/director Kim Mordaunt was inspired to make this wistful, often lyrical film after his 2007 documentary Bomb Harvest, which told of the annual toll claimed by the unexploded bombs in Laos.

Thankfully he layers the unavoidable political notes with real warmth, humour and character, a quality that clearly benefited from using a mix of professional and non-professional actors. Mordaunt also knows how to use irony without pushing it; as Ahlo aims to prove his worth at a big rocket festival, we're reminded that The Rocket is not a political allegory, it's an offbeat, celebratory coming-of-age story about a kid.

Synopsis - The movie starts off with Mohanlal coming back to meet his friend Unnikrishnan (Suresh Menon) who is working in shares.The movie later develops into a road movie with anxious moments.

Story & Screenplay - The story isn't special,but the treatment was brilliant.Thats a credit actually for Blessy the director,but he wrote a brilliant screenplay in manner that it doesn't deviate from the mood of the film.This was the mistake he made in Palunku & Calcutta News. The dialog's were normal human to human conversation (it might disappoint so called fans who expects "Savari Giri Giri"s)

Direction - Blessy showed signs of a brilliant director even in his worst movie Calcutta News.In Bhramaram,shots were absolutely stupendous.You can see a lost Bharathan touch in this movie.As I mentioned before,the treatment/presentation was brilliant.In C:N & Palunku,he tried to handle too many subjects which he avoided in this movie.Even though at a point,you might guess the so called suspense,its his direction combined with Mohanlal's out of the world performance,that made a wonderful climax out of a predictable one.But still he depends on family,sentiments in this movie,than an edge of a seat thriller.To his credit, even after the first half completes,many people cannot make a guess on the second half.He chose a road movie over a suspense thriller.

Cast & Performance - No matter how well you write a scene,No matter how will you direct that scene,If you cannot deliver a performance like Mohanlal in climax,It would have been an ordinary climax.I don't remember when was the last time Mohanlal displayed his caliber,I feel this performance is above Thanmathra's Rameshan.For me the best scene was the bathroom scene with Suresh Menon at lodge when his friend visits him.Just no words to describe about it.The bar scene was the one with most applause.Another competition for NATIONAL AWARDS.

Suresh Menon got a dream role.Just don't remember when someone got a role throughout along with Mohanlal.Even though he couldn't come anywhere near to the magnitude of Mohanlal's performance,he was pretty fine.Murali Nair as his doctor friend was fine.Lakshmi Gopalaswamy didn't have much to do.But the biggest disappointment came in the form of Bhoomika Chawla.She couldn't come anywhere near to the female protagonists of Blessy films (Padmapriya,Meera Vasudev,Lakshmi Sharma & Meera Jasmine).But the worst & most irritating performance came in the form of Mohanlal's daughter.God knows what was Blessy thinking while filming those scenes.Baby Nivedhita was as usual herself. By the way, as special mention to that cute Pomeranian puppy.It was really a cute piece of life.

Music & BGM - The songs were quite fine & pictured well.People wanted more of Annaara Kanna song which shown in bits & pieces.Except the inspired "The Dark Knight" theme during two scenes of intensity,the background score was good.

Technical Side - Brilliant Editing,Picturesque Cinematography really suits the mood of the film along with its strong direction

Finally,I can say with utmost confidence that Bhramaram is the Best movie released this year.Even though the caption suspense thriller is misleading,it keep people interesting.

Without a doubt one of the most influential films of all time. Timeless classic.

Whether this is a true slasher film is debatable, but it's influence on the genres of horror and suspense/thriller is undeniable.

This masterpiece uses amazing black and white cinematography and a very low bodycount (yes, that's correct, a very low bodycount) to weave a fascinating story of a woman caught in a criminal web of her own doing who stops off at the wrong motel on a wet and rainy night. She meets the inn-keeper, a fragile and soft spoken young man who is emotionally and verbally pushed around by his overbearing mother.

What follows is a tension filled and horrifying tale of psychological suspense. I have heard others comment that this film is not really "scary", and I beg to differ. Nothing to me could be more terrifying than the reality that people like some of those presented in this film truly exist in our world. It takes a lot more than fake blood and overly-gory special effects to impress me, and the sad thing is that today's "horror" films and even some claiming to be suspense films rely too much on the supernatural or just plain disgusting to achieve their affect. None of that for me thanks.

One of my true pleasures is to see someone view this film for the first time. Moments in the film tend to shock or surprise people who think they've seen it all. Those who have seen enough knock-offs (and there are a TON of them) may figure out some of the story's plot before it is revealed, but only because so many films have shamelessly ripped this one off. See it for the first time (and even a tenth) and enjoy a master director at the peak of his craft.

No one would make a movie about a guy struggling to succeed who doesn't ultimately succeed. Certainly, no one would make a Will Smith movie about a guy who breaks under the strain of his difficult life, abandons his child and dies. That's just not going to happen. And because we know that -- because we've seen more than one movie in our lives -- "The Pursuit of Happiness" has a particular challenge: To take the real-life rags-to-riches story of stockbroker Chris Gardner, a story with a preordained happy ending, and imbue it with tension and suspense.

The great surprise of the picture is that it's not corny. It may have seemed that way from the trailer: Will Smith tells his son, "Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something -- even me." But in context, even that moment isn't cloying. The beauty of the film is its honesty. In its outlines, it's nothing like the usual success story depicted on screen, in which, after a reasonable interval of disappointment, success arrives wrapped in a ribbon and a bow. Instead, this success story follows the pattern most common in life -- it chronicles a series of soul-sickening failures and defeats, missed opportunities, sure things that didn't quite happen, all of which are accompanied by a concomitant accretion of barely perceptible victories that gradually amount to something. In other words, it all feels real.

Gabriele Muccino ("L'Ultimo Bacio") directed it, and his fine Italian hand can be detected in Andrea Guerra's score, with its Italianate wistfulness and whimsicality, and in Muccino's very European enjoyment of American poverty and desperation. He finds both on the streets of San Francisco -- circa 1981, in this case, but some things don't change -- and he films them in a way that we're always aware: Our hero works hard. He's doing everything he can, and he has a son he is raising on his own. Yet even without a false move on his part, just an extra push of bad luck, he might land on those streets, and with such a thud he might never rise.

As in all rags-to-riches tales, we find the protagonist, Chris, unappreciated and looked down upon at the start. He is struggling to make a go of it by selling bone-density scanners and spends his days lugging around a thing that looks like a movie projector case and hearing doctors tell him they're not interested. His wife disdains him. Actually, the treatment of the wife is the first hint that "The Pursuit of Happiness" is going to be an usually uncompromising movie. The wife (Thandie Newton) is a poisonous harpie, with no redeeming traits. The filmmakers are not messing around: Chris has it bad.

In fact, he is an extraordinary man, but no one is paying attention to him long enough to notice. He decides he wants to get an internship as a stockbroker for Dean Witter and, realizing that his resume looks weak, he sets out to meet the man in charge and say a few words on his own behalf. Throughout the film, had Chris had just a little more pride and a little less intelligence, he would blow it. But he remains friendly and resilient, never indulging in anger, never letting anyone else's mistaken perception of him wound him at his core. He stays fixed on his objective and warm in his response to the world -- and even then, things don't improve right away.

Having proceeded to establish Chris as a great guy, "The Pursuit of Happiness" puts him through hell. The wife leaving is just the beginning (actually that seems a little like good luck). Chris has to raise a son (played by Will Smith's own real-life son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) and do an unpaid internship, while selling those bone-density scanners on the side. If it weren't for the soup kitchens at Glide Memorial, he and his son often wouldn't eat.

Will Smith has the right quality for the role -- he's an easy man to root for -- but he augments this by channeling some inner quality of desperation and need. Frankly, I don't know where he found it; Smith was touched by luck at a very young age. Yet he does find it. In the taxicab scene, in which he tries to impress a prospective employer by solving the Rubik's Cube, and in every other scene in which Chris has to sit or stand there smiling while another man pronounces on his fate, Smith is right there with the right emotions: absolute hope and total terror.

This film is an amazing heartfelt performance certain to influence and motivate its audience to reach new heights. This film is based on a true gripping and dramatic story about a man who has nothing and his struggle toward success. The plot development can be slow but offers a lot of insight towards character development and explore these themes about patience and success and especially what motivates us and keeps us going. I recommend for everyone to watch this, whether rich businessman, student, or teacher for this will change everyone's perspective on life.

In short - Amazing movie. Very poignant, relevant and uplifting. Leaves you thinking about it for days!!

Some movies boast an experience which gives you a solid reason why the art of cinema influence a huge section of people comparing to other arts. It is the experience which is so realistic to life and yet fictitious that can provide the awe-struck moments during the viewing. "Gravity" is one such cine experience that keeps cinema distinct from other art forms by its maximum application in both sound and 3D visuals. We have seen many movies related to space expedition after 2001 - A Space Odyssey but I am sure none will be able to provide such a captivating experience like "Gravity".

Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on a space mission along with Lieutenant Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) encounters an obstacle in form of debris after the destruction of the Russian satellite. This movie is about the efforts to survive by the duo in the most challenging circumstances.

Even if the film carries the clichés moments of movies carrying survival themes where character start of lose hope, plans to give up, moment of inspiration etc etc, you will not say the movie was predictable at any point. Now thats the strength of an outstanding screenplay presented by the director, Alfonso Cuarón, who brings you to the most exquisite cine experience after Avatar (better for me) in the world of space. I cannot point out a single second of dullness through the whole experience and without wasting anytime, the movie starts off in top gear with the splendid 10-20 minutes (which seems to be captured in a single take) and thus gets elevated from that point onward until its end. I don't know whether I can term this movie as science fiction thriller alone because there were some bloodcurdling moments ( like the second debris attack) which created an impact that many horror films failed. Even though the screenplay is strong enough, I was totally mesmerized by the visual extravaganza that made me feel as one of the character or simple step into the shoes of the lead character. Thus Alfonso was able to provide a space ride and which shakes you emotionally. Now if a director is able to achieve that, its the sign of magnificence.

Sandra Bullock was simply terrific as Ryan. She did maintain her signature style of acting which was groomed within the requirements of the character. While George Clooney simply charmed the audience with his one-liners as the optimistic Matt Kowalski. Steven Price's score elevated the mood of the scenes which carried tension. The score towards the end provided an epic feel. Otherwise the movie carried silence at most of the parts.

Very few will leave without a doubt whether the film was shot in a studio. Because Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography along with superlative 3D visual effects makes us wonder how can they capture such shots with utmost realism without going to the react location.Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger maintained the mood and flow with the editing work. The works by the special effects team along with production designer has come up with a meritorious effort in creating the space world along with satellites.

In short...this isn't just a cinema...this is an experience...even if you are not a science fiction fan or simply hates space stories, Gravity still can enter the list of best cine experiences you had...at least for me, the Best 3D Cine Experience till date.

First of all, I have to accept that I am not an F1 fan. So I am completely ignorant about the history of this sports and the famous rivalries associated. What I liked about "Rush" was the movie can convey its subject to those who doesn't really need to be F1 fans. The film is about the famous rivalry between 2 F1 stars, James Hunt & Nicki Lauda. Now more than their achievements on the track, it was about how their rivalry commenced and what may be the factors that led to the rivalry.

Ron Howard is quite aware about the subject he was going to handle and the possibilities to become a stereotyped sports drama comprising of phoenix rise, great fall etc etc, if not handled smartly. As mentioned earlier, I have no idea about the rivalry so whatever I understood is what I got from the movie. Ron and writer Peter Morgan initial conveys their background (both hailing from wealthy families with different ambitions) and the cultural differences. Also we can see how their attitude towards their life results in their positives and negatives and how the outcome plays during some of the important points of their life. The common feature in both the characters is the extreme self confidence.A balancing act was well performed by Ron and his writer Peter and thus kept the audience away from an absolute clichéd sports drama. I will not claim that the movie was flawless but chances are rare for you to get disengaged from the experience due to boredom. This is the strength of the presentation by Ron Howard and it is simply terrific by the fact that its a real life rivalry. Also he didn't opt for a docu-fiction style and used possible cinematic liberties without affecting the realism of the subject. Now there is a particular scene where Hunt punches a journalist which I found a bit "filmy". I cannot confirm whether it happened in reality (since the character sketch of James make it possible) but currently I like to see it as one of the cinematic liberties. After all its based on an "incredible" real life story as credited. A major highlight of the movie along with the performances from the lead cast are the well choreographed pulsating F1 races especially the German Grand Prix & Japanese Grand Prix. Some brilliant dialogues between James & Nicki towards the end conveyed the rivalry with a silent mutual respect between them.

I may not have seen many of Chri Hemworth's performances but from what I saw, I rate this as Chris's best performance till date. He literally lived as James Hunt. But the actor who got a more meatier character, more one-liners and overshadowed Chris at places was Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda. Alexandra Maria Lara (as Marlene Knaus) portrayed the role of Nicki's supportive wife while Olivia Wilde portrayed Suzy Miller (James's wife).

But the biggest highlight is the score of Hans Zimmer. I just have no words to describe that score and I am sure those who watched this experience will surely notice the score. Anthony Dod Mantle's used a color tone to suit 70s and he along with Daniel P. Hanley & Mike Hill's editing delivered a terrific job with the race sequences. Just like the F1 races, the movie moves at a breakneck pace. The make up and costume department justified their presence by providing the 70s look to all the characters while the production designing team came up with a similar effort by providing us the feel of 70s.

Overall, the movie was a terrific experience as if you are in an F1 race. This will surely engage you even if you are not an F1 fan or follower with its theme and the emotions associated with it.

The film from Paul Greengrass, who is known for Bourne Series & Green Zone, is about the real life incident where Richard Philips , captain of a merchant mariner, was kept hostage by a bunch of Somalian pirates. Now the film is all about the survival drama which is portrayed in a realistic manner that suits to Paul's style in films like Green Zone.

The positive side of the film is that rarely we see films which belongs to the category of thrillers that doesn't possess a single cinematic moment. Now this can be seen as a negative by the usual action-thriller fans expecting loads of biffs n bams. Even-though the film carries lesser drama of strategy behind the walls like "Zero Dark Thirty", it does convey similar feel, especially the navy operations implied to rescue. From the title, its extremely clear that the movie's focus point if Captain Philips and nothing else. Billy Ray has structured a script in a character driven mode. Its about how he pacified the situation and took charge at points in order to save his vessel as well the crew followed by his struggles when he was kept as hostage. Now since its a portrayal of real incident with zero moments to trespass beyond realism, Paul's smartness to narrate a thriller with an emotional quotient is the highlight of the movie. The climax scene filled with tension and the manner how navy team displayed their professionalism in finishing off the matter was a treat to watch.....especially the "execute" scene.

After watching this movie, I felt only Tom Hanks can portray Captain Philips. The manner at which he tried to pacify and negotiate smartly with the Somalian pirates was simply outstanding. Barkhad Abdi as the captain of the Somalian pirate group conveyed a fear in the minds of the audience though his performance. The rest of the cast comprising of the other members of Somalian pirates, Merchant vessel crew and Navy team delivered outstanding performances.

Barry Ackroyd's cinematography reminds you of those shaky realistic shots mostly seen in such kinda films. Christopher Rouse editing kept the movie tight and at an even pace. Henry Jackman's score wasn't exceptional so as to be noticed but did maintain the mood of the film.

Its a survival drama with bits of thrills here n there captured in a realistic manner with Tom Hanks delivering yet another outstanding performance.

I'd be amazed if Hanks doesn't get another Academy Awards' nod.

Once upon a crime, Hannibal Lecter was a manipulative psycho-killer compensating for his incarceration by messing with people's minds. Then Hannibal happened and he suddenly turned into a dandy anti-hero... Watching The Silence Of The Lambs again really puts things into perspective. Jonathan Demme's astute adaptation of Thomas Harris' last good book entwines the horror and detective genres to enduringly shocking effect, while Anthony Hopkins' Lecter and Jodie Foster's Starling fizz up an unsettling chemistry that was utterly lacking in the sequel.

I haven't seen a movie this perfectly wrapped in a while. I recently re-watched it and it blew me away and it only gets better the more you see it.

The performances from everyone are great. Foster sold every scene she was in. But, of course, Hopkins stole every scene he was in and was a powerful anti hero who was scary even when concealed because you know his mind is working at every second. Always planning and he's rarely wrong. His escape was an amazing scene. Levine gives a suitably scary performance but just doesn't stand up to the greatness of Foster and Hopkins.

All the characters main characters are deep people are deep people with clear motivations. The police officers are the complete contradiction to this who abuse their power to do what they believe is right, and end up being wrong. It's clever.

Everything is wrapped together really well, the performances were great and it's full of memorable scenes.

I'm giving The Silence of the Lambs a 10/10.

Based on a true story, Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List stars Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler, a German businessman in Poland who sees an opportunity to make money from the Nazis' rise to power. He starts a company to make cookware and utensils, using flattery and bribes to win military contracts, and brings in accountant and financier Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) to help run the factory.

Steven Spielberg directs this moving drama with an incredible amount of uplifting hope, which counteracts the realistically depicted violence revealed on screen. Spielberg maturely presents the film through an honest and sometimes disturbing lens, but it's completely necessary in telling the story with complete authenticity. The horror on display in this film exceeds anything I've ever seen, because of the painful reality. It sickens me as a person to know that this sort of thing actually happened and watching Schindler's List is not only an experience, but a history lesson that we should never forget.

Schindler boasts incredible, convincing performances all across the board. Liam Neeson gives a brave performance as Schindler. Like fellow Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes, who plays evil Nazi concentration camp commandant Amon Goeth, Neeson is not afraid to play his character as written: in Neeson's case, an arrogant war profiteer who does not realize--until the very end--the enormity of his actions; in Fiennes's case, a human embodiment of pure evil and hate. Lesser actors would try to romanticize their characters to make them more pleasant to the audience. Fiennes and Neeson wisely chose not to take that route, and make an even more favorable impression than they would have had they tried to soften their roles. Ben Kingsley (as Schindler's accountant, Itzhak Stern), Embeth Davidtz (as Goeth's Jewish maid, Helen Hirsch), and Caroline Goodall (as Schindler's wife, Emilie) all turn in the type of performance that is easily taken for granted. They are so convincing that it is easy for the audience to forget that they are actors playing roles, especially since they are in the background. While watching Schindler's, the audience does not see actors acting in a made-up world; it believes it sees real people living in the real world.

An amazing movie. Easily one of the best movies made during the 90s and definitely one of the top 'prison' movies of all-time. Pretty much everything about this movie works and works extremely well!

Freeman, who is simply a great actor, a man who has never struck a false note in his career, both narrates this tale and anchors it with his authoritative playing..

Based on a short novel by Stephen King, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption," the movie is as much a fantasy as any of King's horror stories, yet thanks to screenwriter and director Frank Darabont, there isn't a moment we don't want to believe in. Darabont uniquely blends humor and violence, sweetness and brutality, in what may be the best "feel-good" movie of the last twenty years. Ultimately, it is a story of hope and triumph, a tribute to Man's ability to overcome all odds. Andy never fails to astound us with his courage and cunning. He manages to ingratiate himself with the guards when he begins doing their tax returns and with the inmates when he helps build the finest prison library in Maine. (And managing to get them a cold beer on a hot day doesn't hurt, either.) Andy's final surprise, though, is his best, and it is enough to encourage even old Red to face the real world. .