Day 27, 21 movies so far

New York

Wow! Times of India actually gave this piece of crap 4 stars?!?!

Bollywood's always trying to be 'different'. by that they mean, they will make a film about a non existent love triangle, involving 3 friends, 2 of whom are married, and one of whom is a suspected terrorist who's master plan is to blow up a building, while he's standing on top of it. What a mess! Completely devoid of tension or coherence, the film rambles on - the story being an excuse to fill in the gap between songs that seem to go on forever. What makes this worse, is that all the actors seem convinced that they are contributing to the greater good, and living up to some higher artistic aspiration. Sadly, they couldn't be more wrong. Between John Abraham's screaming bouts, and Katreena Kaif's hilarious attempt at sustaining her American accent, you just can't find the emotional core of the film. Niel Nitin Mukesh, tries hard and I'd expect more from him. At least on the surface, his character's conflict seems interesting. Maybe he just stopped caring during the production, when he realized how the movie was destined to turn out. Irfaan as usual, is stellar - being the only one who brings any sense of irony to the proceedings.

Kabir Khan's previous effort was the equally bad 'Kabul Express'. At least that film didn't take itself so seriously. This movie is just plain terrible - it makes you wish that the producer's strike went on a little longer.

17 Again

I saw this on a plane, because there was nothing better to watch. I wish I hadn't.

American Gangster

American Gangster is an amazing film. That's a no brainer. I've seen it a couple of times, and it only gets better with each viewing. The plot is fantastic and Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington are on top form here. Like every Ridley Scott film, its strengths lie in pacing, editing and cinematography. I can't help but gush about this movie enough. Which brings me to my next point - Why am I always rooting for Frank Lewis?

Denzel's Washington's Frank Lewis is the consummate underdog. The driver to a mob boss, he rises through the ranks, with commitment, ingenuity and perseverance. Before long, he's got half the Italian mob working for him, owns a couple of clubs, and living in a lap of luxury. But make no mistake - he's a drug lord with serious psychotic undertones. In an amazing scene in the film, Frank seething with anger at his cousin's behaviour at a party, finally snaps, yanking him into a grand piano and bashes his head in. His brand of drug, 'Blue Magic', runs rampant all across New York, but the effects of this are barely skimmed upon, the focus staying primarily on his success. Its as if it doesn't matter how amoral his actions are, as long as he succeeds. Frank's redemption arrives with his act of snitching on his police contacts and serving jail time. But more importantly, Ridley Scott attempts to hold up a mirror to the character, in an amazing scene where his mom, played by Ruby Dee finally confronts him about his actions.

So, make what you will of the film. My minor quibble apart, the film is littered with brilliant scenes, and fantastic performances from all involved. (I particularly love Josh Brolin's smarmy detective)

Ice Age 3

I had zero expectations from this film, and was pleasantly surprised. The plot is wafer thin, and cliched, but the film more than makes up in the animation department. Seriously - most scenes were inventive, and the action set pieces were really well animated. Having said that, I think that the best thing about the film was Simon Pegg's Buck - a deranged weasel with a vendetta against a huge dinosaur called Rudy. Its now official - Pegg can do no wrong! The man's a genius! His Buck is a strange amalgamation of Steve Erwin and Mad Max, and is by far the most entertaining thing in the film. The rest of the film is pretty kid friendly, so if that raises alarm bells in your head, its probably not for you. Still, go in with an open mind and you might not be disappointed.