The Hobbit : The Battle of Five Armies – There and Back Again, emotionally so

My one-liner: Unfinished businesses, my precious, unfortunately!

Ananth's review
Some of us have followed Bilbo’s journey with the dwarves with great expectations, expectations that were forged upon and justified by the excellent Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sometimes the expectations were met, sometimes they were exceeded but never as a unit does ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy prove itself to be as well made as its sequel trilogy. Peter Jackson is a director of high capabilities and his screenplay for the Lord of the Rings written in partnership with Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens was a textbook example of how to adapt a fantasy with a moral that branched randomly into different story loops. The same trio with the addition of input from Guillermo Del Toro initially wanted two movies to be made out of a relatively small tome. A lot of us felt this was acceptable given the idea was to add bits in from the appendices which have a rich collection of lore. However when it was announced that three movies were going to be made in the place of two, studio greed not much different from dragon greed was suspected and now has been proven true. In saying all that, I am not taking away credit where credits due. ‘The Hobbit : The Battle of the Five Armies’ is the best of the hobbit trilogy but that, sadly, is not saying much. While it has been stripped down to bare action in its 144 minutes, there are bits of unnecessary drama thrown in as well with a single redeeming story loop.

Just as the ‘The Return of the King’ completed the quest of the fellowship, Bilbo’s journey with the dwarves is brought to completion with ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’. It wouldn’t be wrong to call this a war movie given that almost 45 minutes out of its 144 minute running time is spent on visuals of war. While from a technical standpoint the war scenes are very well made, from a personality standpoint some of Peter Jackson’s usual grit has been polished away. From the start of the trilogy, I’ve found that CGI orcs somehow cannot bring back the visual acuity that the Uruk Hai’s hot breath fogging in the cold air from the rain around Helms Deep did. It is indeed funny that, without having intended to, one of the characters in the movie yells out ‘Oh, come on!’ when the next flurry of CGI creatures is unleashed onto him. Elves are made out to be these magically agile creatures evidence Legolas’ fluid reverse swing onto horse back in ‘The Two Towers’ however the only thing missing during some of his visuals in this movie is an arcade games background. What shines through though is the strength of the CGI work in showing us Erebor, the ruins of Dale, the wrecking of Lake Town, the forbidding Gundabad and Sauron’s current stronghold Dol Guldur. Images that will stay with us when we re-read the books and for that we have John Howe and Alan Lee’s  vision of Middle Earth and WETA workshops implementation of them to thank.

The story of the dwarves and their quest forms the core of the book with Bilbo’s journey intertwined with them to provide the reader a pair of eyes to the spectacle. The moral of the book and the dwarves journey has been so blown up as only a trilogy worth 745 million dollars with the potential to reap a 3 billion dollar revenue can. ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ finds a brooding Thorin who has succumbed to his lust for gold and treasure. Richard Armitage who was brilliant in the Desolation of Smaug pulls off the almost evil Thorin to a T, rising to claim his heroic right when all else has failed and in effect he has escaped his ‘illness’ however not before causing massive loss of life. Among the rest of the dwarves playing their requisite roles Balin remains the voice of reason. Billy Connolly is wasted as Dain Ironfoot, his make up makes it hard to even recognize him under the prosthetic layers. The unnecessary romance between Kili and Tauriel the elf is another deviation that takes away from the core of the movie and bores us en masse every time Tauriel spouts a dreamy dialogue exalting the power of love. Her king Thranduil maintains his agenda and delivers some really soppy dialogue as well in a couple of scenes involving Tauriel. Somehow it makes us think, without any prejudice of course, that the female half of the screenplay writers came up with these romances and triangles and as a lover of Tolkiens mythologies I do not see how it contributes to the story arc even a little bit.

Benedit Cumberbatch as Smaug wreaks his avenging havoc on lake town before the title comes up and is in turn dealt with by some inventive bow-work from Luke Evans playing Bard the Bowman. Luke Evans plays his role with the required maturity and restraint and does not give in to bombast. While some may think children repeatedly screaming for their father with anxiety written upon their faces is an emotional frame, the sound of ‘Da! Da! Da!’ made me want to somehow correct them as quickly and viciously as I could. Lake town, Bard, the Master(Stephen Fry) and his wormtongue equivalent Alfrid(Ryan Gage) actually provide for entertainment. Apart from some fan pleasing cameos from Cate Blanchett(Galadriel), Hugo Weaving(Elrond) and Christopher Lee(Saruman) when they come to the aid of the caged Gandalf(Ian McKellen) there isn’t too much that they are need for. Tragic is the omission of more screen time for Beorn which would have been fulfilling but I suspect the extended edition might have more things to celebrate. There isn’t too much more to be pleased about in the movie bar one more story arc.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit around whom the studio-coffer-pleaser has been written provides the single ray of sunshine in the entire movie apart from Richard Armitage’s brooding take on Thorin. Martin Freeman is the ultimate Bilbo, loyal to a fault even when he needs to betray to prove his loyalty, he brings forth the true and warm nature of Hobbits that Tolkien would have wanted us to experience. His chemistry with Gandalf and his faith in both Bard and Thorin are brought to life by his ingenious and whimsical portrayal of Bilbo. He does not care much for riches, war or for the vagaries of the wide world. In the book all he wants is a full pipe, a cozy armchair and a fireplace to stretch his hairy feet to and while the burglar aspect of his characterization is built up slightly here his is the performance that stands out most. Having been dragged out of his comfortable little hole under and over mountains to face a dragon and to end up being part of a war, Bilbo comes up trumps when the situation demands it ensuring that the faith of his friend and wizard Gandalf was not misplaced.

It is with sadness that we anticipated the ending of the Hobbit trilogy. Being the Middle-Earth-on-film fanatics that we are we badgered the PVR cinemas staff a lot in the days preceding the movies release given the tickets were not available for booking. At the end of the movie it would be unfair to say we were not slightly underwhelmed and while sitting through the end titles marking the end of our journey through middle earth on the big screen it wasn’t a few times that we reminded ourselves that the extended edition might fix some of the things that we found wanting. Peter Jackson’s work or labour of love as he calls it has been immense and he has dedicated a large chunk of his life to making these movies. While they will always be known as his swansong, there is no taking away from the fact that ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy could have been handled way better and maybe with a little less heavy handedness. Pandering to the fans would be language that is too strong to be used with someone of Peter’s acumen but in catering to them he has also done them a disservice in not providing with Bilbos journey what might have been a more triumphant return to Middle Earth. However while bidding farewell we cannot forget the immense pleasure derived from watching talented people come forth into our reckoning – Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt and the return of crowd favourites in Legolas, Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman(who incidentally kicks more ass than any 92 year old could or should). The moral of ‘The Hobbit’ perhaps was not as clear as it should have been to Newline, MGM, Wingnut and Warner Brothers – Greed is folly.

Three Stars 

Exodus : Gods and Kings - "There is only me here."

My one-liner : If you're looking for affirmation of your faith, give this a miss!

Man trying to contemplate the nature of the God(s) of the Egyptians, the God of the Hebrews, the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament never really went archaic. The nature of religion and God are things that make echoing statements in every generation of humanity and is still making striking headlines from around the same area that Moses supposedly led his folk to freedom. What was recorded as the Exodus made a repeat only too often in history and twice as per record to the same section of humanity in cruel fashion. As a word, Exodus signifies the mass exit of a group of people, but as a saga the exodus of the Israelites to their homeland of Canaan has given rise to a lot of different interpretations. Ridley Scotts interpretation though epic, could have used a little bit of tempering which isn’t really a complaint because I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. While it has always been clear that he is an expert in the handling of epics, his handling of faith bordering on mania and in some scenes his own questions of faith paint a truly majestic picture, the only flaw in which might be the fact that it is slightly overlong.

The legend of Moses’ birth is an elaborate tale in itself and given it has had enough exposure, ‘Exodus : Gods and Kings’ spares us the preamble and places us in the company of the Pharaoh Seti, his son Rameses and the latter’s childhood compatriot Moses in consultation before handling an attack by the Hittites. Matching the spirit of the movie, prophecies are handled as vaguely as they are portended. But let me leave that to your viewing pleasure. Within that introductory room we meet the main players in this tale, Christian Bale playing Moses, a brilliant Joel Edgerton as Rameses, John Turturro as Seti, (I would not be playing fair if I did not mention the appearance of) Indira Verma as high priestess of the Pharaoh. The casting list is impeccable in itself with Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Aaron Paul, the beautiful Maria Valverde and Golshifteh Farahani who joins Ridley Scotts cast after having appeared in Body of Lies contributing to a cast according to complaints on the internet does not have enough racial diversity or geographically faithful casting.

Biblical mythology and its roots in reality are often a question of faith and religion. Ridley Scott, a self-professed agnostic, takes a measured approach that does not deny either angle its due. The God of the Old Testament is present in all his/her/its fury. The objective of Gods interference in the lives of about four hundred thousand Hebrews lies in the fact that for four hundred years they have been slaves in the wretched and miserable building camps of the Egyptians. Why and how Moses takes the cause upon his shoulders is again the subject of Biblical study and nothing has been missed out from that particular episode. The way the story has been dealt with accounts for much of the viewing pleasure in Exodus : Gods and Kings. The script is the product of four minds - Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine, Steven Zaillian, the latter having been nominated for more than one Academy Award. While the story keeps one engrossed, the narrative could have been kept slightly tighter especially towards the end where we meet multiple climaxes (pun not intended).

Yet again, it would be too much of a complaint if I kept highlighting narrative details, for the story is brought alive on screen by the restrained yet commanding presence of both the leads – Bale and Edgerton. While not much needs to be said about the acting prowess of Christian Bale, Jole Edgerton in the role of Rameses is a revelation proving yet again why he should not be restricted to brawler roles like Warrior(where he did display a subtle sense of how to portray drama). As the despotic and not slightly psychotic Pharaoh Rameses, the paranoia he conveys in both his frantic and measured histrionics are a delight to view. His faith in his brother figure and yet the abrupt change of feeling when he gives thought to the conflict that might result from him is another aspect the script rushes through but the point is conveyed as only Edgerton can. ‘What kind of fanatics worship such a God?’ he exclaims at one point and the poignancy strikes home. Exodus well might be the movie where he starts showcasing his innate genius. Bale plays Moses with studied and questioning calm. His journey of belief and faith, while forming the core of the movie also highlights his internal conflict. Ultimately it is his journey, his unrelenting faith in his actions and his determination to marshal his people to freedom that makes the movie’s length palatable albeit only slightly. Small roles they may be that have been handed out to Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley and Aaron Paul but the gravitas lent by the former two and the gritty camaraderie between Bale and the latter add to the pithy highlights of Exodus.

An epic such as this already has visual grandeur written into the legend in the halls of the Pharaoh, in the desperation and poverty of the camps of the Hebrews, in burning bushes and parting seas. Also well known to everyone would be the curses the Egyptians were subjected to. In bringing these visuals to the screen, Ridley Scott and the visual effects crew apply as pragmatic an approach as possible always trying to balance out the nearly plausible with the possible intervention of something that might be divine.  While PVR cinemas in India needs to realize that running their projectors in economy mode for a 3D movie is not really a good idea, the grandeur of Egypt at its peak is conveyed beautifully. I will not give out spoilers here but rather leave it to the viewers to enjoy the rest of a visually well sculpted movie.

Exodus is not the first of movies where the deeply personal question of faith, belief and God plays a major role. What makes it an effectively thought provoking and enjoyable movie is the fact that everyone involved has their own questions and answers about faith. In echoing current scenarios of war and religious persecution Ridley Scott only affirms for the umpteenth time as others have done before him that what was once a practice that aimed at peace has only of recent times brought war and cruelty to the fore. In all the animals that ‘God’ might or might not have created the tendency to murder or torture as a means to an end is seen only in what has ironically been termed humanity. 

Exodus – Three stars and a half

All the worlds a (reality television) stage

Before going on to explain why I think ‘The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part I’ is a case of too little butter spread over too much (dry) bread, a note of thanks to the local radio station for giving us free tickets to catch the film in its delayed opening weekend in India! The current installment of the Hunger Games’ ‘forced’ quadrilogy is darker still than the excellent ‘Catching Fire’ but proves to be too long to sustain interest in everything that’s going on on-screen. I found out after our viewing that my co-viewer and post-movie-plot-debater found that she was unable to sustain her focus for too long as well.

Working off a script by  Peter Craig and Danny Strong and directed by ‘Catching Fire’ helmer Francis Lawrence, Part I of the Mockingjay – the end novel of the Hunger Games trilogy has fallen victim to producer induced greed in dividing itself into two parts(and thankfully not more!) a la Hobbit and Harry Potter. The resulting take provides us with dark entertainment for about nearly half or a bit more of its total running time of a hundred and twenty three minutes.  The cast hasn’t changed except for the welcome addition of Julianne Moore as Alma coin, more on her neat and tidy performance in about a minutes worth of reading. Phillip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last roles plays Plutarch, Elizabeth Banks  who is sublime as Effie Trinket, Woody Harrelson in a narrowed down and sober Haymitch portrayal and other usual but brilliant supports such as Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland round out the truly stellar cast that we have already been introduced to.

From my point of view of a spectator, Mockingjay reminded me more acutely than ever that the revolutionary tale started off as a description of a cruel but popular reality TV show which was supposedly played out to the death of participants but ultimately was shown to be scripted by the moneyed and those with vested interests. On a larger scale the games themselves were ones that reminded the subjugated of their subjugation. The mockingjay herself and almost everyone else in the story ironically seem to be playing out roles scripted by others for each and in turn carries out their part to generate a perceived benefit be it for themselves or the assumed benefactors. Credit has to be given where credit is due in that the striking similarity of ground zero ‘reporting’ is almost the same as what has been happening in Palestine or Iraq and the grittiness of some scenes reminds us that in spite of the stretched nature of the plot the ominous goings on haven’t really stopped.We are never too far from war and combat even though our protagonist is involved in only a single scene of direct combat.

Picking up where ‘Catching Fire’ left off, Katniss Everdeen is in the company of friends and new political benefactors or detractors as seen from the perspective of the District 13’ers or the Capitol. The mockingjay has inspired people everywhere in dystopian Panem and has concreted herself as an image representing revolution and freedom. The devious President Snow has the rest of the captors at hand and as ever threatens and delivers manipulation in multiple ways.  The addition to the list of people Katniss has to deal with are District 13’s president Alma Coin and her able wordsmith Plutarch Heavensbee who have an agenda for Katniss and her ever growing popularity as a rebel. But will Katniss find herself obliged to support an agenda when her concerns lie with the tributes who have been left behind in the Capitol? Julianne Moore excels in a restrained but quietly powerful portrayal of Alma Coin, a president who means well but where does her passion for her people come from? It pains us to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman on screen in portrayals of characters that seem to have been created with him in mind. But that is only an illusion as it is the genius of the actor that makes us feel so, his portrayal of Plutarch is excellent and layered. The refreshing surprise in the movie, though it is never really a surprise that she carries off this role so easily, is Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket. In spite of her limited means she shows us what it is to truly adapt and accessorize 

The core of Mockingjay remains a plot that would have been easier to view and appreciate if it had been left untouched. I can recount at least four scenes of between four to five minute lengths that do not serve to build characters or to take the plot forward. Film makers need to figure out their priorities when making movies, while it is understood that a producers interest is in the return why manipulate a movie at the cost of itself ? Franchises such as Harry Potter and so called trilogies that have had their ending part split citing reasons that range from moronic to exaggerated in one broad spectrum have only made it difficult for people who appreciate good cinema justify the cost of the tickets. As compared to its predecessors Mockingjay is a distant third to the excellent 'Catching Fire' and its introductory first chapter in spite of it having its merits.

For want of better editing and restraint, the Mockingjay – Part 1 rates three stars on our scales with full credits to the cast for excellent performances.

John Wick - its never just a f***ing dog..

I am sure you would not need to avenge a stolen '69 Mustang but when someone dares to touch your little beagle, whether or not its the last gift from your dying wife, there is only one person to call upon to avenge you - John Wick.  A film that has death breathing down life’s neck from its start to finish, it proves that sometimes stories can take the back seat when scintillating action choreography is driving stick like a charging mustang.

The pleasure of watching Keanu Reeves where he belongs, as a master assassin with an almost Zen like calm in the middle of knockout punches, assault rifles, expert killers and their ilk is almost overwhelming as it comes rushing back. It is almost as if at 50 years of age, Keanu just like John, is pulled back into the action where he belongs and has thrived. He looks lean, fit and dapper in the dark suits he wears in spite of the impossible action frames he is a part of. The cast that surround him are by themselves no strangers to the drama action genre - Michael Nyqvist, Kevin Bacon, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo and others lend visual flair and sharp company to Reeves.

The story behind all the action is not very uncommon - expert assassin retires for his wife’s sake, wife is stricken down and presents something in her memory to the husband. In this case its a beagle that’s the definition of cute and something ugly happens to it that brings back the ugliness in the assassin sending him on a last kill or be killed spree. What makes John Wick stand out apart from Keanu Reeves’ cold and athletic delivery of violence is the sleek and stylized mien of the entire movie.  The movie will not work if the antagonists do not antagonize too much and boy, do they. Iosef(played by Alfie Allen) is the son of notorious Russian mobster Viggo(Michael Nyqvist). What he does made me want to squeeze the life out of his snotty self, indicating he's played his part well. Michael Nyqvist threatens with his cold gray eyes and manages to convince us that his bare hands are practically all he needs to keep us cowering in our seats.

The helmers of this bloody revenge story - Chad Stahelski and David Leitch are no strangers to stunts, Stahelski in particular having served as stunt double to Keanu when he channeled Neo Anderson so effectively in 'The Matrix'.  Leitch apparently has body doubled for Brad Pitt in 'The Fight Club' and for Matt Damon in at least one of the Bourne movies. Their experience is evident in the fluid and shattering violence depicted on screen. There is almost no weird and juddery camera moves to convey action, rather the camera handled by Jonathan Sela presents each shot in neat and calculated precision without subjecting us to motion blur. The story is presented in a tightly edited(Elisabet Ronalds) package, almost as neat as Ian McShanes little cocktail club.

It would also be remiss not to mention the production values that take us to an entirely different dimension of New York city. People familiar with the graphic novel version of 'Wanted' would recognise the stylised dimension of a world of crime and assassins existing parallel to the here and now. Common law is not something that exists in their world and the differentiation is exact and displayed in sharp contrasts. A funeral is shot in such near sepia that it almost appears void of colour, a club that literally gyrates in red, a cocktail bar thats all smooth green and a church thats for reasons unknown is grey. Visually the movie easily scores top marks.

In spite of a repeated story line, there are almost no untied strings left for us to contemplate. John Wick may return, but would he?

Three and a half stars.

Nightcrawler - If it bleeds it leads!

Looking up Nightcrawler on wikipedia so I'd have the cast and crew mentions accurate for this review revealed that they are categorising it a 'crime thriller'. As such I would move it over into the territory of 'pyschological thriller' just as easily. Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Lou Bloom, can only be described as a sociopath climbing the rungs and stumbling on an elevator to ascending stages of depravity.  A couple of movies came to mind, one when looking at Lou's final strut and another on recalling the events of the movie for this review. The latter is 'Taxi Driver' which also highlights the mental ascent of a loner to increasing stages of anti-social characterization. Nightcrawler deals with the always on camera of a news-gatherer in the city of angels, gathering up sins on video and declaring its motto via the dialogue of Bill Paxton - 'If it bleeds, it leads'.

Working from a script he wrote, Director Dan Gilroy(brother of Tony Gilroy) takes us through the darkness of LA and Lou's mind systematically. The story does not let us give up and zone out at any point with Dan reminding us that none of the thrills or the evenly spaced laughs, black comedy as it may be, comes free or cheap. It almost feels like the view we get of Lou is one of the inner reaches of his  mind, the part where there is a small stage whisper that is always prompting him to claw rather than reach. Robert Elswit handles the camera for Nightcrawler giving us a sort of a night-mode modern noir view of the city, never completely dark but shady enough for discomfort. There are parts when the background music by James Newton Howard  almost approaches a sort of retro pop level of cheeriness, beautifully contrasting with the images on screen.

Jake Gyllenhaal needs no introduction as an actor capable of carrying off the darkness of a character in a disturbingly nonchalant way but as the titular Nightcrawler his dialogues delivered in a casual almost cheerful monotone are sometimes plain scary. His evolution from someone who steals and deals scrap metal to the owner/director of 'Video News Corporation' leads us on a dark odyssey with Lou at the helm. His home is shown to be a single room with a bed facing a stark lcd screen that runs the news. Lou stares, thinks, plans and sometimes chuckles and the most passive of his actions disturbs. He is an avid learner, someone who is able to rattle off leadership and management principles and jargon(probably from the latest TedX) and is a skilled researcher as well. His mind does not stop there, beneath the pallor of his skin is a darkness that Jake Gyllenhaal plumbs with seemingly no effort but the depth of his skill is evident in the coldness that settles against his behavior in the minds of the viewers.

Jake is supported by a cast which is put together brilliantly well. Rene Russo as the newsdesk chief of one of the hundred pulp news channels of LA walks the extremely delicate line between victim and other dark shades with her usual ease. When pushed into a corner, should one decide the corner is home? Maybe but what if the corner always has been home? Characters that dip in and out make us question the depths of human behaviour as well. Riz Ahmed (of the superb adaptation of 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist') gets recruited to be Lous cohort in night time video gathering sessions. Seemingly flat, the characters layers are peeled as is Bill Paxton's, the latter playing a competing Nightcrawler who initially shuns Lou's approach but tries to recruit him later, a sequence that ends with my favourite bit of Gyllenhaal in the movie.

The movie also showcases the nature of news channels that sometimes deliver and deliver without questioning if its through a curtain of tears. Its not only Lou who cannot take no for an answer and takes 'by hook or crook' to a new level of videography but it is the entire ecosystem in which he thrives. The extreme levels of motivation that come forth from someone who is introduced to us as a normal and capable everyday guy only serve to question our own judgement of people as we go along. Lou does not change but our perspective of him is guided through so expertly that by the conclusion there is an illusion of something having crawled into the night space of our minds. As mentioned in the first paragraph, another movie came to mind when Lou struts in front of a police station - Kevin Spacey's self imposed limp disappearing at the end of 'The Usual Suspects' and inexorably the thread that exists between great movies gains another fibre.

Four stars and two thirds.

Big Hero 6 - huggable action!

It just seems right to mention that the first movie I have watched after Interstellar is 'Big Hero 6'. Movies have long been a part of my life and the impact of watching a well crafted movie based on grounded facts is always a pleasure. Envitably the experience makes one biased about the movies one watches right after but 'Big Hero 6' stands tall by its own right. Animated movies have gone more and more into either the fantasy, rom-com or whatever genre while ensuring that they always always set up themselves like an origin story. Some are endearing and have an impact, most serve as a bridge to serving up more of the characters they are targeting for endearment in the first movie. Where 'Big Hero 6' stands among the two categories is something thats worth the watch.

The apparent Japanese manga influence is because the movie is based on a Marvel comic of the same name which hopefully would be worth checking out to see how faithful the adaptation has been. The environs of this particular movie adaptation are beautifully crafted with the story based in San Fransokyo, an amalgamation of the tram-filled streets of SF with the glaring neon lights and momo bars of Tokyo. Produced by John Lasseter via Disney and directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams 'Big Hero 6' plays an interesting twist on a comic characters,  the primary of which here is programmed to be non violent.

Hiro(a coincident no doubt, voiced by Ryan Potter) is the central character, a 14 year old more interested in using his natural robot building and programming skills in winning bot fights than honing them in schools. His brother Tadashi who is a grad student in a school of research worries about his kid brothers future and tries to get Hiro interested in his school. We meet other characters there such as Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Gogo and Fred who are into high tech research with Tadashi and a professor who inspires Hiro to rethink his future. The story line then delves into a predictable plot line of loss, cause for revenge and the eventual and inevitable rise for a bit. Hiro thinks up ways to get into the school and is skilled enough to do so when a tragedy puts him in a period of dormancy where his 'mood swings' get the better of him. His love for his brother and his brothers ideals poured into a project that helps him pulls himself out of his mourning makes up for the racy middle and ending acts.

Which brings us to the 'Stay Puft' like balloony robot from the trailers, Baymax. Tadashi introduces Hiro to Baymax, his healthcare project, who has but one goal in life - the patients health care and their satisfaction as derived from it. Activated by simple catchphrases like(no, not ok google!) 'Ow' Baymax quite literally drags Hiro from his lethargy into what is initially a quest for revenge. But on the way Hiro finds out that there are noble things written into the code of a healthcare robot that humans can stand to use in their view of things as well. Baymax is meant to be endearing and anyone who does not fall for his spell must have a cold non-emoji oriented abacus for a CPU. His central philosophy of healing and doing so in a non violent way is one of the best take away messages I've encountered in Disney features this year. By himself and in combination with his partners Baymax uses thrusters to fly, rocket powered punches to defend more than attack and forms an indispensable companion to Hiro.

The director and screen writers Robert L Baird and Dan Gerson have adapted Man of Actions marvel characters in a slightly more accessible manner. When I was a kid, there were science fiction stories and animated shows that captured my interest but I cannot help but envy the current young audience who get such fun intro to concepts of robotics, engineering and science. Not that the movie is a 'Introduction to Robotics' lecture but its a neat showcase of said concepts. Blending a normal, heartfelt, 'huggable' to use the words of Baymax story into an action, animated avatar finds a successful vehicle in 'Big Hero 6'. Bring the kid in you and treat yourself to Baymax's satisfying health care!

Three and a half stars.

PostScript - An appeal to moviegoers - Please switch off your mobile phones and if you find yourself having to answer an urgent call take it out of the cinema. One of us in our party of two found ourselves in the awkward position of having to stand up and ask the person behind us to step outside with his phone. The plain arrogance of people who refuse to stop talking loudly or have a conversation on their phones inside a movie theater is astounding! On more than one occasion we've been looked upon by said sick parties as crazy people who're taking away their basic right to interrupt a movie session by answering their phones. Take a stand - the next time the person next to you or in front of you or behind you in the cinema takes away from your enjoyment as a paying moviegoer - embarrass the crap out of them. The entitlement exhibited by this group of posterior orifices should not be allowed!

Interstellar - Where Gravity watches from the front seat

For the first time in a movie theater, I sat with my hands clutching the seat rests, holding on to ensure I don't fall when the thrusters fire. I craned my neck to ensure the scope that was in field of view was just right to manoeuvre. The images projected on the eighty foot screen in front of me were not only believable for the most part but were in their entirety what one would expect of a partnership between technical masters like Chris Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Quentin Tarantinos remarks on the epic scope of the vision of the Nolan brothers(the other being Jonathan) made sense when we sank back into our seats in saturated satisfaction at the end of the near three hour journey.

Nolan would be accused of being over-ambitious, the sheer soaring visuals of the movie justify his ambition. After having forced myself to not read any reviews and having read some of them now, the incredibly polarised reviews offer more than enough proof of how novel an experience the movie has been for everyone. Refusing to let film go gently into the night, Nolan has filmed in 65 and 70 mm stock on regular and IMAX cameras opting for practical miniature based effects and relatively very little CGI. The resulting imagery is spectacular on an IMAX screen be it the dust bowl that earth has been left behind as or the rings of Saturn in the background while the interstellar travellers find their way.

While paying homage to some of the most impressive science fiction movies that have been made such as '2001 - A Space Odyssey' and 'Contact', Nolan crafts a movie that is mostly epic, part drama and part thriller with a lot of theoretical physics thrown in. A pioneering spirit is not something that he has not been likened to and Matthew McConaughey as Cooper in the movie seeks answers to why the Earth in its depleting state where nothing but corn grows should be allowed to die with humans standing by in their current 'caretaker' roles when they were born explorers. A-list actors comprise the rest of the cast with Nolan usual Michael Caine playing Astrophysicist Dr.Brand and Anne Hathaway playing his daughter and protege. Mackenzie Foy plays Coopers daughter Murph with Jessica Chastain playing a grown up Murph and these four characters form the links in the prime layer of a plot that is neatly convoluted.

The first act unfolds in about forty five minutes and shows Nolan’s urgency to take things outside the earths sphere of influence. Cooper lives with his family and is closest to his precocious near-prodigy of a daughter who is convinced that there is something thats not natural in the way books keep falling from her shelves and dust forms patterns. Cooper embarks on a journey to save humanity and finds that its not Earths gravity thats difficult to escape from but the fact that his journey might take him away from watching Murph grow up. His son played by Timothy Chalemet(and later on by Casey Affleck) and father played by John Lithgow accept Coopers decision without question but Murph is unable to reconcile with her father and closest companion leaving her without giving her a return date. The departure from Earth to enter a wormhole and find a potential future for humanity forms the second act leading up to the question of whether or not Coopers and Murphs relationship forms a closed loop. Nolans collaboration with theoretical physicist Kip Thorne unveils to us a space vista thats more grounded in science than most other depictions. The space ship Endurance is a novel and for all assumptions a practical design with modules that can be used for landing and exploring analogous to shuttles that dock with a long range module. What could have been avoided is the 'Astrophysics 101' nature of some of the dialogues. In comparion movies like '2001..' offer imagery that is not explained but provokes thought and the initiative to find answers none the less.

Nolan has never been one to go easy on the viewers, much to the pleasure of the audience, when it comes to challenging ones imagination and Interstellar is no different. Not only does it offer a chance to travel to places never seen before but it is sure to spark physics based arguements among the initiates and the uninitiated alike. Right down to the two AI robots(for want of a better word to describe them) the respect afforded to physics is overwhelming. TARS and CASE are designed as collapsible quadrilaterals composed of jointed single units that pivot and reassemble as required. They have programmable honesty and humour settings which gives the people dubbing for them license to unleash at times their genius(quite literally). Gravity, Relativity, Black Hole theories and the ability to survive stasis in unfavorable environments - all these and more including a cameo by a much loved actor sum up to a movie experience that I have never been subject to before. The pure joy of being seated in a movie emporium and realising that the fare for the ticket has just resulted in an experience instead of a mere passing of time is unparalleled. Which is not to say there are no negatives but I will leave it to the pedants to talk about. There being so few movies that enable the thought process rather than leave it in limbo(no pun intended) Interstellar can only be described as a movie experience par excellence.

It would also be remiss of me not to mention that there is an emotional thread that runs through the movie. Nolan has often been described as a heartless auteur whose cold and calculated plotlines are meant to satisfy the story line and nothing else. I have found this to be false in more than one occasion and Interstellar relies on the characters' and the audiences' emotions to deliver its story across space and time. Anne Hathaway's role does not offer her scope for histrionics but her story loop none the less is one of despair, hope and duty which she duly conveys with expected aplomb. The chemistry between Cooper and his daughter surpasses vast interstellar distances and thus time and McConaughey is perfect with his texan drawl and salt of the earth portrayal of Cooper in transcending these physical boundaries. 

Based on our experience, it would be best to embark on this stellar Interstellar trip on an IMAX screen. The visuals and the excellent visceral score by Hans Zimmer pummel us in multiple G and suspend our disbelief in zero G situations. In calling this the 'Movie experience of a year' my fellow movie enthusiast Archana minced no words. Nolan has proved again why he does not need to rehash a storyline or follow a comic book dictated timeline and that executing a high budget original screenplay takes only the almost infinite care and meticulousness that has gone into bringing Interstellar to life. A five dimensional movie that has been delivered to us in glorious 2D.

Four and a half stars.

Gone Girl - disturbingly brilliant!

David Fincher is not a bad director at all, he's a master of edge of the seat material that usually involves dark doings or violence against women. But 'Gone Girl' would not have challenged him on the screenplay level as that aspect of the movie has been more than ably handled by the author of the titular tome Gillian Flynn. Having read the book a while back I was expectant but not very expecting of the movie and Fincher executes well and delivers the right emotional twangs mingled with the thrills Flynn's page turner provided.

Point of view movies(not to be mistaken with the soon to arrive point of view perspective movie) are not uncommon but to look at things from literally two sides of a marriage sometimes needs a neutrality which is not what Gone Girl is all about. A husband walks into his house on his fifth anniversary to find signs of a struggle and his wife missing. Quite naturally he raises the alarm but seems a little disconnected. Why that is forms part of the near two and a half hour twist-and-turner. A fairytale romance of guy meets girl in big city, blows her socks off for all intentions and gets married. Wife being a trust fund daughter of difficult parents adores him and really does love him. But does love survive time and turbulence also forms a part of the dark entertainment thats guaranteed from the movie.

The casting is smack on the money with Ben Affleck neatly pulling off the blocked writer with the shitfaced grin(a very important part of his character study), which convinced me that the rest of the movie was going to be pretty good as far as he is concerned. Starting out as the guy who's bound to have all the answers in exacting form when posed questions by a prospective beautiful companion for the night, Affleck plays his heart out as the husband going dark on a marriage which has its layered shades. His chemistry with his twin sister Margo, difficult as it was to establish in the book is brought out as sharp as the razor edge it walks in the source material. Did he have a hand in the violence surrounding his wifes disappearance? Affleck leads us into the story beautifully. Which bring us to Amazing Amy, Rosamund Pike deserves an academy award this time around. Yes, the movie is not really what can be considered Oscar worthy but to convincingly play a character thats as disturbed as is disturbing is a challenge that has been made to look like a cakewalk by Pike. Neil Patrick Harris departs from his usual slapstick camaraderie roles to essay one that carries a certain depth in and of itself, suffice to say his handling of the role is more than perfect. There is a list of supporting characters whose performances can be summarized in saying that from every suburban housewife neighbour to disgruntled detective, individual performance lives up to the spunk or the scorn demanded by the role.

Stylised and dark as it is, the soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross once again provides superglue factor in keeping the viewer and their attention riveted to the screen. Sound design complements the on screen material so well that sometimes a drawn out groan almost sounds like a continuing death rasp when in fact it is the background that sets up the goings on in front of us. The music plays out like a beautiful summer song accompanied by a dentists drill. Accomplices in crime as they are with Fincher since 'The Social Network' the composers are not strangers to the moody and ominous pictures that he paints and aid him tremendously here as well.

A good movie in its entirety is all that a fan paying good money looks out for. A review of movies like 'Gone Girl' and a fair few others cannot be complete if viewed in India without going into detail and recording for posterity the hypocritical posterior orifice type characters that comprise the Central Board of Film Certification of India. Manning their prudish scissors and other such douchey tools they strive to save the Indian populace from the brazen and adulterous nature of Hollywood movies. There is no dearth of completely misogynistic suggestive and objectified brazenness in Indian cinema, especially in movies such as the vacuum fluff that was 'Happy New Year'. However the Censor board chooses to cut out minutes of 'full frontal nudity'(easier to access than the days newspaper), 'thrusting movements'(you only need to watch any south Indian movie and its unjustifiable 'item' songs to find a couple of thousand such) and dialogue with 'American slang for genitals'(I distinctly remember a Tamil film song which described copulation in ugly and sly disguised terms being allowed to screen with a general certificate). In a country and a city where headlines of child abuse echo blaringly every day, would you rather the adults be adults regarding topics that you deem taboo or titillate them by making such topics taboo. It does not take genius level intelligence to figure this out but thanks to David Fincher for allowing the babboons their cuts rather than disallow us from watching a brilliant movie(the last one we missed out on being 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'). In closing do not miss the movie in spite of the 'intercoursing' Censor Boards 'American slang for female genitals' attitude.

Rating - Three and three quarter stars

Annabelle - starring Annabelle!

From the producers of the enjoyable retro take on horror 'The Conjuring' comes a prequel that looks very promising in its promos - 'Annabelle'. Titular doll having been featured as capable of moving itself on a whim while fixating everyone with a disturbing grin in 'The Conjuring', this movie goes into a little more detail about who puppets it about and how it came to be.

I for one can list about three scenes where my heart jumped to my mouth, but the deficiency of scares is not what makes the movie dangerously close to being mediocre. Director John R Leonetti works on a script by Gary Dauberman that tries hard to make us sit down and take notice of how Annabelle became Annabelle-ish in the first place. The cast headed by Annabelle(yes, it looks coincidental, just normal not demonic) Wallis and Ward Horton play retro American couple Mia and John who are expecting a baby. Tony Amendola and Alfre Woodard round out the main cast playing the Forms' priest and neighbour respectively.

The first half hour keeps us interested by mixing in the Manson murders and the advent of the cult-culture in America. Cue expectant mother and a truly disturbing intrusion after the introduction of Annabelle the doll as a gift from her doting husband. Sound, scene and character set up, even dialogue proved to be elements that worked well in 'The Conjuring'. Strangely all those successful elements do not fully feature in Annabelle. A tracking shot to reveal previously unnoticed elements from the backdrop works well in horror but when a left to right pan is all we see in every scare inducing scene even the most non technical among us will feel the stirrings of a yawn. One other haunting question(if you'll pardon the pun) that you might leave the theater with is what happened to the grafitti kids?

Negativity aside, 'Annabelle' proves again that the classics can never go wrong by borrowing elements from 'Rosemarys Baby' and from pulp Satanic horror movies where the devils hand in dealing with deceit features as a plot element. A scene in a storage vault in the basement is probably one of the best implementation of a haunting in a long while. Talking about which plot elements are never really developed to a serious end. Ominous cartoon warnings, neighbourly noises, the role of the Church, the curious vulnerability of Church entrances - none of these things are provided enough screen time or a proper explanation as to why it did or did not work. Mia is almost thrust into a nervous mother with postpartum problems before things take a devilish turn leading to the climax.

What leaves us exiting the theater with the lingering afterthought of why couldnt this movie have worked is the fact that there is scope for 'Annabelle' to have been a horror classic. Call it the writers reluctance to make this doll dance to its full evil potential or a reworking the movie could have sunk its teeth a little more into dark territory instead of stopping at sewing machine and popcorn tricks.Curious about where else it has worked well? I would suggest 'Angel Heart' and 'Rosemarys Baby' for a satisfying and disturbing horror kick.

Annabelle - Two stars and a half

"Happy? We're all standing, a bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle"

There are times when a Marvel movie makes you feel like you need to know all about a character before you can even begin to understand whats happening on screen. If you're someone who takes your comic movies as seriously as that, you might want to knock back a couple of shots of whatever your poison is before you sit down to wrap those 3d glasses around your face. Not that that's whats needed to have fun watching Star Lord and his mismatched posse but it'd be a way to push the boundary much above the stratospheric fun already bundled into Guardians of the Galaxy. Note - I do not condone the use of controlled substances!

James Gunn, helmer of the acclaimed 'Dawn of the Dead' and the horror campfest 'Slither', puts up a rip-roarer par excellence with 'Guardians'. The soundtrack is as inspired as the direction itself with lots of retro mixes being played out of an on screen Walkman, though the question of running out of AA or AAA batteries in galaxies above and beyond can only be answered by suitable alternative power sources having been put up by Peter Quill aka Star Lord played by Chris Pratt. In some ways there are a lot of Star Wars analogies that can be drawn, Peter being a weird retro pop loving version of Han Solo but lets leave it at that. While some(read one) of the characters also ensure we aren't kept in the dark as to the fit of their spandex costumes, neither is the subtle portrayal of each. Chris Pratt conveys an innate sadness and a quest for individual identity thats reflected in his devil may care attitude. Gamora(stealthy green assassin princess) has family problems of her own in the form of spiteful step sisters and titanic(if you'll pardon the pun) adoptive dads. Draxs' previous run in with Ronan the Accuser(see below) being his reason for revenge makes him a catastrophic juggernaut albeit with alleged reflexes so swift they can catch thoughts. A mercenary pair completes the group - a genetically modified raccoon, Rocket has his motives and priorities sitting on top of the pile of raccoonish thoughts justifying his actions no doubt but his snide nature masks virtues(saying that to him would make him kick up some grass) and Groot, an elemental with his constant one line 'vocabulistics' is innocence personified, he has no motives save friendship and his own endearing elemental nature.

When the movie gets to its real story, the five are thrust together unwillingly when Ravager Quill(I will NOT spoil his opening shot) gets his hands on an orb that naturally is the focus of all the shady negatives of the movie. Talking of whom, Korath(Djimon Hounsou having fun while impressing his son), Ronan the Accuser(Lee Pace not being elvish at all), Nebula (not so recognisable Karen Gillian) and of course bigwig Thanos(Josh Brolin building up for his eventual ultimate badassery) are all impressive on a scale that would have been impressive to start with. What follows forms sort of the plot of the movie which has a rich mix of talent supporting the misfits - Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan(the Collector), John C Reilly as a Nova Corpsman, Michael Rooker as the Ravager Yondu and the long missed Glenn Close playing Nova Prime.

Juggling the orb between the above characters, James Gunn takes us on a ride aboard the Milano(Peter Quills version of the Millenium Falcon) and the ride does not disappoint one bit.While plunging into the story a bit more is tempting, I'll restrict myself with commenting on the excellent background music provided by Tyler Bates, the realistic and practical creature and make up job done by David White. Not a frame proves lame or repeated, the music explodes and resonates as required. The completely irreverent dialogue of which the title above is an example, keeps us laughing along while megalomaniacal mass murderers plan on destroying planets and galaxies. The movie is also a subtle build up and another step forward into a perspective of the galaxy not seen in Marvel productions before. Knowhere, Xandar, Skree warships, abandoned planets and a little bit of a video history lesson by the Collector give us a vision of where things could go in the future while merging Thor's 'realm' based view with a grounded Avengers palate of locale. DC and Snyder, not that they need to replicate things, should be paying attention while plotting their own superhero team ups. Everything set up here is going to make the next Marvel Universe movie that much more palatable and easier to relate with.

Which now leads to a conclusion where I wont say much more than what I've said so far - this movie is designed to gain favour with everyone who watches it, just like Star Wars was in its time. You don't have to be a comic book geek because things are explained as much as they have to be. But you sure would have to be a non fun lover if you come away disappointed. When you can see actors not only disappearing into their roles but appreciating the simple things like the music implemented beautifully, smiles are all that would result. A movie that is worth its ticket price for at least two viewings.

P.S - There is an end credits scene which will not tell you much.

3.75/5
Poster by Matt Ferguson  @ Cakes-and-Comics

The plot thickens, as they say. Why, by the way? Is it a soup metaphor?

Guest Post : Movie Review : The Grand Budapest Hotel

I haven’t watched all of Wes Andersons cinematic creations. But having watched ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’, ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’,the trailer for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ kindled in me curiosity more than anticipation in watching it. Anticipation was always a given after ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ but the vision of Ralph Fiennes and the smorgasbord of A-list actors invoked in me a curiosity hitherto unfounded. The movie, in all certainty was not going to disappoint, threw bountiful surprises that made one smile, choke, burst out in guffaws but also lean back and contemplate. A movie that is personified in one of M.Gustave’s(more about him shortly) prolific utterances while explaining how humanity remains in humble(read stupendous) offerings of his esteemed establishment – a generous sentence of praise ending with ‘F**k it’.

It would be best to use a simile coined for a different purpose in describing the movie – while appearing to be an oil landscape from the 1920’s it actually presents itself as a secret wrapped in a mystery in the jacket pocket of an enigma. Anderson shares story credits for it with Hugo Guiness who both share credit with the author Stefan Zweig whose writings inspired the story. The opening shot presents a young lady gazing at a seated statue of the ‘Author’ (Tom Wilkinson) whose tome ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ she is reading. The book delves into a first person narrative of Tom Wilkinson as a young ‘Author’ (Jude Law) who recounts a meeting with M.Moustafa(F Murray Abraham), the proprietor of the titular hotel. Said hotel is of legendary quality but like the statue of Ozymandias, crumbling to current ruin. Jude Laws character having expressed curiosity as to why the owner of such opulence opts to spend his time in a cubby hole within upon his yearly visit gets invited to dinner with M.Moustafa. The dinner is designed to be the succulent main course fed morsel by elaborately crafted morsel to satisfy both the Authors and our curiosity pangs.

Clipped and short shots are used to introduce us to the hotels days of splendor(do not miss the cable car, an indelible stamp of the film) and to Zero(Tony Revolori), a bell boy under the wing and tutelage of the glorious M.Gustave(Ralph Fiennes). While teaching Zero the intricacies of being a bell boy i.e. the art of providing the guests at The Grand Budapest everything they may need or want when they need or want it without even them knowing they need or want it, M.Gustave shows himself to be the perpetual didact enlightening us throughout the narrative, even preaching perhaps. To characterize him as a refined but horny gigolo would not be mincing words. Monsieur being the pinnacle of said character while remaining supremely classy to the point of being a magnet to ladies of the rich and elderly variety, his preferred clientele. Supporting characters appear in the form of Dimitri(Adrien Brody in a deliciously evil role as the son of one of Monsieurs clients), Jopling(a very scary Willem Dafoe, positively vampirish), Deputy Kovacs(no matter what the period, dialogue or makeup Jeff Goldblum will be – pause for effect and dainty shrug – Jeff Goldblum), Inspector Henckles(Ed Norton, subtlety itself) and to spare the pleasurable tedium of putting character name to actor – Aaron Sorkin, Mathieu Amalric, Lea Seydoux, Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray and lest we forget, Owen Wilson.

The Grand Budapest Hotel remains translucently etched in the background of our vision while a set of almost bioscope-quality events run through in the foreground. Ralph Fiennes in perhaps the performance of his career so far shifts from being concierge generale to gigolo to favoured recipient to a ‘straight’ fellow(a remark he decries sarcastically as never having been accused of) to a friend in need to a benefactor.  Watching him play these roles while maintaining his demeanor of the refined but vulgar M.Gustave, full of finesse and euphemism, double entendre and general swearing is a cinematic treat that should not be missed.

It would be doing the film an injustice to delve into its details or to attempt to summarize it. What can be done is accord to The Grand Budapest Hotel every accolade it deserves. While being everything it already is, the movie(and by implication Anderson) even manages to pull the subtle veil of war into its crowded but never murky tapestry. Frantic yet still, refined yet vulgar, subtle yet bombastic, The Grand Budapest Hotel thrills every cinematic nerve we would expect to be tweaked while promising to come back and tickle them just as M.Gustave would have.

5/5 

War has begun.

Guest post : Movie Review - Dawn of the planet of the apes

‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ introduced us to Caesar, his struggles with his identity after being passed on residual genetic effects resulting in him being super-intelligent with capabilities sometimes surpassing human. The ethical conundrums that were posed during ‘Rise’ brought us to a conclusion where what was dubbed as ‘Simian flu’  had taken its toll on humans but left the planets apes or at least the group of them in America with enough intelligence to develop under Caesars leadership and training.

Dawn cuts over to ten years after the virus has spread throughout the world(from the title snapshots) and sets the tone straightaway with a confrontation which is almost a prelude to Caesar observing later ‘I did not know we were so much like them’. The apes’ settlement needs to be passed through for the humans to be able to bring power to SF where a small group of survivors led by Dreyfuss(Gary Oldman) still exists. When Caesar agrees to an appeal from Malcolm(Jason Clarke) who represents the reasonable side of the humans and assures Caesar that the apes will come to no harm, unrest and emotions hitherto unexpressed in the ape community make an appearance. Conflict and chaos are not only shown as byproducts of civilization but their base roots are traced in spectacular fashion. Justifications are put forth by the apes and the humans, both reasonable and unreasonable depending on the perspective.

The movie might as well be compared to some of the best sequels in movie history(for example ‘The Godfather II), the poignancy being elevated to an all new level not only by the director Matt Reeves but also by the nuanced and brilliant motion capture performance of Andy Serkis who doesn’t just stop at breathing life into Caesar but gives him a persona that is almost as memorable as characters like Vito Corleone. Caesar and Koba(Toby Kebbell) don’t just have the crouched walk of apes but have expressions that correspond so much to our nearest cousins in the animal kingdom that it would be a shame if WETA does not win the special effects statuette from a fair few awards again.

It would also be improper to not mention the casting coup(cannot call it anything else) that has been achieved in casting Gary Oldman as Dreyfuss, defacto leader of the surviving humans(to not spoil the movie I cannot mention his equivalent in the ape group), Jason Clarke as Malcolm, Keri Russell as Malcolms wife Ellie and more who pull off performances that hold their own against the apes. Judy Greer plays Caesars mate Cornelia who does not have too much of a role in this movie with calm grace.

The cinematography(Michael Seresin) keeps our eyes glued to the post converted 3D scenes be it in the jungle or in almost post-apocalyptic San Franciscan city borders. A scene with a tank  is reminiscent of well made war movies putting the audience in thedrivers seat and reminding us of the current ugly machinations going on in Gaza and elsewhere. Michael Giacchinos music reminds us of much more poignant fare such as Kurosawas epics in its simplicity and puts us inthe forefront of action whenever the scene shifts.

‘Dawn’ shows us how an intelligent science fiction movie can be made, building on Rupert Wyatts ‘Rise’ and never slowing down. In characterizing Caesar as far possible from his Roman nomenclature as possible, in fact as a Gandhi albeit one who does not say no to violence where it is deserved, Matt Reeves and Andy Serkis serve a classic combination that does not so much as deliver a punch but makes us recover and take notice. The wanton violence as delivered by Koba is not so much inevitable as representative of everything that goes wrong when a single person incapable of sensible leadership is faced with a shot at power. The climax builds to a crescendo without being shoved down the throat of the viewers and when Caesar pronounces the words that denounce his opposer, the subtlety becomes ironically obvious.

A beautiful mixture of intelligence and cinematic skill, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes deserves sure mention in the annals of good science fiction blockbusters that are not senseless in their implementation.

4/5

Food diaries - Iftar in Bangalore

*Ramzan food festival

*Mosque Road, Frazer town, Bangalore

*Open till 1-2 AM

*Dont like a crowd? Go early evenings or late nights. Avoid weekends. Difficult to find parking so be prepared to walk.

*Feeling adventurous? Camel,veal tikkas and kebabs. Chickenarian like me? You'll find everything from haleem to biryani, varieties of fish and prawn. Skip the bigger restaurants as they're open all year round and head to the food stalls next to the mosque. Go in a group to try a little bit of everything. 

*Finish up with a matka of phirni or jalebis. Dont forget the suleimani for the morning after!

When Andy thought he's Indi-ana Jones

This little bat like creature on the left is my brother. His name is Andy. A name I gave him after those really cute Andrex puppies. A little ball of fur. I mean I've run away from dogs all my life but then I thought, how harmful/violent can this softie be? There're not many times people say this. But Andy changed my life. For someone who was absolutely petrified to be anywhere within a few meters of a dog on leash to someone who scratches dog bellies, I've come a long way. As Andy grew, I grew and I started seeing how very misunderstood and mistreated animals are. We've passively adopted about 6 boys and a girl near home now (about whom you'll get to know soon. As soon as I can get them all in one picture frame).
Back to Andy, he's alright. Yeah, he's alright. Its just that he's bonkers. And I mean crazy lunatic. You think you've seen it all in Marley and Me? Well you haven't met this guy. We're pretty sure he was dropped on the head when he was a baby. The idea of disciplining another living being seems a little cruel to me. So we didnt train him more than necessary. He always pees outside and does tricks when you've got a treat but thats pretty much it. We brought him up to be one of us. Even if he's a boo boo.
I want to remember yesterday. Because yesterday is the day when Andy became Indiana Jones. Having a little city adventure of his own to which he did not invite us. Rude Andy. Very rude. He took off to explore unexplored territories. He crossed big main roads with big red buses. He looked for treasure in supermarkets and under food trucks. He used his barking power on enemies on bikes. After completing his quest of 5 minutes, he decided to be found. Come to think of it, he had a leash. All he needed was the hat. 

Everything else in the middle

A lot has changed since 2009. So much so that when I read back, a lot of what I wrote does not sound not like the present 'me'. I think its called growing older - restraint, refrain automatically applied to thoughts, emotions, behavior. Hopefully I wont be doing any of that here. Writing/ continuing to write in this little journal will clear a lot of clutter that has occupied in an otherwise peaceful, composed mind. Clutter that is caused due to age, change in personality, change in careers, also change in the government. A few key things though have not really changed. I remember expressing somewhere in the blog that I see myself settling down in India. And in India I am. Somewhere between stuck in a rat race and not participating in a rat race.

Before I start sounding deep and philosophical, I'll stop. I've decided that I might as well enjoy the 'in-between/ self-discovery' process until I gather enough courage to fully drop out of the rat race. I've quit research work. One that I'm a double graduate in but lost a taste for when I started to work in my previous place of work. It has been a year and in the last one year, I've picked up the computer more times to edit pictures than to research on outdated technologies. I've picked up a note pad more to create and compose visuals than to make notes as a 'shadow referee'. I've enjoyed myself directing my models to enjoy themselves in front of the camera more than being directed to repeat experiments for the sake of repetition. I've enjoyed times when I saw spaces come alive from a piece of paper more than when my papers were published with someone else's name.

So here's me restarting to write, restarting to find myself little by little and everything else in the middle.