How many times have you seen a film and thought, "Well !!! Please kiss the girl & the get the film over with !"

Romance is so cliched such that we sense whats going to happen next like the long lost lovers re-uniting at the end, friends rallying around to help their friends achieve the impossible or even the most done to death sequence of parents getting convinced at the climax and showing the green signal for their children's love.

So why do we always see these Cliched scenes ??

PLOT : " A man moves into an apartment only to find the previous tenant still there. "



I saw this film without any prejudice because I didn't read any reviews or ratings, I just wanted to see a breezy romantic comedy and ended up with a very pleasant feeling, even though I knew how the film was going to end.

"Just Like Heaven" directed by Mark Waters is one of those films which will make you feel with the characters and root for them, this kind of emotional bonding with the film's characters is not easily achieved.

The film is based on the novel If Only It Were True (Et si c'était vrai...) by Marc Levy, it was adapted on screen by writers Peter Tolan & Leslie Dixon. The screenplay was well written & racy, making it perfect.

Reese Witherspoon & Mark Ruffalo portrayed the roles of a doctor and a lonely architect to perfection.

Mark Ruffalo was a real find, I have seen his other movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Zodiac, Shutter Island but this was one of his best roles till date. Having seen him in serious type of movies I was completely dumbstruck by the way he pulled of this role, I would love to see him in another romantic comedy.

Reese Witherspoon, my my, she is such a talented actress, I can't find a single fault with her during the film. She carried herself so beautifully.

The chemistry between the lead actors was so sweet that you couldn't resist the charm they brought, their body language, the simple smile to the display of emotions, they were simply adorable, one of the best on-screen pairs I have seen.

Cinematography was another added advantage to the film, Music by Rolfe Kent was another feather in the cap.The director has made use of his team efficiently.

The other cast includes Donal Logue, Jon Heder, Dina Spybey who played their parts really well making full use of their screen time.

The film unravels itself in its own silly, lovable & moving ways, but its the way in which it unraveled itself that made this film such a memorable & sweet one.

There were many cliched scenes in the film, it makes you think that but the fact is we have grown up listening to fairy tales of how the knight comes, rescues the beautifully damsel in distress, how they fall in love & live happily ever after.

But the real truth is that the words "Once upon a time" & "they lived happily ever after" brings about a smile in us even today.

So tell me, do you hate these Cliched Romances ???

• Director : Mark Waters

• Writers : Peter Tolan & Leslie Dixon (screenplay), Marc Levy (novel)

• Cast : Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo , Donal Logue , Dina Waters , Jon Heder

• Rating : "PG" for some sexual content.

There is always a stage in life where we reach the crossroads in relationships ,whatever it may be ,friendship or love.

Sometimes or should i say that most times these crossroads change the entire course of our life ,what does happen to us during this transition ??

Our careers might shape up better or vice versa !
Get into a beautiful relationship or vice versa !
Or
We might end up losing our friends or worse is that when these friends become foes !!!

PLOT : " A story about the founders of the social-networking website, Facebook. "



The hype surrounding this movie "The Social Network"was very justifiable ,recently all the hype surrounding a movie ends up inversely proportional to the film's reception but i'm so glad that for once the hype was worth it.

I was always in doubt as to how could the story of Facebook be conceived into a movie & my curiosity even more increased after watching the rave reviews this film got.So with a bit of hesitation i watched this film.

This film blew me away right from the very first scene ,never for once during its runtime of 12o odd mins the audience felt restless.Thats some commendable work ,i still can't get this movie out of my head.

Directed by David Fincher of Fight Club (1999) fame ,the film stands tall among all the movies released this year.The director has utilized the fame of Facebook to the film's advantage and boy it worked out perfectly !!

Of late there are lot of movies adapted from books ,Aaron Sorkin adapted the screenplay from Ben Mezrich's nonfiction book The Accidental Billionaires.

Its easier to read a book but to adapt it to a screenplay is a different matter altogether ,here the adaptation has worked really well ,an oscar for this would be well deserved.

Casting of the lead actors too worked out really well ,Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg gave a stellar performance ,he was very believable as a computer nerd ,a drunkard ,a Harvard University dropout & a hotshot young billionaire.

Taking no credits away ,the supporting cast of Andrew Garfield & Justin Timberlake were on par.The former we know as as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the franchise's 2012 reboot & the latter is a international pop star.

The other cast of Rooney Mara ,Armie Hammer ,Max Minghella were also equally impressive ,it was an all round team effort that has given the film the critical acclaim it has achieved.

The nonlinear narrative pattern adapted for the screenplay was well put together by editor Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall ,the pace of the film never had a dull moment.

The film effectively brought out the foundation stages of Facebook ,the numerous law suits & its background.But for me this movie not only brought out the rise of a internet giant but also excellently demonstrated the crossroads of life where one is forced to take certain decisions.

Friendship ,its value ,its capability ,its downfall & its hardships are persistent throughout the film ,this film also brings to my mind a famous quote ,
“Your closest friend can be your weakness, power, or, in some cases, your worst enemy.”

• Director : David Fincher

• Writers : Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), Ben Mezrich (book)

• Cast : Jesse Eisenberg , Andrew Garfield , Justin Timberlake , Rooney Mara , Armie Hammer , Max Minghella

• Rating : "PG" for brief sexual content & drug use.

WAR for a common man is something that he/she gets to read in a newspaper every morning over their cup of tea/coffee.

WAR for a politician is nothing but to formulate a new domestic or foreign policy.

But what is WAR to the actual soldiers who are involved in it ???

Do they fight for a cause or do they die in vain ???

PLOT : " The film depicts the Battle of Mogadishu ,a raid by the United States' effort to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid "



Black Hawk Down is based on the book of the same title by Mark Bowden ,there are some critizations from various quarters that the depiction of the battle was more biased towards only the sufferings & hardships that the US troops faced.

But whatever might be the case the audience will never forget the fact that whatever country the troops represented they had fought not for their country but for the man standing next to him.

Ridley Scott ,the man who gave us the epic "Gladiator (2000)" delivers another masterpiece.His directional skills are evident throughout the film that runs for over 2 hours ,the film never ceases to amaze the audience on the issue at hand.

Screenplay by Ken Nolan is very racy & at the same time provides enough characterizations for the numerous characters in the film ,we could easily relate to the emotional bond that each soldier has for his fellow comrade.

Casting for the film is done really well ,with an ensemble cast of actors the film makers had a huge burden to take care ,the burden is to give the actors enough screen space & i should hand it out to them for executing this work with flair.

Each & every cast had their task cut out for them which they had lapped up superbly ,their acting was seen as a healthy competition that at the end proved to work for the benefit of the film.

Cinematography by Sławomir Idziak was something that greatly helped in the depiction of the battle sequences ,the color tone used ably pointed out the hardships faced by the soldiers.

This film won the oscar for best editing by Pietro Scalia ,why am i not surprised.The editor held the tension level of the film together right from the first shot ,the plot flows well & is never let to loose focus.

If you have a home theatre then this surely is a film to showcase your audio setup ,the oscar winning sound for the film is evident with the various gun shots ,missiles & swirling helicopters.

The background score by Hans Zimmer & Denez Prigent is another feather in the cap for the entire team ,it captures the essence of the backdrop & couples it efficiently with the various emotional moments.

I liked the way the movie was presented ,it never questions the politics behind the battle but focuses sorely on the actual ground realities where every soldier is fighting for himself.

A conversation in the film goes like this "Once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that shit just goes right out the window."

These lines hold true to those soldiers who risk their lives for their fellow comrades who stand by their oath to "LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND".

• Director : Ridley Scott

• Writers : Mark Bowden (book), Ken Nolan (screenplay)

• Cast : Josh Hartnett , Ewan McGregor , Tom Sizemore , Eric Bana , William Fichtner , Ewen Bremner , Sam Shepard , Ron Eldard

• Rating : "A" for intense war violence.

How often have we seen a famous novel being butchered when adapted to a full length motion picture ????

Then are comes a glimpse of hope that these adaptions sometimes do serve their purpose ,many novels have become international sensations when they are made into movies.Most times the movie doesn't follow the book faithfully but takes some cinematic liberties which enhances or spoils the essence of the book.

And its the latter that prevails in most of the adaptations.

PLOT : " A woman's quest to restore the memories of her amnesiac husband who doesn't even remember being married. "



It was said that this novel was impossible to translate to a full length movie so to the creators made some changes to the script & dare i say that they have done an amazing job of it.

Random Harvest is a 1942 film based on the 1941 James Hilton novel of the same name ,the novel follows the life of a war veteran who looses his memory ,falls in love & again regains his older memories only to loose all his recent memories.

It then becomes a quest for his wife to make him regain his memory.I was fully engrossed in this film from the start till its gripping end even though i knew the plot before ,its the treatment meted out to the screenplay that has made this possible.

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy with screenplay by Claudine West, George Froeschel and Arthur Wimperis ,this movie stands testimonial to quality writers resourcefulness & a director's magic touch.

"Old is Gold" ,this stands true to yesteryear classics that still looks fresh even after decades.These kind of films makes me even a stauncher believer that its the scripts that are always evergreen.

Taking no credit away from the two lead actors of Ronald Colman & Greer Garson who have should i say made hay with their meaty roles.

Greer Garson ,WOW i still could remember those mesmerizing eyes ,she was outstanding in her role of a lover torn between two lives ,her stunning beauty was ever so visible even though the film being in Black & White.

Ronald Colman was not far behind ,his performance of an amnesiac patient is something to look out for ,his attitude ,his expressions during various stages of the film was very convincing.

This film is also one of the rare cases when a single film sweeps the awards ,it deserved each & everyone of the seven oscar awards it won.

Books & Movies are a great source of information & inspiration but when these two work hand in hand then we sure are provided with a dazzling spectacle.

Random Harvest surely is an evidence of it ,the adaptation of a Book to Screen coupled with creative & quality writing is sure to weave its magic even after decades.

• Director : Mervyn LeRoy

• Writers : James Hilton (Novel) ,Claudine West , George Froeschel , Arthur Wimperis

• Cast : Ronald Colman , Greer Garson , Philip Dorn , Susan Peters

• Rating : "U"

More often than not we have the tendency to complain about everything or most things life throws at us.Whatever it might be , for example a promotion is a moment of joy but as time goes on we curse the grueling shifts & wonder as to why life's treating us so badly.

Is this how we behave ,are we all the same ????

Do we overlook what life has given us all the time for the things we don't have ????

PLOT : " The chronicles of the life of Forrest Gump. "



" The World will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump "

The above tagline was used for the movie's promotion ,these lines i should say were coined for perfectly that gelled very well with the film.

Forrest Gump is a 1994 film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom ,the film is said to have to have many differences to the novel but this was one such film which truly captivated me such that thought of reading the novel has never yet occurred to me.

The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis who is well known as the director of the time-travel Back to the Future movie series.He has provided us with one of the beautiful works of the 20th century that will stand testament to the genre of drama.

Screenplay by Eric Roth whose works speaks about his talents is well remembered for this film because of the emotional content which the movie sustained from the very start to very end.

This film is one of the many films which made Tom Hanks as a household name ,the title role of Forrest Gump enacted by him is & will be one of cinema's memorable role.He literally carried the entire movie that fetched him the oscar for best actor.

The other cast of Robin Wright Penn ,Gary Sinise ,Mykelti Williamson and Sally Field blended into their roles perfectly ,all of them added their contribution or should i say made the film a classic.

Music by Alan Silvestri added further strength to the emotional drama producing the right chord at the right times.

For a film with a duration of 140 odd minutes it was very essential that the plot never lost focus ,editing by Arthur Schmidt ensured that the movie's pace held the audience's attention.

Cinematography Don Burgess was a perfect sync with the various timelines that the movie progressed ,the director had effectively used his team to bring out the best out of them.

Looking at the various stages of life of Forrest Gump its very easy to relate to our daily lives where we meet people who do things which are so called impossible ,these people overcome their hardships and look at the millions of things life has offered to them.

These are the people who teach us that life is not about what we have its about what we make out of it ,everyone doesn't have everything ,there's always somethings life will never give us for free.

• Director : Robert Zemeckis

• Writer : Winston Groom (novel), Eric Roth (screenplay)

• Cast : Tom Hanks , Gary Sinise , Mykelti Williamson , Sally Field , Robin Wright

• Rating : "PG" for war violence.

There are many countries in the world who have abolished death penalty & there are even more associations who rally for the cause to abolish it in India but what effect will this bring about in the mindset of criminals ?????

Will you be able to digest the fact that a notorious criminal will be able to save his skin from the clutches of justice ???

Will you feel safe if all these butchers are set free to roam around in jail where they might tutor & breed even more criminals ????

Will a person feel vindicated to see the life of the criminal who tortured to death his loved one just end in a few seconds by hanging ????

PLOT : " A legal counselor tries to pen down a novel about a case of rape & murder that took place 25 years before. "



"El secreto de sus ojos" aka "The Secret in Their Eyes" is a spanish film that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.The interest to watch the film became even more after watching its trailer.

I still can't stop thinking about the film ,such was the subtle impact the film had over me.The film faithfully follows the life of a legal counselor who tries to unravel the case of a brutal rape & murder of a newly wed wife ,his hesitations in expressing his love for his senior counselor & the trauma faced by the husband who had lost his lovely wife.

Directed by Juan José Campanella ,based on Eduardo Sacheri's novel La Pregunta de Sus Ojos (The Question in Their Eyes).Its a crime thriller set in the backdrop of 1974 Argentina ,the film also portrays the unstable nature of the judicial system where criminals are let scot free.

The flow of the film was never disturbed at any part during its running time of 2 hours ,the director maintained the pace of it beautifully.The characters in the film were all very realistic & hard-hitting.

Ricardo Darín as the counselor ,Soledad Villamil his love interest & senior counselor ,Guillermo Francella his assistant ,Pablo Rago as the husband & the accused as Javier Godino gave outstanding performances.

Cinematography Félix Monti of 1970s Argentina was very justifiable ,the colour tones used helped as it went well with the film ,it gave a serious & a more concerned look for it.

Juan José Campanella also took care of the editing ,his dedication to the film is evident as the plot never looses its rhythm.By the time the film gets over the audience will be left pondering over & over.

I have never read this novel yet but seeing the way the movie had come out i would certainly love to give this a read.

The sufferings of the husband & his desperation in finding out the one who had taken the life of the person he loved most was very moving.The justice he seeks out for the horrific murder was definitely right ,we cant let criminals like those suffer a quick death.

After all death penalty is awarded to serve as warning but what use is it if its carried in a simple manner ,its only justifiable if similar gruesome treatment is meted out to the criminals who carry out heinous crimes.We cant bring back the dead but we can however make an example out of these criminals so that it serves as a stern warning for those who think they can get away with anything.

• Director : Juan José Campanella

• Writers : Juan José Campanella(screenplay) , Eduardo Sacheri(novel)

• Cast : Ricardo Darín , Soledad Villamil , Pablo Rago , Guillermo Francella , Javier Godino

• Rating : "A" for nudity & violent images.

We have been told about certain morals & proverbs in our childhood days & some of them do play a vital role in our daily lives too.

"Unity is Strength",this proverb is one which we all will remember easily but how much of strength can a united set of people acquire ??

Hmmm may be this film could provide us with the answer for that

PLOT : " The events taking place before & during the 1995 Rugby World Cup in the newly elected anti-apartheid South Africa government headed by President Nelson Mandela. "



Clint Eastwood is one of the main reasons i watched this film ,i was so very impressed with his works in Flags of Our Fathers & Letters from Iwo JimaThe director in him has yet again proved his calibre with this film Invictus.

The film portrays the initial stages of the newly formed government in South Africa headed by Nelson Mandela & the problems that plagued his government then.

The racial remarks in the films are effectively drafted such that the audience could understand the degree of tensions that prevailed in then South Africa which was breaking away from apartheid.

Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela was the perfect man to do the role ,the way he moved & talked reminded me of the real Mandela himself.Watching him people could easily see the man who brought South Africa together.

Matt Damon essays the role of François Pienaar ,the captain of the Springboks ,the South African rugby union team.His body language is truly amazing ,he clearly is a class act.

These two men shared the bulk of the screen time & were a treat to watch ,they way in which these two men command the loyalty of their fellow men is something every leader would dream of.

Cinematography & Art direction is very convincing ,it was like the happenings in 1995 South Africa ,the cars ,the buildings ,the dresses ,all of them were a perfect sync.

The supporting actors too played out their part well especially the people who enacted the role of Mandela's bodyguards were a treat to watch when they locked horns with each other.

The racists problems that plagues our world today can be clearly seen here ,everyone has their motives & fears but making them work together is such an herculean task which is aptly demonstrated.

Sports & music is a universal language that knows no barriers ,as i had already put forth "how much of strength can a united set of people acquire ??"

Well the unity of people in South Africa brought about the change in fortunes for the South African rugby team who in turn served as an inspiration to bring together the entire nation.

• Director : Clint Eastwood

• Writers : Anthony Peckham (screenplay) , John Carlin (book)

• Cast : Morgan Freeman , Matt Damon

• Rating : "PG" for strong language.

Misconception - A mistaken thought ,idea ,notion or misunderstanding.

We as people are prone to mistake or misinterpret whatever we see or hear ,thats human nature ,isnt it not ????

Infact we have abundant lists of common misconceptions ,just click here if you wanna know what they are.So why are so erroneous in our judgements ???

The answer is simple ,we humans make life harder for ourselves & make even the simplest of matters complex...

PLOT: " A viking colony's misconception's of dragons have resulted in a bloody conflict between dragons & vikings ,a young boy & a dragon form an unlikely bond that might end this conflict but is it too late ??? "



Well first things first ,this is a 3D film & secondly its an animated film ,well then this makes the first animated 3D film i have seen.

I was literally left with no other movie to go this weekend & i ended up watching "How to train your Dragon".I'm now exteremely happy with my decision ,this is one of the best animated flicks i have ever seen.

The movie has something for everyone ,romance ,comedy ,action & the thrills.A more of a feel good movie that entertains throughout its full length.

Directed by the duo of Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois ,this film eventhough with a predictable storyline keeps the audience focussed ,an achievement indeed.

The script was well worked out with the right kind of ingredients that makes for an enjoyable movie ,the conversations between the animated characters proves to be a show stealer ,humourous & at the sametime meaningful dialogs.

The voices were perfectly casted here ,Jay Baruchel ,Gerard Butler ,Craig Ferguson & America Ferrera's voices applied the right kind of responses to the various situations & moods.

And about the 3D animation ,it created a lively ambience in the theatre which was alluring.Taking this factor into account I wonder whether 3D flicks will be offered more beacause of its appeal.

If you are planning a perfect family weekend with your kids then this film will definitely be the perfect start or the perfect end ,some characters in movies have an enchanting appeal with the masses ,i'm sure the kid "Hiccup" & the dragon "Night Fury" will create a similar waves.

You will be kept wanting for more as the film draws to an end ,such is the appeal of the movie.I'm again glad that i made the right choice in choosing this flick.

The way in which a simple issue is made complex by misconceptions is aptly illustrated here ,humans although possesing a certain sixth sense tend to decide things based on the overview of how things happen or had happened.

Because of our irrational thinking we have let ourselves be ruled by a handful of jerks called politicians these days who capitalise on these faults of ours.

If we can just lookout at the clear picture things might make more sense to us ,may be we are stubborn or ignorant to overcome these misconceptions just like the vikings in this film.

• Director : Dean Deblois , Chris Sanders

• Writers : William Davies , Dean Deblois , Chris Sanders ,Based on novel by Cressida Cowell
  

• Cast : Jay Baruchel , Gerard Butler , America Ferrera ,Craig Ferguson

• Rating : "U"

WEAPONS OF MASS-DESTRUCTION : Does this phrase ring a bell ???

Many a times in life we come across people who stand up against all odds & achieve things which inspire a generation ,these things they achieve come from extreme suffering ,hardship,insults & distress.

Not everyone have the will to overcome all these but there will be some who breakdown at times yet come out successful.

The chronicles of these REAL people to REEL cinema will serve as an inspiration when we recount their struggles in life that make them such great personalities.

PLOT : " The true inspirational story of entrepreneur Chris Gardner. "



There are only a few films that had such a touching tale ,"The Pursuit of Happyness" is one such film.The subtle story telling of this film is so much responsible for the movie's success.

Even though being a emotional drama ,there are few scenes in which you find the lead actors crying it out or having facing melodramatic moments ,this is where the movie stands out.

Gabriele Muccino ,has directed to inspire.His style of expressing has brought out some of the best acting moments in film ,while seeing the film you could never deny the fact that the director along with the scriptwriter are the true captains of the movie.

Without a good combination of director & scriptwriter we cannot be treated to watching good cinema ,this film serves as a testimony for it.

Will Smith as Chris Gardner has lived the role ,he gets into the skin of the character he's playing ,all his films illustrate that fact.I could not think of any other person enacting this role after watching his perfomance.

Its too bad that a lot of good films came up in that year which eventually earned him just the Academy award nomination for Best Actor ,hope he gets that award soon.

Will Smith's son Jaden Smith as Chris Gardner's son in the film was another feather in the cap ,he has justified his role with some superb performances.His dad can be damn proud of him.

Adults especially parents whilst watching this movie can feel a sense of Deja vu ,they could easily relate their struggles with certain scenes in the film.

Dialogues also are a perfect sync ,the way Will Smith answers his son's queries are so good that you cannot deny the facts in them.His attempts at marketing in his office are also an honest portrayl of a sales person's life.

An autobigraphical work to a film is no easy work ,certain films while doing this transition loose track but this film captures the true spirit of Chris Gardner's hardships with realistic moments.

For inspiration in our life ,we look up to certain people.Here is a one such person's life justifiably made from REAL life TO REEL cinema.

• Director : Gabriele Muccino

• Writer : Steve Conard based on Chris Gardner's memoirs written by himself & Quincey Troupe.

• Cast : Will Smith , Jaden Smith , Thandie Newton

• Rating : "PG" for some smoking scenes & harsh languauge.