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.

TIMELESS - without a beginning or end, eternal, everlasting.

Only a few movies earn the tag "CLASSICS" & only a handful of those films become "TIMELESS CLASSICS".These films even after decades will still bring about the same nostalgic sensation with the latter generation, such is the impact of these well crafted masterpieces.

At the same time movies will always be movies irrespective of the language they are made, the feelings, pain, sufferings get etched out so well that language is never seen as a barrier.

As the saying goes "MUSIC & MOVIES TRANSCEND ALL BARRIERS".

PLOT : " The film tells the parallel love stories of a mother and daughter. "



Kwak Jae-yong & Alejandro Amenábar are my favorite directors, their films serve as an inspiration for me & many alike throughout the world.

And this korean film "The Classic" directed by Kwak Jae-yong is my all time favorite movie, having seen so many movies of various genres I had never felt so much for the lead characters in a movie.

Everything about the movie was captured so well, Kudos to the director for utilizing the potential of his team so beautifully.

The script was also written by Kwak Jae-yong, he has effectively brought out the love stories of both the mom & daughter in a very well crafted manner such that the parallel timelines never serve as an hindrance.

One of the most persistent characteristics in Kwak Jae-yong's movies is his sense of comedy, "My Sassy Girl" is a testament to that, here too that part is handled very well along with his trademark love scenes between the lead characters.

Music as always been a major plus in all of Yong's movies, it gels so well with the flow of the film that it elevates the movie to a whole new level, the background score & music by Jo Yeong-wook here is also very haunting & soothing.The music in the trailer will serve as an example for the excellent musical score.

The lead characters have just grabbed the opportunities presented to them, Son Ye-jin as the mom & mother was simply outstanding, she pulled off both the roles with panache & she was very very gorgeous.

Jo Seung-woo ,Lee Ki-woo & Jo In-seong too were a treat to watch especially the former for his role as the lover torn between friendship & love was so very well portrayed & enacted.

Cinematography by Lee Joon-kyoo has captured the two timelines in the movie with perfection adding authentic backdrop so convincingly.

Editing by Kim Sang-beom & Kim Jae-beom were crucial to maintain the flow & feel of the movie & the both have done it superbly.

Great are films that immerses the viewers in a fictional world where they feel & relate with fictional characters, this is one such film even with its cliches & slow pace immersed me into its world of love & drama.

This film is one of the finest products of cinema that will surely have an everlasting appeal, it has something for everyone, from youngsters to parents to grand-parents.

• Director : Jae-young Kwak

• Writer : Jae-young Kwak

• Cast : Ye-jin Son , Seung-woo Cho , In-seong Jo , Ki-woo Lee

• Rating : "PG" for some brief scenes of nudity.

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.

How do we judge a person ???
It differs from people to people as to how they evaluate a person ,some look for a person's character ,some for skills ,some at their background & the like.

How does one fall in love ?? Even to be specific ,What are the Rules of Attraction ??
Likewise ,this also differs from people to people ,some get attracted by the person's skills ,some by their charm ,some by companionship they provide & most get attracted by the person's LOOKS.

So the X factor in getting attracted is a person's LOOKS ???

PLOT : " A very handsome & rich man's life is turned upside down when a car accident severely disfigures his face. "



"Open Your Eyes" aka "Abre los ojos" is a spanish film written & directed by Alejandro Amenábar ,who is one of my favorite & inspiring directors.He is also critically acclaimed for many of his works which include The Others & three other spanish films of which one earned him an oscar.

I got completely immersed in the movie from the start ,all in all expected a drama kinda film but was bowled over by the sheer talent of the director who had orchestrated such a emotional & compelling film.

The way the director had handled the movie is something which movie makers off late seem to get inspired from ,after watching the movie you would pretty sure know where Christopher Nolan got his ideas for Inception.

Apart from directing & writing the script ,Alejandro has also handled the music along with Mariano Marín.The music was set in tune with the flow of the film which thereby raised the emotional content.

The cast are Eduardo Noriega ,Penélope Cruz ,Chete Lera ,Najwa Nimri & Fele Martínez.All of these actors had their roles perfectly fitted & had ample scope for performance.They all put stellar performances & justified their selections.

Camera work was mesmerizing in this film which is to be expected from Alejandro whose has a penchant for it.All his movies come with beautiful cinematography that enhances the viewing pleasure.

The role of Eduardo Noriega as a disfigured man was a neat performance by the actor ,giving him company or should i say his competition were his four co-stars ,for the entire film was centered around these five people.

Handling such an intricate theme was always going to be risky & complicated but the director has simply showed his class by outfoxing the audience till the very end.

Mind you ,this film grows on you slowly & finally leaves you with a feeling of awe.The screenplay kind of confuses you here & there with its flashbacks ,however you will understand their relevance thereafter.

The trauma faced by the lead actor is something that which happens in our society ,how people are avoided or grouped as untouchables ,ugly or allergic.It rarely occurs to those who have the luxury of beautiful looks that life is unpredictable & we might also be outcasts one day.

There are people who have a blind notion that looks are the X factor to be attractive but there is more to it than it meets the eye.

• Director : Alejandro Amenábar

• Writer : Alejandro Amenábar

• Cast : Eduardo Noriega ,Penélope Cruz ,Chete Lera ,Fele Martínez ,Najwa Nimri

• Rating : "A" for sexual content.

Lets take a look at the definitions for a Politician & a Leader ...

Politician - A politician or political leader is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making. This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, coup d'état, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest, right of inheritance or other means.

Leader - Leadership is stated as the "process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task."

Gandhi is an example for a Politician & Netaji Subash Chandra Bose is an example for a Leader ,so given an option to be anyone of these two people ,who would you choose to be ???,

A Politician called Gandhi who butchered the Indian nation using his policy of DIVIDE & RULE or to be the charismatic Leader namely Netaji Subash Chandra Bose who fought for the cause of a unified nation ?????

PLOT : " A reluctant son of an assassinated politician takes up his father's role as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh only to learn that he cannot be a Leader & a Politician at the same time. "



Since this was my 50th post i was just pondering for a looong time as to what movie should i be writing on ,there are lots & lots of great movies i still need to write on but when coming to this post i was left searching ,all my of search did not end in vain for i just found the apt movie.

Leader written and directed by Sekhar Kammula just swept me off my feet ,out of all commercial films about politics & its backdrop ,this film brings about an enlightening portrayal about our paralyzed system called Democracy.

The director has touched upon many issues in the film that depicts the sorry state of affairs thats happening in our country.Kudos Sir ,you have done justice to the genre of Political drama.

Lead role by debutant Rana Daggubati was simply superb ,its a dream launch pad for the tall & handsome hunk who has what it takes to make it big in films.I was so very impressed with his attitude & body language ,hoping he does more meaningful films rather than take the commercial route.

The rest of the cast includes debutant Richa Gangopadhyay ,Priya Anand ,Suhasini Mani Ratnam ,Harsha Vardan & other prominent actors ,after a long time i has seen so many actress given pivotal roles in one film.

Richa Gangopadhyay ,Priya Anand & Suhasini Mani Ratnam were splendid in their performances ,debutant or experienced didnt matter ,they all utilized their meaty roles effectively ,its something which has proved be a major advantage for the film.

Music by Mickey J Meyer was very potent especially in the background score ,the songs & the background score gelled well with the flow of the film ,never hampering its progress.

Cinematography by Vijay C. Kumar & editing by Marthand K Venkatesh were crisp & racy ,its a team effort that was able to pull this film off so convincingly.

The lead role's dilemma to be a Politician or a Leader was well etched out by the director ,at times we see glimpses in the film of how even a honest bureaucrat turns rogue thanks to our pathetic system of democracy.

Hope is one thing that people expect for in this corrupt world but all this hope will be only in vain unless something is done about the the way we let ourselves be governed ,we don't need people with election manifestos & false promises ,we need an able person ready to come down to the needy ,work with them ,share their pains & give them hope ,so what do we need a LEADER or a POLITICIAN ???

"Its Better That Power Lies in One Capable Person Rather than Distributing it Between Fools."

• Director : Sekhar Kammula

• Writer : Sekhar Kammula

• Cast : Rana Daggubati , Richa Gangopadhyay , Priya Anand , Suhasini Mani Ratnam , Harsha Vardan

• Rating : "U"

Love - something that can truly never be explained or can we just say that its something that is never really & clearly understood.

I will obviously go for the latter ,coz these days Love is never truly understood by the generation we live in ,what seems as Love for one might be just a friendly relationship for the other.

And there are others who truly understand that someone's loving them but instead of saying their true intentions ,they just play along with them only resulting in a devastating end for the one who truly is in LOVE.

PLOT : " Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't. "



A plot doesn't get as simpler as this ,"500 Days of Summer" will be very nostalgic & deeply affecting to those who had been taken for a ride in their life in the name of love.

"How did i miss this film ???" ,this was my first reaction after watching it.This film has all the ingredients for a romantic comedy but what makes it special was its plot & screenplay that blows the concept of romantic comedy out of the water.

Directed by Marc Webb ,who also happens to be the director of of the 2012 Spider-Man reboot ,the film is something which brings a whiff of fresh air to the otherwise redundant movies coming out of hollywood these days.

The scriptwriters Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber have just given the audience a different feel about romantic comedies that leaves something for everyone who enjoy these type of genres ,the disclaimer at the opening of the movie doesn't make sense in the beginning but after the film gets over it makes perfect sense.

The lead pair of Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Zooey Deschanel are simply marvelous ,Joseph as the guy who's waiting for the love of his life & Zooey who doesn't share his views about love ,they are one of the best lead pairs i have ever seen.

The chemistry between these two make up an interesting premises that keeps a tight grip on the screenplay ,the supporting characters of Chloë Moretz ,Geoffrey Arend & Matthew Gray Gubler were too perfectly employed.

The way in which the plot moves back & forth also tends to add strength to the film's narration ,the entire narration takes place within a matter of 500 days which signifies the 500 number in the movie's title.

The director has used his tricks very cleverly ,never revealing the true intentions of the lead pairs until the very end.He has brought out a enticing story about love that's truly lovable & believable.

The ending of a move plays a major role ,whatever may be genre ,the climax plays a crucial part & the audience make up their minds to certain extent regarding how the movie ends but if the filmmaker can truly outfox the audience then it becomes a major advantage that decides the fate of the movie at the box-office.

I truly was truly outfoxed & left with a smile at the end of the movie which is a realistic take of Love ,the boon & bane of it & also how certain people play with others in the name of it.

(500) Days of Summer is one of the best romantic movies to come out of ,be sure not to miss it.This is not a love story.This is a story about love.

• Director : Marc Webb

• Writers : Scott Neustadter ,Michael H. Weber

• Cast : Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Zooey Deschanel , Geoffrey Arend , Chloe Moretz ,Matthew Gray Gubler

• Rating : "PG" for some sexual content & language.