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.

P.S : " Director Cameron Crowe remade the film as Vanilla Sky , with Tom Cruise , Penélope Cruz reprising her role as Sofia, Cameron Diaz , Jason Lee as the friend and Kurt Russell. "

Lets see..
Future is something which intrigues us ,Future fascinates us ,it's alluring ,it's a mystery.

All these make for an interesting premises for a movie maker to showcase his vision of the future to the audiences.These sci-fi movies hence sometimes bring out an interesting perspective of our future that works like a magic trick.

A magic trick that leaves the audience in awe of our future.

PLOT : " A skilled thief who steals memories from people during their sleep sets out to do an Inception i.e: to plant a memory into a person during his sleep. "



I'm still yet to overcome the magnitude effect of "Inception" ,such was the scope of the film.The entire film's concept was so vast that it requires constant attention from the viewer from the very beginning till the very end.

Christopher Nolan's Inception was for me like a vast syllabus that had to be finished in a matter of just 3 hours.Imagine reading your entire college syllabus in just 3 hours ,such was the content this movie offered.

Nolan who's a well-acclaimed writer/director delivers a complex & intense film in a grand manner that explores the concepts of our dreams in a most compelling manner ,Hats off to him in bringing out such a concept.

But for all the praises about the film ,there are certain sections of the film which reminds us of cliched scenarios in typical hollywood movies ,i was surprised & disappointed to see this in a Nolan's film.

Casting of Inception includes Ken Watanabe ,Joseph Gordon-Levitt ,Marion Cotillard ,Ellen Page ,Tom Hardy ,Cillian Murphy ,Dileep Rao ,Tom Berenger ,Michael Caine & of course one of favourite actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio was at his usual best ,his role as the extractor who works on people's memory was a very convincing portrayal.He held the major screen space eclipsing all others ,i could go on about the other actors but lets say they were splendid & a treat to watch too.

The special effects here was a major pillar to the mammoth vision of the director ,the entire theater were so pulled onto it the film ,it was like witnessing a magician's trick in a grand scale.

What especially kept the film so hooked was its script ,got to hand to Nolan ,He's one hell of a script writer ,he handles the pressure points of a film really well which earns the appreciation of the audience.

Music by Hans Zimmer was really captivating ,it gelled well with the flow of the film ,the highs ,the lows ,the drama ,the action ,all of it were in a perfect rhythm.

A script so complex was edited by Lee Smith in a alluring manner that kept moving between various scenes in a neat & crisp manner.His collaboration with Nolan has yielded rich dividends in the past ,Inception is sure to be another feather in his cap.

Even though i can go on & on about the film ,i was left high & dry in certain parts of the film.On the whole i was not left disappointed because of the unique & compounding script the film offered.

Nolan is a magician ,a truly gifted one ,regardless of the flaws in the film he still got a standing ovation from the audience for enticing them with a riveting concept & screenplay which was truly Sci-fi Magic.

• Director : Christopher Nolan

• Writer : Christopher Nolan

• Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio ,Joseph Gordon-Levitt ,Ellen Page ,Tom Hardy ,Ken Watanabe ,Dileep Rao ,Cillian Murphy

• Rating : "PG" for some scenes of violence.

P.S : " Christopher Nolan's first film since his feature debut, Following (1998), that is a completely original work. All of his films between them are either remakes or based on comics, novels or short stories. "

Greed : An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves ,especially with respect to material wealth.

It is natural for human beings to go above and beyond in search of the ultimate possibilities in any interest or field.This natural urge supercedes peoples ability to realize or care about when they are taking advantage of those who are disadvantaged.

The person ,who knows contentment, eats to live but the greedy person lives to eat.Due to human greediness every day we are loosing one or the other species.When will it be our turn?

PLOT : " Avatar is the story of Jake Sully ,a paraplegic marine ,who replaces his brother on a secret mission to infiltrate the Na' vi ,the colony of beings that sit on the planet of Pandora ,where there is a precious ore ,that sells at a ridiculous amount.When Jake learns the ways of the Na' vi ,his feelings and learnings will put him and the people he trusts in dangerous jeopardy."

"Avatar" is visually mind-blowing ,I have never seen a film that could come any close to match its beauty.Even though everything in front of you was made from the scratch ,you never feel the world you see in the film is not real.And it doesn't matter the film's over 2.5 hours long - you never want to stop watching.

I can't even imagine how many people must have worked on 'Avatar' and for how long ,to make it all happen ,but you certainly believe in what you see ,wanting to know how the events will develop.

Because if you can't appreciate 'Avatar' then you just can't appreciate the art ,And 'Avatar' is a piece of art.It is a masterpiece of our times.Those who go and see this film will know what I mean.

AVATAR is the "STAR WARS" of this generation ,with no doubt is it a family film.This film isn't just about visuals ,it's about the magic of film-making.And that is something rarely achieved in such absolute beauty ,beauty that leaves you walking away from the theater spellbound.Avatar is unique.

You are immersed in the movie and you are exploring a new world.It is more than one time that you loose your breath.Beautiful images are following each other at high speed and you just can't believe what you are seeing.

Director James Cameron ,the man behind the legendary "TITANIC" ,really impressed me as he deals with nature and spirituality in this film and manages to explain it through biology and chemistry rather than implying any sort of holy deity.

Sam Worthington was fine as a leading man and some of his awkward attempts to integrate into the tribe are great.Zoe Saldana plays the Na'vi tribe perfectly.She is strong and wise ,yet vulnerable and feminine.She is the heart of the film.

The acting is superb ,both by the actors and the na'vi characters.But the strength of this experience lies in the world Cameron takes you to - the sights and sounds are realistic beyond compare.This is not your ordinary computer graphics - this is one of the very rare cases where special effects will make it more of a journey than just a movie.

It is also a film where 3D really shines.Till now ,3D was the forte of animation movies.Here, 3D will bring you uncannily close to realism.

The story is a bit thin and predictable though there are nice character developments.But that just doesn't matter because Avatar is just more than a movie ,a movie that writes film history.

The film ends leaving you wanting more ,it starts by slowly enticing you ,then gradually building up into one heck of an adventure ,rolling at such a speed that you'd never think it would end ,but films end eventually ,and I just hope that we are given SEQUELS in the future.

The happenings in the film serves as a stark warning that human greed is threatening to destroy the environment.

‘Spend/destroy now ,pay later’ is an extremely selfish move driven by HUMAN GREED.

Everyone has a right to a decent lifestyle but perhaps we all need teaching or reminding what a ‘decent lifestyle’ really should equate to.And our motivation should be the type of planet we would like our grandchildren to inherit.

• Director : James Cameron

• Writer : James Cameron
  

• Cast : Sam Worthington , Zoe Saldana , Sigourney Weaver , Stephen Lang , Michelle Rodriguez

• Rating : "PG" for intense war scenes.

P.S : " James Cameron originally attempted to get this film made in 1999 as his immediate follow-up to Titanic (1997). However, at the time ,the special effects he wanted for the movie ran the proposed budget up to $400 million.No studio would fund the film, and it was subsequently shelved for almost ten years. "

Remakes are the toast of the day these days & STAR TREK is definitely not going to be let out.I usually sneer at the term "REMAKE" just making me imagine which CLASSIC movie is going to be butchered but this movie is magnificent,an out and out sci-fi entertainment.If this doesn't keep the fans of STAR TREK happy then nothing will.

PLOT : " A Prequel to the STAR TREK series that reveals the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew who together seek out to vindicate Commander Nero "

In Remakes sustaining the expectations of a successful franchise constitutes the major aspect and director J.J.Abrams faced this huge task , although Trekkies will feel a little disappointed as the original elements of the previous movies have been altered, credit to the director for carrying out this feat with panache developing a new saga of STAR TREK . A very important trait for any film-maker is to produce a movie with a detailed story and bursts of information within a two hour period as J.J. Abrams manages to accomplish.

Both main plot and other sub plots made the story involving much to my delight as for me " A GOOD MOVIE IS ONE WHICH DOESN'T MAKE THE AUDIENCE RESTLESS ".The extent to which the writers alter Trek history might be met with anger by some, but the story is so fun and the characters so lovingly written, I did not see it as a huge issue.

In fact, I think it was a smart move,if the movie was set in the old timeline, there would be little suspense or surprise because we already know what happens to the characters. As controversial as it may be, the writers handled it beautifully and without a hint of disrespect.

Another thing is that the quality of computer graphics of universe and star ships was superb. Especially when I saw the full-scale USS Enterprise, I found adrenaline rushed through my body. The visual effects are possibly the best I have ever seen in any film , the visuals were nothing short of awe-inspiring yet at the same time they didn't completely rule the movie. Make no mistake , the stars of this movie are the characters & not the effects.

The story unfolds at a nearly break-neck pace. It holds your attention throughout the entire movie, and leaves you wanting more when it's over. It was thrilling, emotional, funny,everything a movie should be, especially a Trek movie.The best aspect of STAR TREK 2009 is that it makes the Enterprise crew and the STARSHIP Enterprise powerful, not just in reputation -but in action as well.



Chris Pine as 'Kirk' was the most pleasing of them all but was not standing out there alone.I would hold Karl Urban's performance as 'Bones' and Simon Pegg as 'Scotty' in high esteem, they brought the same warmth to the characters as their predecessors if not more.From the other end, Eric Bana gave a very credible performance as the Romulan 'Baddie', Nero.

I have to say this is one of the best casted movies I've seen in a while. Each member does their part to give the new crew of the Enterprise some originality as well as maintaining enough similarities to the characters of the old Trek and help to add comic relief throughout the film.

The sound effects were cool and tuned to sound different, but at the same time quite faithful to the original (the beaming noise effect, the warp drives engaging, etc). I was particularly impressed with the soundtrack, which conveyed the urgency portrayed in the film and the fast paced action.

The story, the characters, the visual and emotional impact of the movie all came together here.A true Sci-fi gem that didn't wipe out the authenticity of the original series,but opened a totally new door to a bunch of another star trek adventures.

The film is really good because there's almost nothing bad to say about it. Yes, maybe you can find one small detail here and there that doesn't make the film perfect, but no movies are perfect. This movie is human, with sharp dialogue, and fantastic characters, a complex story, with action sequences to fill on top.

Star Trek has been dead for a while now and this was more than what it needed for a jumpstart. The new movie is more youthful in both a sense it is the story of the start of Captain James Tiberius Kirk and that it is a more modern and fresh take on the series, a good way to tap into the youth of the world. I believe that Star Trek has risen out of the ashes and will continue rising for a long time to come.

This movie is a must-see, if anything else. Its made for the big screen, and you'll feel your money was well spent, at the very least.I went in the movie house with very high expectations due to the very positive word of mouth. I was definitely NOT disappointed. I exhort all of you to watch this movie on the big screen as it deserves to be watched..The beginning of a new adventure, and I hope this new franchise will live long and prosper.

• Director : J.J.Abrams

• Cast : Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Leonard Nimoy , Eric Bana , Karl Urban , Zoe Saldana , Simon Pegg

• Rating : "PG"

P.S : Paramount Pictures has produced eleven Star Trek feature films with a twelfth in development, possibly to be released in 2011, which will celebrate the Star Trek franchise's forty-fifth anniversary.

This movie is an adaptation of a comic-book WATCHMEN directed by Zack Snyder.

PLOT : " WATCHMEN is a group of masked heroes in America who fight crime but are later banned by the government,trouble starts when one of them is killed and the investigation grows suspicious which reunites the super-heroes to seek out the motive for the murder "

Well i went into the movie with great expectations after seeing the ratings and reviews .The movie started off really well with a fight scene picturised superbly "Don't miss out this scene " . The camerawork of this movie is awesome throughout which captures the mood aptly.



The movie is set in the backdrop of the 80's during the period of the cold war where world is in the brink of nuclear catastrophe.The special effects are of top notch with mesmerizing music.If you haven't read the comic like me you should engage yourself with every scene of the movie and shouldn't blame the movie for so many flashbacks for each character,the flashbacks also form the central core of the screenplay.

The actors have performed well especially the character played by Rorschach,stunts are really cool so are the costumes for all the characters but animal lovers wont be having a good liking for the movie.Special mention has to given for the make-up who resembled many personalities like Richard Nixon,Fidel Castro and pulled it off with panache.

The story itself is a pretty straightforward mystery , inside of that, there a huge plot that has international intrigue and a super-villain and everything you want from a superhero story.

Most of the people who actually read the book thought that it was unfilmable but kudos to the director as reviews by people who have read the book are clearly a testament for his accomplishment.

Fans and those previously unfamiliar with Watchmen should go in with an open mind. Snyder has performed what Doctor Manhattan might deem a miracle, so it may take more than one viewing to truly appreciate this unique adaptation.

Even though the movie runs for 160 odd mins i had a good time of it with getting my money worth.With successful movies like "DAWN OF THE DEAD" & "300" to his credit Synder has not disapponted his fans like me.

Remember the fact that its not easy to adapt such a hugely successful comic on screen but Zack Snyder has proved himself once again.His previous two movies have also been remakes and won him rave reviews and also did the numbers in the box office.

Be warned, those expecting a Ironman or Dark knight kind of superhero movies will be very much disappointed because this movie explores an alternative and bold type of screenplay like just imagine a serial killer type of movie with a superheroes being murdered !!!

• Director : Zack Snyder

• Cast : Patrick Wilson , Billy Crudup ,Jack Earle Haley , Jeffrey Dean Morgan , Carlo Gugino , Matthew Goode

• Rating : "A"
  

P.S : This movie has been given a "A" rating but i still can't understand how certain scenes made out through the scissors of the indian censor board especially the scene where Patrick Wilson[Nite Owl] and Malin Akerman[Silk Spectre] make love to each other.