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.

Long gone are the days when wars were fought for PRIDE ,HONOR ,LAND ,WEALTH & EVEN WOMEN ,these days the war that is fought is more or less focussed on a commodity called "OIL" which virtually runs our entire planet.

Obviously such a needed commodity has a price but its not the monetary price alone that needs to be looked at but also the human price thats paid.

People always look at the middle east an an unstable region with the stable countries heavily relying on its western counterparts to take care of their security alas there is one point which never makes sense at all ,why are the richest Arabic countries armies dependent on a foreign entity for its security ,are they not able to form an army or are they forbid from maintaining one ???

PLOT : " A political saga that throws light on the politics behind the shady PETROLEUM POLITICS. "



A WARNING TO ALL THOSE WHO EXPECT POPCORN TYPE ENTERTAINMENT ,THIS FILM IS DEFINITELY NOT SUITED FOR THOSE KIND OF AUDIENCE.

True to the above spoiler ,Syriana is one of those films focussed on the oil crisis in the middle east however this is not another run of the mill story of action & drama ,this film will certainly enlighten those unaware of PETROLEUM POLITICS.

Written & directed by Stephen Gaghan of Traffic fame ,the film operates on multiple ,parallel storylines that has the audience hooked from the very beginning ,you need to have sincere attention to comprehend the happenings on screen.

With an ensemble cast its easy to loose focus but Stephen Gaghan has just proved otherwise ,i like the working pattern of hollywood stars who have no qualms in multiple starrers unlike their Indian counterparts especially in South Indian film industry.

Casting of George Clooney ,Matt Damon ,Jeffrey Wright ,Amr Waked ,Chris Cooper ,Amanda Peet ,William Hurt ,Christopher Plummer ,Tim Blake Nelson ,Alexander Siddig ,Mazhar Munir was one of the best assembled cast.

Each & every cast had a role to play which in itself was not easy considering the depth of each character in the film ,they had definitely done their homework to ensure justice to the screenplay.

I especially loved the roles of George Clooney ,Matt Damon ,Alexander Siddig & Jeffrey Wright ,do watchout for them for its so memorable to see them perform in the various roles ranging from a secret agent ,to a Prince who is willing to take extra effort to make his country a prosperous one.

Music by Alexandre Desplat provides the film with an ample dosage of whats required during the various pressure points in the film ,the authentic feel of middle was also a treat to hear.

For a film on such a complicated backdrop the editing work by Tim Squyres stands out ,the audience are lead on the right track from the very beginning & are able to feel with the characters.

Political dramas based on real incidents offer the audience to look at things in different perspectives & enable them to understand the real happenings in the world today but its a sad fact that most films in this genre especially in our country face opposition from political parties who are entangled in the many scams.

Syriana only provides glimpses on the happenings behind the shady mergers ,assassinations & many terrorist attacks taking place due to OIL ,these all just form a small percentage of whats a much larger conspiracy thats happening so that we don't come to know the true PRICE WE PAY FOR OIL !!!

• Director : Stephen Gaghan

• Writers : Stephen Gaghan(Screenplay) , Robert Baer(Book)

• Cast : George Clooney ,Amr Waked ,Christopher Plummer ,Jeffrey Wright ,Chris Cooper ,Matt Damon ,Amanda Peet ,Alexander Siddig ,Tim Blake Nelson ,William Hurt ,Mazhar Munir

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

We are very familiar with the word "ASSASSINS" as many historical & legendary figures were killed by them but more often we overlook certain facts & events that lead up to an assassination.

Like everyone knows Nathuram Godse assassinated Gandhi yet not many know the motives behind this assassination ,is Godse a terrorist or religious fanatic or an assassin ???

For me ,Godse was the single most important person who cleansed India of the virus named Gandhi ,If you call Godse a murderer then what do you call Gandhi who single handedly was responsible for the massacre of lakhs of Hindus & Muslims due to the Partition of India.

If you still support Gandhi's views then read this here & Godse's speech here.

PLOT : " The film chronicles the events plotted by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country."



I was initially hesitant to watch the film because of my preconceived notion that this film would be a drama & i was in no mood to watch a drama film that day but all of that notion vanished when i watched the trailer.

I was so crossed with myself once the movie got over.Damn !! How did i miss this film in the theatres ,the pace of the film was so very gripping that we are never made to loose focus at any point in the film.

Directed by Bryan Singer of "X-Men" fame ,the film transports the viewer to 1944 Germany in an authentic way ,the properties ,the gadgets & the planes all gave & enhanced the 1940s feel to the film.

Even though the film was based on actual events its upto the writers to present it in an appealing way & writers Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander have provided the director with the right kind of script that has the essential dosage of drama ,action & thrills.

The script is the major player here ,i still cant think of a single scene that affected the flow of the film.The actors gelled with the script enabling the viewers to feel the emotional moments that they go through.

Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg has given a stellar performance which serves as the crux of the film ,even his uncanny resemblance to the real Stauffenberg was an added plus.

The rest of the cast includes Kenneth Branagh ,Bill Nighy ,Carice van Houten ,Eddie Izzard ,Terence Stamp ,Tom Wilkinson & Thomas Kretschmann who were all splendid in the roles they enacted.

I have missed out many characters here but full credits to all the cast who have brought out a thrilling movie ,the film still holds its sway on the audience in spite of these many characters .

All the credits go to the director & writers for achieving this distinction ,all in all the movie serves as a testimony to the valiant efforts of the German army officers who risked the lives of themselves & their family.

Assassinations most times change the course of human history but whether the change is for the good or bad depends upon the time of the assassination ,sometimes these assassinations happen a tad late that change the face of a world or country.

But the moral side of the assassinations are never heard or covered up by the respective governments ,as Nathuram Godse said on his final speech on court "My confidence about the moral side of my action has not been shaken even by the criticism levelled against it on all sides. I have no doubt that honest writers of history will weigh my act and find the true value thereof some day in future."

• Director : Bryan Singer

• Writers : Christopher McQuarrie , Nathan Alexander

• Cast : Tom Cruise , Bill Nighy , Kenneth Branagh , Tom Wilkinson , Carice van Houten , Thomas Kretschmann , Terence Stamp
  

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

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.

Gone are the times when battles are fought during daytime.
Gone are the times when the dead soldiers were laid to rest with honors during war.
Gone are the times when humans practiced ethical codes during wars
&
Gone are the times when prisoners of war were treated with respect.

Countries are called developed or developing or even a failed state ,i was always left pondering as to what are the criteria for these statuses to be given.

But after all the mayhem happening around the world its just that we can arrive on a conclusion that its about the ability of that country in war that earns it that status.

These countries are not only advanced technically but also in the torture techniques they put forth on the their prisoners ,however do they ever ultimately achieve peace out of these heinous practices ???

PLOT : " A terrorist plants nuclear bombs & gets caught by the authorities ,a deadly game then commences with the authorities & the terrorist willing to go to any extreme to get the better out of each other. "


By the time the film got over i gulped down a full bottle of water ,such was the tension in it.I was literally in two minds whether or not to see the next scene.

The brutality here is of the highest order imaginable which is definitely not advisable for children & light hearted individuals & the sametime you will be exposed to the various interrogation techniques followed by various different agencies in a government.

Unthinkable ,directed by Gregor Jordan is one of those films which will keep you pondering well after the movie gets over.The issue of prisoners subjected to torture was well materialized that will leave a lasting impression on the viewers.

The plot & script were well written by Peter Woodward that kept its pace throughout & at the sametime never lost focus on the issue at hand.

With a cast that boasts some big names like Samuel L. Jackson ,Michael Sheen & Carrie-Anne Moss ,the film was packed with stellar performances which adds momentum to the script

Samuel L. Jackson as the interrogator was at his electrifying best ,the kinda stone heart he portrays will surely look surreal.Michael Sheen ,what can be said ,this was by far the best terrorist roles enacted on-screen.

Carrie-Anne Moss looked stunning & played out her role as an FBI officer to perfection ,her locking heads with Samuel were so convincing.The other support cast namely Brandon Routh ,Gil Bellows ,Martin Donovan were too utilized well by the director.

The psychological battle that takes place between the terrorist & the interrogators size up the major chunk of the film ,there's never a dull moment during these scenes as it forms the crux of the plot.

The film's take on torture techniques being employed & its effectiveness was well brought out ,it will surely leave you to stunned & in disbelief.

We humans have ethics in whatever we do but in war all these practices are ignored just to get the better out of the opponent ,ultimately we become the worst beings on the planet & the final goal of achieving peace is never achieved.

• Director : Gregor Jordan

• Writers : Peter Woodward

• Cast : Samuel L. Jackson , Carrie-Anne Moss , Michael Sheen , Martin Donovan , Gil Bellows , Brandon Routh

• Rating : "A" for extreme violence.

Law - "The principles and regulations established in a community by some authority. "

We have all gone through all these definitions ,phrases & various acts of law from school an umpteen number of times but more often than not these lines become just lines in our society.

All these so called laws are like a tissue paper in a restroom which are used at will & when necessary especially by the authorities who are responsible for enforcing them.

And finally its the aam aadmi (common man) who pays the price in this puppet show called democracy where the judicial society are well above the reaches of the so-called law.

PLOT : " A local village rebel kidnaps the wife of a police officer to prove a point that no one's above the laws of justice but things take a drastic turn when he decides to kill her. "



First things first ,With Raavanan Mani Ratnam has threaded on a path that is well known here in India ,Ramayana is a well known epic among indians on which the plot of the movie is loosely based on ,kudos to the director for taking this path & showcasing a refreshing premises.

There are mixed reviews among people upon the film's release but i'm for one who would say that i thoroughly cherished the movie from the intense start to the poetic ending.

Screenplay moved with the flow of the film that reverberated with powerhouse performances from the lead actors and the supporting cast ,the director deserves the credit for bring out stellar performances from his crew.

Vikram as the protagonist is the shinning light in the movie's cast ,his character of a man with complex thinking has surely struck the right chord in the film ,he shouts ,he's silent ,he imitates ,he growls thereby exposing all his bottled up emotions.

Aishwarya Rai ,the lead lady goes through grueling sessions of physical & mental hardships that put to test all her years of experience which turns out impressive.Prithviraj as her husband is stiff physically & emotionally which reflects his role as a cop.

The other supporting cast includes Karthik ,Prabhu ,Vaiyapuri ,Priyamani ,John Vijay & Munna.They too were a treat on screen ,all of them had their meaty share of roles that were utilised well.

Cinematography by Santosh Sivan and V. Manikandan is one of the best i have seen ,all the beauty locales were justifiably filmed ,it would rival the best picture demos.Everything was so mesmerizingly shot.

Stunts by Shyam Kaushal and Peter Hein are topnotch ,a single stunt scene where the lead lady crashes to the river was so beautiful ,editing by 7 time national award winner A. Sreekar Prasad was evident in his crisp clips of the film's songs.

A. R. Rahman's songs & background score provide enough chills & moods to the films at the right places ,his association with Mani Ratnam has beared fruit yet again.

The premises for the plot of revenge & kidnapping is a tried and tested one but what makes Raavanan special is not its plot but the cinematic treat the film offers at the hands of one of India's finest directors ever.

The director's lead character Veeraiya portrays aam aadmi's (common man) sufferings at the hands of the judicial authorities who get away with all the atrocities they do in the name of law.

Such is the convenience democracy provides to these people ,say how many of these judicial people have ever been convicted for their atrocities ?

Are they above the law ??

• Director : Mani Ratnam

• Writer : Mani Ratnam

• Cast : Vikram ,Aishwarya Rai ,Prithviraj ,Karthik ,Prabhu ,Priyamani ,Vaiyapuri ,John Vijay , Munna

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

Making people laugh is one of the toughest things to do.Its a natural talent that some people posses which is a gift because its not something that everyone can do.

As a famous irish quote goes like "A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."

Films based on comedy genre are always lapped up by people when given in an entertaining manner ,these lines hold true to this film "Date Night".

PLOT : " A case of mistaken identity leaves a couple on a date to run for their lives. "


Its been quite a looooong while since i had watched a comedy film in theatre so i just thought i might give this film a watch.

What made me choose this film ??? Well its simple ,i loved the trailer & the dialogs in it were enough assurance that i'm choosing a good movie.

Steve Carell is one of the main reasons for me watching this film ,i was very impressed with his previous film Get Smart.He has done more than justice to my opinion ,the entire theatre was in complete splits throughout the film.

Directed & produced by Shawn Levy of Night at the Museum fame ,Date Night was a great follow up to this director's line up of super hit films.

I dunno whether the script written by Josh Klausner was a comical one or its just the sheer talent of the director to translate it to a comic caper on-screen.Anyways i'm gonna leave that for you people to decide.

I'm taking no credit away from Tina Fey who was the lead actress here ,she was awesome in her dialog timings too.These two set the screen on fire with their humorous & numerous escapades.

The other casts includes Mark Wahlberg ,James Franco ,Taraji P. Henson ,Common ,Jimmi Simpson & William Fichtner.

Casting was perfect for the film ,i'm always left pondering when it comes to casting for a successful film.May be its just how life is ,in success everything seems to so perfect.Still i'm all praises for the casting department ,they have just assembled a wonderful cast.

Steve Carell's dialog delivery and his sense of timing was very hilarious ,he's such a natural when it comes to comedy.He along with his partner Tina Fey were one of the best on-screen comical couples i have ever seen.

Dont miss the credits after the movie ,its an added bonus for the audience.

As Mark Twain says "The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”

And the people who make humans use this effective weapon are such a blessing for us ,an instant laughter transforms people to another world ,thats why its said COMEDY IS NOT EASY.

• Director : Shawn Levy

• Writer : Josh Klausner

• Cast : Steve Carell ,Tina Fey ,Mark Wahlberg ,Taraji P. Henson ,Jimmi Simpson ,Common ,William Fichtner ,James Franco

• Rating : "A" for some sexual references.