Cinerama

Review- Blue Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine is a movie about a doomed marriage, and the events that slowly lead towards the inevitable.

2010 was an incredible year for movies. With such phenomenons as Toy Story 3, Inception and The King's Speech, it was hard to keep track of limited releases such as Blue Valentine. The movie starts with a couple in the middle of a very rocky marriage who are trying to do their best to keep it from falling apart. Through out the movie you see flashbacks of a happier time, when they met, when they fell in love for the first time, when they first kissed and when they got married. Each of these flashbacks are shown perfectly in contrast with their present situation which is anger, frustration and a whole lot of other issues.

It sounds generic I know, that's what I thought when I was about to watch it. But I firmly believe this is one of the, if not the best movie of 2010. Acted to perfection by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, the later who got an oscar nod for her performance, coupled with a superb score and screenplay.

Blue Valentine is a testament to the fact that love eventually fades.

i give this movie 95/100

Review- The Kids Are All Right

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:49:00 +0000

Released in 2010 this movie stars Annette Benning and Juilanne Moore as lesbian couples, married with two children through a sperm donor.

Nic (Annette) is the breadwinner of the family and Jules (Julianne) is the 'housewife' with vague plans of starting a landscaping business. They have a son, 15, and a daughter just turned 18 who one day, decides to call up the sperm bank to find out who their biological father is. From there on then he ensembles himself into the family. How you let your children interact with their biological father. How, as a couple you decide whats best for your children, and how do you get through the many challenges that lay ahead. In a movie whose story hinges entirely on how the characters treat one other, the acting here is really interacting, and this stellar ensemble cast gets it exactly right. Bening makes Nic a force to be reckoned with: an sharp-tongued workaholic who loves her wine a little more than she should but who's such lively company you understand what Jules sees in her. But more than anything else, the movie is about marriage, commitment, family values and spending your life with the ones you love. Its about how delicate a family life really is and what a thin thread it hangs by. Its about trying to save that thread from snapping through the many, many challenges and hardships.

One of the best films of 2010, this perfectly acted movie was indeed a very pleasant surprise. The kids eventually turn out to be all right, but the movie turns out to be fantastic!

i give this a movie 95/100

Review- The Runaways

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:57:00 +0000

There have been numerous Biopics in Hollywood in the last decade or so and they have all been fantastic films. The Runaways is going head to head with flawless movies such as Ray and Walk The Line but does it possess the same quality?

The Runaways is a coming of age movie based on the 70s all girl rock band, the first of its kind. Starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as Joan and Cherrie, the lead guitarist and vocalist, the movie tells the story of the formation of this legendary band and how it became a pop sensation over night. Such an odd ball teen band could only be managed by a music producer, Kim Fowley played fantastically by a very talented Michael Shannon. Where Joan Jett was the soul of the band, Cherrie was the face, and with her self obsessed behavior and drug addiction topped with never ending scandals, the band, the fairy tale, comes to a sudden end.

Kristen Stewart was particularly very good in this movie considering how awful her performance was in Twilight. I was surprised though by Dakota Fanning. She has been amazing in all her roles but this time I didn't find her performance very appealing. In fairness, this is the boldest and 'wildest' role she has ever played. I liked the musical numbers in the movie. The movie could have been great if they had covered the band in depth and not just the headlines. This is where the Runaways falls short of Walk the Line and Ray. The quality is nearly there but the depth isnt. That being said, I really enjoyed watching the movie and I definitely recommend it!

i give this movie 70/100

Review- Machete

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:23:00 +0000

The name Robert Rodriguez would ring quite a few bells. Sin City, From Dusk till Dawn, Spy Kids....all fantastic films directed by him. Machete was one of the fake trailers from Grindhouse and when I saw it I instantly fell there should be a movie about it because even in that 60 second trailer it looked awesome. So did the movie live up to its hype? Lets see.

It stars Dany Trejo, not a very synonymous name but he has been in a lot of movies only this time its his first lead role. He plays the title role, Machete, an illegal Mexican immigrant in USA. He is hired by someone to take down a senator(Robert De Niro) who promises to hunt down illegal immigrants, only to realise he was set up. Out for revenge, Machete goes on a revenge spree unlike anything I have ever seen before on film. Some people call the movie ridiculous, some call it exploitation, some call it mind less. I call it pure awesomeness. Do not watch this movie hoping to take it seriously, because it never takes it self seriously. What it gives you is a 105min of senseless action, gut ripping, body cutting, blood squirting, and whatever you can think of. I do not remember the last time I ever saw a movie that was this fun to watch. Its awesome and its definitely a must see. Supporting Dany Trejo are Jessica Alba, Lindsey Lohan, Steven Segal and the 'too hot to handle' Michelle Rodriguez.

The plot twists are laughable, the action sequences remind you of 80s Bollywood flicks, and the acting leaves much to be desired. And this is exactly why you should watch this, because this is awesomeness that Hollywood doesn't usually churn out. Kudos to R.Rodriguez for this gem of a movie!

i give it a 90/100

Review- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:24:00 +0000

This was a very obscure movie released back in 2008 and I happened to stumble across it then. The only notable actor in it was the then 'not so popular' Vera Fermiga. The movie takes place in a World War II era.

It's shown from a child's point of view. His name is Bruno and he's the son of the commandant of a concentration camp where Jews are gassed and burned. His innocence keeps him oblivious to the gravity of what his father does and he ends up developing a special friendship across an electric fence with another child of the same age from the concentration camp. They do not know the evil that surrounds them and throughout the movie you sense that something tragic is closing upon them. When the day of reckoning finally comes, its tragic, brutal and it leaves the viewers in shock and disbelief.

This is one of the very few movies I've personally seen with such a strong ending. The acting is very well done, especially by the actor who played Bruno and the scenes showing Jewish oppression are really hard to swallow. I suggest you definitely give this movie a try.

i rate this movie 75/100

Review- The Last Exorcism

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 22:06:00 +0000

Hollywood has long been obsessed with the concept of Exorcism. The concept was put on the map by the masterpiece 'The Exorcist' almost 30 years ago and even today it continues to fascinate filmmakers and filmgoers alike. Lets see if The Last Exorcism can carry on the tradition.

The movie stars a minister named Cotton who doesn't believe in demons. Naturally for him the art of exorcism is fake too. Therefore he assembles a mini crew of 2 people to make a documentary on how he will perform a 'fake' exorcism on a 16 year old girl in a remote town whose father believes she's possessed. Without going into too many details I will confess the movie did offer some genuine scares. It has a Blair Witch type hand-held camera feel to it. For the first 3 quarters of the movie it seems to be going very well, offering honest thrills and asking a lot of questions and leaving the viewer on the edge of their seat. Some of the demonic possession scenes were truly terrifying. However as great as it started, it completely fell apart at the end. The film makers failed to pull off a satisfying end to a very good movie leaving the viewers questioned, puzzled because none of it made any sense.

However, that said, it still is definitely worth watching. Its better than the regular incompetent horror movies released ever so frequently.

I give this movie a score of 65/100

Review - Diary of a wimpy Kid

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:39:00 +0000

There arn't many comedies with children in Hollywood I think we all know that. The 90s was the decade for such films like Home Alone, Denace The Menace, Little Rascals etc. Needless to say they were all very good movies. So when I heard about Diary of a wimpy kid I didnt know what to expect.

Based on the best-selling 2007 novel by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the movie stars a middle school child named Greg(Zachary Gordon) as he strives to gain the status of a cool kid that he believes he richly deserves. He is a blend of a cocky, shy, kind hearted and self absorbed kid who despite all this, manages to remain a very likable character throughout the movie. Of course, the movie wouldn't be anything without Greg's adorably stupid and nerdy best friend Rowley, played by Robert Capron who constantly ruins his attempts for being the coolest kid in school. Through out his miserable attempts at being cool Greg finally learns, and at a cost, how being cool at school isnt everything and in the end learns a very important lesson.

I loved the entire cast of the movie. Chloe Moretz plays Angie and whilst her character had very less screen time she easily had the best lines of the entire movie. Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron also did a bang up job. Devon Bostik plays Greg's menacing brother and Steve Jahn was awesome as their father. I found the movie very sweet and the underlying message was very innocent. If you're ever on the look out for a light hearted, energetic comedy I suggest you give this a try. Might be worth your time.

i give this movie a score of 65/100

Review: Despicable Me

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 09:23:00 +0000

You know I have a rule regarding animated movies; they are either brilliant or they plain suck. I've yet to see an animated movie that falls in the middle of the pack as 'average' or 'just ok'. At least thats how it is with me. I partially blame Pixar for this because every movie that has ever come out of that studio has been jaw droppingly unbelievable. Remember Toy Story, Monsters, Wall-E? All Pixar! So does Universal Studio has what it takes to stack up against the best of the best? Lets find out!

The movie stars the ever versatile Steve Carell as the world's greatest (self proclaimed) super villain Gru; that is until the title is taken away from him by a peculiar villain named Vector (Jason Segal). Naturally Gru is not fond of that and plans the greatest heist in history to take back his crown as the greatest super villain. The movie features some of the most lovable characters in recent history; the minions, Agnas and not to mention Gru himself.

The only problem I see with this movie, in fact all other non-pixar movies except for Shrek is that it contains no memorable characters. Lovable? Yes. Memorable? No. It gets a little too cute sometimes and that derails it from leaving a lasting impression long after you've watched it. But I commend it for doing something different and pulling it off. The movie rests entirely on Steve Carell's performance and I must say he does a bang up job as portraying a Russian villain. The visuals are stunning as well. Despicable me is as close as you can get to a Pixar movie without it actually being a Pixar movie. Its definitely a must watch!

I give this movie a score of 85/100

Review- Easy A

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:58:00 +0000

There is no shortage of romantic comedies when it comes to Hollywood. Every week there is at least one romantic comedy released and invariably it is mediocre and not worthy of being watched.
In fact to the best of my knowledge this is the most common genre of movies. Needless to say when I heard about Easy A I was skeptical to say the least but surprisingly, this turned out to be, in my opinion, the best romantic comedy of 2010 and perhaps one in a long time.

The movie stars the irresistibly charming Emma Stone, the zombie butt-kicking chick from Zombieland as a high school teenager who uses the typical high school rumor mill to ruin her clean cut reputation. It starts with Olive (Emma Stone) lying about losing her virginity. That, in high school will give you a celebrity-like status. Unfortunately for Olive, from there on then the events spiral entertainingly out of control.

In my opinion, this movie will do for Emma Stone what Legally Blond did for Reese Witherspoon, and 10 things I hate about you did for Julia Stiles. Her performance is brilliant and show stealing. Supporting her are the ever amazing Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as Olive's liberal parents. If you're ever out to watch a light hearted teen comedy look no further than Easy A.

I give this movie a score of 90/100

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Hey everyone!

noreply@blogger.com (ammar) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:06:00 +0000

Welcome to my blog. Here I will be writing about movies; reviewing each as I see or any interesting news related to them; but mostly reviews or my take on them. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I will enjoy writing them. Hope to see you again.