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ro-rao2007
Reviews
Lust Stories (2018)
Nothing but hot air
Netflix has changed the way we watch our favorite movies and TV shows. It has also provided us with TV shows of the highest quality, namely "House of Cards," "Stranger Things," and "Narcos."
However, it still has a long way to go as far as its original films go, despite the A-List movie stars and directors attached to them.
When I saw the likes of Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar attached to direct segments of "Lust Stories," I was immediately interested.
Despite this initial interest, however, I was very disappointed with the finished product.
I wish they had just picked one story (preferably the one directed by Zoya Akhtar) and fleshed it out for a 1.5-2 hour movie, since the rest of the stories were just so boring.
The Intern (2015)
Had potential but did not deliver
It's not every day that one comes across a movie like The Intern. The concept of senior citizens opting to come out of retirement and reboot their careers is a fresh one, which is what the movie centers on. The movie also boasts of having 2 reputable actors to its name, Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. So it can be said that the movie was all set up to be a memorable experience.
However, somewhere along the way it stumbles miserably in its execution.
Robert De Niro plays Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old widower, who decides that he's had enough of the lifestyle of a retiree, and opts to refresh his career when he comes across an opportunity to work as a senior citizen in a growing online fashion startup. This entire sequence of events takes place in the first 5-10 minutes of the movie. He eventually applies and gets in with ease, which takes place in another 5-10 minutes of the movie. No problems there. He is eager to learn and has adjusted comfortably to the 21st century, except he dresses in an old-fashioned manner, which his colleagues initially make light of.
So where's the conflict?
Anne Hathaway plays Jules Ostin, a twenty-something CEO of a rising online fashion startup. She is entirely career-driven, which takes a toll on her relationships with her family and even with her employees. We see the career-driven side of Jules, but we are basically just told everything we need to know about her in about 5-10 minutes. We don't really get much exposure to her back-story, which would have really strengthened the character.
This, again, weakens the point of conflict in the story and the character development.
If the issue with actually developing the characters and slowing down the pace of the movie was risking making the movie over 2 hours in length, then it would have been better to cut out the number of issues to address and instead focus on 2-3 main plot points. This would have made it easier for us to empathize with the characters and the situations they found themselves in.
As I said before, however, the casting directors were on point, as I found the performances to be the one main strength of the movie. Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway were cast perfectly as Ben and Jules, respectively, and I could not have imagined anyone else who would have done the roles justice. The two seem to ease into their roles without much difficulty and give natural, sincere performances.
Overall, The Intern was backed by a fresh, novel concept and strong performances. But what it struggled with was a rushed execution and the need for the writers to jam in and address an unnecessarily large number of 21st century issues. It would have been more effective for the movie to instead focus on 2-3 core plot points.
Bates Motel (2013)
Roller Coaster Ride of Thrills
After catching up to HBO's "Game of Thrones," I had entered something of a two-month debacle in my TV viewing. I had huge amounts of difficulty finding a show that thrilled me to the extent that I desired, as I am a very picky viewer. One evening, however, I found "Bates Motel," a prequel to "Psycho," an Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece. I can say with utmost sincerity that my expectations were blown out of the water, for the first 2 seasons at least...
**Plot Development** Starting from episode 1 of "Bates Motel," we, the audience, were introduced to a roller-coaster ride of thrills and suspense. Each of the first 2 seasons are so intricately layered, with mysterious characters and sinister plots that I, as the viewer, could not wait to see unfold and develop.
**Character Development** When I was first introduced to the main characters of "Bates Motel," I could not help but prejudge many of them. However, as the show progressed, I found my opinions of these characters take a full 180 degree turn, for better or worse. I can assure you that you will find yourself in the same predicament if you choose to watch the series.
**Performances** Before I discuss the aforementioned dreadful 3rd season of "Bates Motel," I would like to discuss the performances of the main characters. While I found that overall, each actor/actress did immense justice to his/her character, I would like to draw special attention to the performances of the lead actors, Vera Farminga (Norma Bates), Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates), Max Thieriot (Dylan Masset), and Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero). Not many actors are capable of portraying such intricate and complicated characters as these fine performers I have listed. The way each of these actors have handled their respective character's growth and development is worthy of immense praise.
**Season 3** While my views of the character development and performances have remained consistent throughout the show's 3-season run, I have found a sharp decline in the quality of season 3's plot development. The mysterious and gripping premises that I had enjoyed in the first 2 seasons had disappeared altogether. It was tragic to see that the show I had previously touted to be one of the best thrillers of all time was now something of a prime-time soap opera, full of tears, self-pitying, and overall melodrama. That was not something I had expected so early in the series, with 2 more seasons having been announced. While I am curious about what lies ahead, I cannot wonder what the need was to extend the show's lifetime for another 2 seasons.
To conclude, I find the first 2 seasons of "Bates Motel" to be a worthy tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's brand of thrills. The way the plot and characters unfold are sure to keep many entertained. The performances are also to be greatly appreciated, and praise should be given to all involved in bringing these marvelous characters to life. The 3rd season does not relive the glory of the first 2 seasons, but I am willing to look past that and recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a series of twists and turns, coupled with alarmingly commendable performances.
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010)
Provides wholesome entertainment throughout
After a long time, a movie that manages to entertain throughout its 2 hour+ running time has released in theaters. I went to see this movie in theaters just for the sake of it, but surprisingly, it turned out to be a pleasant and worthwhile experience. The story, screenplay, dialogues, direction, acting, music, etc. were all top notch.
Let's start with the performances of the main leads (in order from best to least):
1. Ajay Devgn- Is there any role this man cannot play? His dialogue delivery, costumes, and screen presence were impeccable. He carried the movie brilliantly with his intensity and his ability to show a range of emotions. His performance makes the trip to the theater worth it.
2. Randeep Hooda- Before this movie, I had no idea who he was. I was surprised that he could make his presence felt when he was next to a seasoned, intense performer like Ajay. He delivered his dialogues well and carried himself well throughout the movie.
3. Emraan Hashmi- The serial kisser of the industry surprised me with his performance. He acted very well and was able to make his presence felt. He also showed a great range of emotions.
4. Kangana Ranaut- It is a known fact that she has ability to act, but she also looked beautiful. Her chemistry with Ajay was also great. She played her role effectively, although I don't think that this is her BEST performance to date, but certainly one of them.
5. Prachi Desai- She plays her innocent, doting character very well. This is only her third film, yet she can make her presence felt. Out of her 3 films (Rock On, Life Partner, and OUATIM) this was my favorite.
Now let's move on to the music by Pritam. All of the songs are great, but "Tum Jo Aaye" is the best for me and is easily one of the best tracks of the year, as well as one of Pritam's best. The soundtrack is one of the best works of Pritam's.
The next element is the direction by Milan Luthria. He incorporates Mumbai during the 70s very effectively. This can easily be said to be his finest work to date.
People criticize this movie for being "predictable" but where did they get the idea that this movie is of the thriller or mystery genre? It is meant to entertain, which it does very effectively and is one of Bollywood's best crime/mafia movies. Also the violence was not gratuitous, as the fight scenes showed the true violent, psychotic, and dark nature of Shoaib (Emraan's character). So if this is not worth the price of the ticket, then what is?
Sunday (2008)
Wholesome Entertainment
Watch out for Rohit Shetty. His movies are too good all the time. They are always so entertaining. He always cats Ajay Devgan, who is a very good actor and has shown that he can do whatever role he is given, no matter how difficult it is. He also makes it look believable, like it is just natural for him. However, he was not the one who impressed me the most. The main star of the show was Arshad Warsi. He is a natural- born comedian. His facial expressions and dialogues are so good. His chemistry with Irfan Khan is amazing. All of their scenes together are so hilarious, especially the scene where they follow the goons into the garage to save Ayesha and Irfan closes the door. Ayesha played her role very well too. She is another actress to look out for. She is far better than actresses like Aishwarya Rai, who is always overacting or not even acting. There is something wrong with bollywood. They give awards to the worst actors and actresses. In my opinion, films like Halla Bol, Sunday, Zameen, and Johnny Gaddar that were all box office failures are the best. Another thing that is good about Rohit Shetty's films is that in his films, there is always great chemistry between all of the actors, but the best chemistry is between only 2 of them. In Zameen it was between Ajay Devgan and Abhishek Bachchan. In Golmaal it was between Tusshar Kapoor and Sharman Joshi. And in this movie, it was between Arshad Warsi and Irrfan Khan. Also, all three of his movie are awesome and very entertaining with outstanding performances.
Tere Naam (2003)
Salman is amazing!
Boy, those who thought that Salman Khan could not act are sadly mistaken. Salman Khan is truly one of the best there are in the industry. This movie had no famous star except for Salman. Unlike other movies that require more than just one star, this movie was still a blockbuster. Salman deserved a Best actor award, not a daddy's boy like Hrithik who only gets good roles from his dad. He is far better than actors like Abhishek, the overrated Shahrukh, and Hrithik. He gave such a fierce performance. Everybody else also acted so well. It was unexpected. The movie is the best movie movie of 2003, except Koi Mil Gaya and Kal Ho Na Ho.