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Reviews
Grandfathered (2015)
Charming
If I could use one word to describe or review this show it would be "charming". A lot of it is taken care of if you cast a 1 or 2 year old cute girl as one of your major characters. But the dialogue, pacing and execution is just perfect with this one. Performances are superb; especially from Brewster and Stamos. This TV show ticks all the boxes for a sitcom and then some. There is a genuine chemistry between various pairs and even the sidelined characters (like the chefs and junior working in the kitchen) have enough quirky characteristics of their own. What I like about this show is that there is no scope for nonsense since the actual duration of each episode is around 22 minutes. Every scene is efficiently executed and there really are no boring sub-tracks and side stories. This is an advantage as well as a drawback. Since we are just about 9 episodes in this show, it is good to have a focused track. Let's see how the limited bunch of characters hold our attention once the first season is over and whether they need to introduce more characters to ensure that the jokes/gags don't feel repetitive. Overall, Grandfathered is a fun experience. Go for it!
The Captive (2014)
A colossal waste of time
Take an empty bucket. Put it under a tap that flows at the rate of 1 drop per second. Keep watching the bucket until it fills completely. This exercise will be way more exciting than watching The Captive. I haven't seen any other film that is so annoying, useless and meaningless than this title. All the characters speak in a whispering tone that is barely audible - it is insanely infuriating. Is this their idea of a realistic and intelligent film? For around 60-65 minutes I tolerated this hoping that there might be some twist coming up. Nothing. Zero. This film should have been assigned a rating of 0/10 but the website does not allow us to do so. Seriously, forget this film and if you are still hell bent on doing something in your free time, watch the bucket fill up instead!
The Giver (2014)
Disappointment; for a promising concept
The Giver begins on an interesting and promising note. It also maintains to hold the viewers' interest for the first 40-50 minutes. Thereafter though the film loses all the gains and results into a series of illogical and hard to believe sequences. The concept and impact of an emotionless, conflict-free world is not explored in depth. I have not read the original novel but the text must have dug deeper into this. The performances are OK. The set and production values are clearly showing the low-budget and lack imagination. The end is abrupt and although there may be sequels in future, this is probably not the best way to end a franchise film. Overall, The Giver gets off to a good start but loses steam in the middle and never recovers from there.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Worth a watch; even after some apparent drawbacks
The biggest problem with this thriller was that the 'thrill' was no secret. The whole world knows the broad outlines of the greatest manhunt in the history. So the challenge in front of the filmmakers was to make it gripping and investigative (much more details are expected than those we already know from TV channels/newspaper articles).
Overall the film is worth a watch, but the lead character - Maya - played by Chastain is poorly written and developed. She does not seem knowledgeable about Al-Queda, Afghanistan, Pakistan or anything related to that geography. We are just supposed to take her word for it! Like when she scolds her senior for not knowing Al Queda. Nowhere in this film we feel that Maya is anything more than a desk analyst! On the contrary, the character of Carrie Mathison (played by Claire Danes) in the TV show Homeland is much closer to what the real life Maya (if such person actually exist/ed at all) should have been.
Anyway, the talk about torture scenes is more hype than anything else. The scenes were not so gory at all; much more gory details are shown on American Television! Too many goof-ups in geographical details are a constant turn off. But only the Indians and Pakistanis will find or mind these goof-ups; most Western (or non-Asians) will not notice them.
The last 20 minutes or so are superb and the real highlight of this film. Notice how quickly the 'target' is eliminated without much drama.
Overall, a decent film that could have been very good if the cared to develop the lead character rather than presenting a documentary.
Scandal (2012)
Ridiculously childish and half-baked
A fixer who works unofficially for the US president, can 'fix' anything from kidnappings to elections. Interesting premise, no doubt. But what this series actually is this: half baked characters and situations, characters trying to act cool (and in turn making a mockery of it all) by throwing lines like 'we are fixers, we are fixing!' every now and then, and every character worshiping the lead lady Olivia Pope as if she is a Goddess. Seriously, it turns out to be a comedy more than a drama. The US president is shown to be a weeping kid who gets emotional and tearful at the drop of a hat! At the age of 50+ if a man is behaving like a 17 year old kid crying over his break-up; either there is something wrong with the man or the writer or both. Kerry Washington does not look like a powerful lady - not even for a second! She looks a mirror image of the weepy president: getting emotional every now and then and looking more like a kitten than a tigress that the character is supposed to be.
Seriously, do not waste your time over this!
Taken (2008)
Edge of the seat thriller
'Taken' is Liam Neeson's one man show completely. Having said this, even if you are not a Neeson fan, this movie is still a must watch. No mystery here, it is a plain vanilla revenge story. But the way this whole film has been shot and paced, you just can't take your eyes off the screen.
On a serious note, it exposes the dirty world of human trafficking. The action sequences are superb, the tactics used by Leeson's character to track down the culprits look realistic and plausible (most of the times). The guy playing the role of French intelligence officer (who 'sits behind a desk') does a decent job in this one-man-show.
Niam Leeson is menacingly dangerous. I don't know if he has a daughter in real life; but if he has, I wonder if anyone (after watching him in Taken) would marry her, leave alone dating her! Just kidding ;-)
Overall, a must see film if you are a thriller fan.