Sameer Chandra

Archive for May, 2009|Monthly archive page


Movie: Taken (2008)

In Movies on May 12, 2009 at 8:00 pm

Taken

Cast: Liam Neeson (as Bryan Mills), Famke Jannsen (as Lenore), Maggie Grace (as Kim) and others. 

Plot: A former spy relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade.(Source IMDB)

Review: Brilliant. An action packed movie, with a simple storyline, executed to the perfection. Liam’s portrayal of the character Bryan Mills is spot on, in a no-nonsensical way. Famke has been wasted, but that’s the kind of role she does. Maggie Grace is fresh, and has acted well, despite playing a much younger girl than she actually is. 

Rating: 4.5 of 5


Movie: The Last Templar (2008)

In Movies on May 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm

The Last Templar

Cast: Mira Sorvino (as Tess Chaykin), Scott Foley (Sean Daley), Victor Garber (Monsignor De Angelis) amongst others.

Plot: An adaptation of Raymond Khoury’s novel about a New York archaeologist researching the lost secrets of the medieval Knights Templar (source: IMDB)

Review: Well, i would admit I has some expectation of the movie, considering the book it’s based on. However, all hopes were quashed over time. Mira Sorvino is a brilliant actress but her role and acting in this movie is so cheesy! It’s like she just wants to get laid everytime she comes across FBI Agent Sean Daley (played by Scott Foley)…

The movie tries to create the same feeling as “Nature Treasure” series, but fails miserably at that. 

Rating: 2 of 5 (Time Waster!)

Movie: Miracle at St. Anna’s (2008)

In Uncategorized on May 8, 2009 at 9:00 pm

Miracle At St. Anna's

Cast: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonzo, Omar Benson Miller amongst others.

Plot:Set in 1944 Italy, the story of four black American soldiers who get trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII (source IMDB)

Review: It’s a period film, based on true events that happened in the lives of four african-american soldiers in Italy during WWII. The movie starts with a bang, and a question that moves people to the edge of their seats, but then loses that grip as people recline back and sit through the entire movie. I believe that the director, Spike Lee lost track of what he was trying to accomplish with the amazing script! Over-reliance on foreign language (Italian mostly), made the movie look like a documentary!

Rating: 3 of 5

Movie: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

In Movies on May 2, 2009 at 4:30 am

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Cast: Hugh Jackman (as Logan/Wolverine), Liev Schreiber (Victor Creed/Sabertooth), Danny Huston (as Col. William Stryker), amongst others.

Plot: Backstory of Logan Creed, his discovery of his mutant powers, his emotional roller-coaster relationship with his brother Victor Creed, who’s also a mutant, his involvement with Col. Stryker and his evolution as “Wolverine”.

Review: Despite the release of a pirated version a whole month before the theatrical release, I kept myself restrained from downloading the movie! and it was worth it. The theatrical experience is what is needed for the movie of this scale to succeed and to rightfully communicate visually with the audience. With millions in opening week, I assume that most people who’re really interested in the movie, waited and watched it in the theater.

Obviously, as in the past X-Men movies have been a huge success, and why kill the hen that lays the golden egg! Which is what the movie studio decided to do, considering it has an army of mutants that they can make an entire movie on, none however will be as big or as interesting as “Wolverine”.

Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine so beautifully, as if what we’re seeing is real, so real that I would or rather no one make him angry, only to be impaled by his claws!

Despite the movie’s apparent venture from it’s original comic book script, the movie has been well-concieved to keep the movie palatable to the audience on a 70 mm screen.

Rating: 4 of 5

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Hindi Movie: Sardar (2003)

In Movies on May 1, 2009 at 8:30 pm

Sardar

Cast: Paresh Rawal (as Vallabh Bhai Patel), Tom Alter (as Lord Mountbatten), Benjamin Gilani (as Pandit Nehru), Annu Kapoor (as Mahatma Gandhi), Vallabh Vyas (as Mohammad Ali Jinnah) amongst others…

Plot: Story of Shri Vallabh Bhai Patel, commonly known as the “Iron Man of India”. The movie celebrates the last five years of his life between 1945 and 1950, his influence on the socio-political make of the country pre-and post-independence through his death by cardiac arrest.

Review: From the first shot to the last this movie kept us involved. There’s not a whole lot of background that most Indian’s have on “Sardar” Patel, as his political life got overshadowed by more charismatic leaders of his time like M.K. Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru etc.

“Sardar” another pet name given to Mr. Patel for his leadership qualities, led several Satyagrahas, the non-violent mass civil disobidience movement during India’s struggle for Independance from British occupation. Though, Sardar Patel can hold on his own, for his place in history, in creating the India, one country after the brutal aftermath of Partition in 1947.

We all owe a debt to this great man for his vision, his resilience, and above all his sacrifices to see us through the dark times to the India of today. Though, we’re not what he would have imagined us to be 50 years since Independence, but we all can try!

Rating: 5 of 5 (A Must See for Every Indian)