MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (2013)

Director:
Dan Scanlon

Writer:

Robert L. Baird
Daniel Gerson

Dan Scanlon

Starring:
Billy Crystal 
John Goodman 
and others

Monsters University is a prequel of the brilliant 2001 animated flick Monsters Inc. Now the story pretty much deals with how Mike and Sullivan become the best of friends in college. The voice-overs are top notch and Mike and Sullivan are endearing characters. This movie is very well produced and as expected from Disney and Pixar, the animation is top notch but the place where this particular movie fails is charm.

Now the main reason for this is its script. Even though it is well written, it seems recycled and consists of every college cliche possible. Predictable all the way through this movie lack imagination like some of the recent Pixar movies (read Brave and Cars 2). Dear Pixar we want more movies like Up, Wall E and Ratatouille and less like the ones released in the past two years.

I am not saying that this movie is bad, it is more than watchable and deserves your time. But the sense of deja vu is unmistakable and thus makes the movie more forgettable and less memorable.

Pranit’s Rating: 6.5/10

THE HUNT (2012)

Director:
Thomas Vinterberg

Writer:

Thomas Vinterberg

Tobias Lindholm

Starring:
Mads Mikkelson 
Thomas Bo Larsson
Annika Wedderkopp and others

Thomas Vinterberg's Jagten (The Hunt) is a movie which according to him needed to be made and i concur. His vision is truly mesmerizing and his treatment of a heavy script is light handed and subtle which according to me is the true mark of a great filmmaker.

Now for one the title of the movie is slightly misleading. The Hunt has more of a metaphorical significance than literal. The movie is more of a study of human psyche. The movie unravels slowly but in an assured manner. Mads Mikkelson plays Lucas, a divorcee fighting for the custody of his child Marcus. Now Lucas lives a lonely life till he gets involved with Nadja (Alexandra Rapaport). But his life is turned upside down when an innocent lie gets blown out of proportion.

Now revealing any further plot details will ruin the movie so I will refrain from doing so. Mads Mikkelson is stellar as Lucas and his performance is definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination. The scene in which he attends church on Christmas eve is gut wrenching. He infuses so much into his character that one cannot be blamed if they feel like he is playing himself on screen. Vinterberg's and Lindholm's script is beautifully written and small nuances like Lucas's dog, Fanny always barking on hearing his ex-wife's name are a joy to watch. Even the potshots taken at Lucas's ill fate by his friend Bruun (Lars Ranthe) are in good humour and do add a bit is humour into serious scenes. This movie's final sequence is a testament to Vinterberg's ability to understand human nature. This movie is not to be missed.

Pranit’s Rating: 8.5/10

MYSTIC RIVER (2003)

Director:
Clint Eastwood

Writer:

Brian Helgeland

Starring:
Sean Penn
Tim Robbins
Kevin Bacon and others

Mystic river is a delightful movie in a depressing sort of way. The movie opens with three kids playing ice hockey with a plastic ball, little do the kids know what is in store for them. Soon one of the three kids gets kidnapped.

This is followed by a time jump to when Dave (Tim Robbins), Jimmy (Sean Penn) and Sean (Kevin Bacon) are all grown up. Dave is a stay at home dad married to Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) who is Annabeth's (Laura Linney) sister. Annabeth is married to Jimmy. Thus Dave and Jimmy have maintained contact over the years. On the other hand Sean is a police officer and has maintained little to no contact with the above two after the incident as kids. What brings these three together is the murder of Jimmy's daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum).

Now this movie is quintessentially a slow-boil thriller which is handled masterfully by Clint Eastwood (of the Letters From Iwo Jima and Changeling fame). His exceptional knowledge and vision are on display here as he tackles sensitive issues of childhood fears with aplomb. His execution is spot on and Helgeland's a revelation. The subtle nuances at display in the movie are the mark of a talented writer.

But according to me, the reason why this movie is my favourite thriller of all time (beating The Silence Of The Lambs) is Tim Robbin's and Sean Penn's performances. They won Oscars for their portrayal of Dave and Jimmy respectively. The scene in which Dave breaks down and recounts the horrific details of his childhood is sensationally acted and elicited chills. This movie reinstates my belief in thrillers and I recommend this movie for all those people who find the corny run of the mill thriller more than mildly annoying.

Pranit’s Rating: 9/10