MUD (2012)

Director:
Jeff Nichols

Writer:

Jeff Nichols

Starring:
Matthew McConaughey
Tye Sheridan
Jacob Loftland and others

Much like the title, the whole experience of watching this movie can be summed up in a word, UNBELIEVABLE. Jeff Nichols is definitely talented, while I am not familiar with his previous work, this movie has me looking forward to them.

Now the story of Mud, is not out of the ordinary but in Nichol's hand the script is elevated to a whole new level. His character building is simply stellar. Matthew McConaughey gives his career's best performance while Tye Sheridan is also impressive. Jacob Loftland is a little weak when compared to the others.

The cinematography is awe inspiring and the way Mississippi river is exceptionally captured. There are certain elements of the script which will leave a smile on your face especially the scene in which Mud (McConaughey) is ready to part away with his gun but not his shirt because he feels the shirt will protect him. Take a bow Mr. Nichols. He has now officially joined my list of favourite directors.  

Pranit’s Rating: 9/10

SMASHED (2012)

Director:
James Ponsoldt

Writer:

James Ponsoldt
Susan Burke

Starring:
Aaron Paul
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Octavia Spencer and others

Now it is a fact well established that I am a LAZY writer. It's not for lack of ideas, but lack of proper motivation required to follow through. Every once in a while I come across a movie which serves as a perfect catalyst. Smashed is one of them.

It is really surprising as to how easily good movies go unnoticed. Smashed has to be one of the most beautifully directed movies of all time. Each frame is a constant reminder of just how talented Ponsoldt is. The movie is poetry on celluloid.

The characters are well etched out and one cares for them, unlike other movies dealing with alcoholics. Here over the top scenes in which the people realize that alcohol is ruining them, are replaced with scenes in which one just makes an observation and decides to do something about it. Subtlety is an art and Ponsoldt its master.

Now I could go on and on about his direction but that would be unfair to Mary Elizabeth Winstead whose performance is so powerful that it captivates us even hours after the movie. The climax sequence is exquisitely enacted by both the leads (and did I mention beautifully captured somewhere before!). Go and watch this movie. Frankly it's one of the better ways to spend eighty minutes of your life. Can't wait to get my hands on a copy of his next, The Spectacular Now.  

Pranit’s Rating: 8/10

BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013)

Director:
Richard Linklater

Writer:

Richard Linklater
Julie Delpy
Ethan Hawke

Starring:
Ethan Hawke
Julie Delpy and others

Linklater's before trilogy is the best trilogy, period. Like good wine, the story of Celine and Jesse ages beautifully. The level of writing in this particular movie easily surpasses Before Sunset, which I felt reached a level that would be difficult to scale but well Linklater proves me wrong.

A million times better than Bernie, the first one hour of the movie had me smiling foolishly and truly enjoying each and every word out of Delpy and Hawke's mouth. Their dialogue writing is perfect. I felt that delpy was robbed of a worthy nomination in the previous installment but if the same happens again, the jury HAS to be blind.

The serious and deep turn the movie takes towards the later half is something which is necessary but unpleasant. The overall impact of the movie is sublime but I just wish that in this one particular scene (I am not mentioning the exact the scene, but it has something to do with a hotel) Linklater would have been a little more subtle. I am 19 so I virtually grew up with this story and hopefully will continue to enjoy it till death do one of them apart.

Pranit’s Rating: 8/10

THE WOLVERINE (2013)

Director:
James Mangold

Writer:

Mark Bomback
Scott Frank

Starring:
Hugh Jackman
Tao Okamoto
Rila Fukushima and others

Frankly, I am at a loss for words because James Mangold has managed to follow up Knight And Day with a movie which is even worse. Hats of the you sir because only you could fail so spectacularly TWICE. I would start praying if it led to you NEVER again attempting to direct an action movie. Mr. Manglod if you keep giving us movies like these we will forget that Walk The Line was also your creation.

Blessed with the "most original" title in a long time, this movie is a colossal waste of time and money. The screenplay is written by two twelve year olds, who feel that it is important to resort to corny dialogue so that the audience doesn't forget that it is a superhero movie after all. The writers are so enamoured by Japanese tradition that they consider it to their right to introduce audience to the way the chopsticks are to be used and the kimono is to be worn.

Jackman is the only thing that keeps this movie together. Other actors including Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima are average but considering that it is their first movie their performance is not too bad. Svetlana Khodchenkov (I know the name sounds impressive) is truly terrible. The "so called twist" is as predictable as the outcome of Judd Apatow movies. I would have given this movie nada had it not been for a truly sensational Bullet Train sequence.

Pranit’s Rating: 1/10

BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG (2013)

Director:
Rakesh Omprakash Mehra

Writer:

Prasoon Joshi

Starring:
Farhan Akhtar 
Divya Dutta 
Pawan Malhotra and others

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's(ROM) fourth venture into direction and for the first time he has not written the script and it show because for the first time the usually capable ROM has given us a movie which would be instantly forgettable if not for Farhan Akhtar's performance.

Now the blame mostly goes to Prasoon Joshi as this National award winning writer gives us a script which is high on research and melodrama (when Singh is hurt and runs the race irrespective his bandages come out in slow motion) while it falls painfully short in the department of subtlety, something which one has come to expect from this writer director duo. Some of the blame has to be given to P Bharthi, the editor of the movie as the blatant abuse of slow motion is very off putting and irritating.

Some of the sequences are well shot and conceived for which ROM does get the credit (especially when Milkha Singh trains in Ladakh), but some of the mistakes in the movie are glaring and hard to overlook (in the scene from Milkha's childhood when he is being punished by the teacher along with his friend the flag of Pakistan is visible even though the partition has still not taken place.)

Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music is very forgettable, the only memorable song being Zinda. There are just too many songs in the movie which adds unnecessary breaks into an already incoherent screenplay. Clocking in at 3 hours and 7 minutes this movie is too long by at least half an hour. Farhan Akhtar's performance is the only reason one might want to see this movie. Bhaag Viewer Bhaag away from this movie, if you still want to hold the cherished memory of ROM and Joshi's Rang De Basanti.

Pranit’s Rating: 5/10

LOOTERA (2013)

Director:
Vikramaditya Motwane

Writer:

Bhavani Iyer
Vikramaditya Motwane
Anurag Kashyap

Starring:
Ranveer Singh
Sonakshi Sinha
Vikrant Massey and others

Lootera is director-writer Vikramaditya Motwane's second feature film. Now it is only natural for comparisons to be drawn with Udaan. If I had to pick a movie between the two, I still would say that Lootera is no Udaan but it is still in the same league.

The movie is set in 1953-54. Varun (Singh) is an archaeologist who comes to excavate the ground surrounding a temple in a village called Manikpur. Once there he finds himself drawn to the zamindar's daughter Paki (Sinha). Now the movie is predictable and being inspired from O. Henry's The Last Leaf, the climax could be a bit of a dampener for those familiar with the story. But in the more than capable hands of Motwane the movie is treated with a sense of flair and exemplary vision one seldom gets to see in Indian cinema today.

The movie for all the gorgeous sets, cinematography and background score belongs to the two leads. Singh and Sinha put their best foot forward and their performances elevate the movie to a level so high that it seems unlikely that any other movie will reach it this year making it a front-runner as India's official entry for the 2014 Oscars. Sonakshi Sinha's transitions from bitter to jovial to downright arrogant are seamless. But this move belongs to Ranveer Singh who puts in a performance that is memorable and stays true to the name of the movie as he steals your heart and refuses to let it go even hours after the movie.  

Pranit’s Rating: 8.5/10

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