Bridesmaids (2011)

Bridesmaids

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Director : Paul Feig

Writers : Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig

Actors : Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd, Jill Clayburgh and others...

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Overall : 8.5/10

Direction : 8.0/10

Acting : 8.5/10

Cinematography : 8.0/10

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Let me end the debate here and now : Bridesmaids is better than the Hangover trilogy.
YES, you read this right.

It has something for everyone, boasting an acceptance among girls and boys, the ladies and the gentlemen alike : something that the Hangover movies were not able to generate.

The plot is deceptively simple but laced with humour. Even the most common of scenes in the movie have an unspoken comic element about them. Kristen Wiig is talented and everyone knew that, but this script confirms her position as the comic lady who could someday become better than her ex-boss Tina Fey.

SNL people sure have a lot to offer.

Bridesmaids revolves around the pre-wedding stages of a certain Miss Lillian Donovan (Maya Rudolph) and the constant clash of egos between Lillian's best friend and maid of honour Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig), and her fiance's boss' wife Helen Harris III (Rose Byrne). Melissa McCarthy as Megan, Lillian's mysteriously weird future sister-in-law, is the pick of the lot. Her expressions in the movie are to die for and one can see how she was nominated for an Oscar in the capacity of a Supporting Actress.

The direction is nothing exceptional but it is able to do justice to the superbly authored script.
Maybe that's where The Hangover - Part I edges past it.

Nonetheless, this is one movie where you would definitely be flaunting a smile on your face the entire time.

The cameo by Jon Hamm as Ted, a self-absorbed sexual animal, is a nice touch to the movie. Wiig is true to her role of a damsel in distress, with her bakery shut down and her non-reciprocating boyfriend Ted. However, the manner in which she is saved by a traffic officer Nathan Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd) is a tad bit predictable. Their chemistry, while not the best part of the movie, is enough to keep you interested. 

All in all, it is a good movie with clear-cut intentions to make you laugh. It never tries too hard.
It doesn't need to.


PS : Wait for sometime after the credits start rolling. McCarthy has a "treat" in store for you!

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Official Trailer

Se7en (1995)

Se7en

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Director : David Fincher

Writer : Andrew Kevin Walker

Actors : Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, (plus one) and others...

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Overall : 10/10

Direction : 8.5/10

Acting : 9.0/10

Cinematography : 9.0/10

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Se7en is perfection, personified.

David Fincher is one of my favourite directors. With the kind of command he possesses over the art of story-telling, Fincher creates a classic with this venture. Crime thrillers come and go, but this movie will stick with you.

The actors are a class apart. Morgan Freeman, as the almost retired detective William Somerset, and Brad Pitt as his young protege David Mills, are absolutely phenomenal. Dark and gritty, once his movie gets hold of you, it never lets go.

The crux of the story is this : there is a serial killer named 'John Doe' on the loose and Somerset, who still has a week before he hangs up his boots, pairs up with the guy who has been called in to replace him - David Mills. The duo are like fire and ice. Somerset is the anchor, and Mills is the engine. Mills also brings his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) to the city, acknowledging that this opportunity to tackle big cases would be a boost to his career. Sometime later in the movie, the three have dinner together and Somerset exhibits paternal instincts towards the simple Tracy, who is like the daughter he had always wanted.

Meanwhile, the killer is staging ghastly murders, all in connection with the Seven Deadly Sins. The duo come very near to catching that psychopath, but fail by an excruciatingly thin margin.

In a scene towards the end of the movie, Tracy meets up with Somerset to ask if it would be wise to bring a baby into this world - she reveals that she was pregnant. Uncertain of the city and his dark secrets, she needed the older man's approval before telling her husband.

The conclusion to the movie is so ethically revolting and so unpredictably delicious that you'll be stuck in a dilemma - whether to smile at the amazing anti-climax, or pause for a second, and soak up the gravity of the situation.

Keep a look out for the "plus one" I have listed in the cast above. To keep the intrigue going, even Fincher had not included the actor's name in the movie's opening titles, only to list the man twice in the closing credits.

After all, who are we to tamper with this gory masterpiece?

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Official Trailer

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

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Director : Stephen Chbosky

Adapted from : The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Actors : Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd and others...

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Overall : 8.5/10

Direction : 8.5/10

Acting : 8.0/10

Cinematography : 8.0/10

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I haven't read the book this flick's adapted from. What I have done is watched the movie, directed by the writer of the book - and for a newcomer, Stephen Chbosky has nailed it. Well, almost.

It is a story of innocence lost, found, and lost again, till it is finally regained for good at the end of the movie. Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a high school freshman, who is too introverted; his deep-seated insecurities are a source of his shyness. Unable to make friends easily, he ends up meeting Patrick, a senior, played beautifully by Ezra Miller, in his workshop class. Later they even run into each other during a football game. Patrick introduces Charlie to his step-sister, Sam (Emma Watson) and Charlie is smitten by her. Obviously, he keeps his feelings to himself, as per his nature.

Meanwhile, a "Oh Captain, My Captain" kind of relation is forged between Charlie and his English teacher (Paul Rudd), with the latter trying his best to bring out the writer in the talented boy. Even Charlie holds his educator in high esteem.

Charlie, as time progresses, develops quite the social reputation, although he sulks quietly in the harsh reality that Sam was with someone else. To add to his difficulties, he even learns that Patrick is gay, and proudly so. There is a lot of psychological drama that goes on till the very end - something unexpected about Charlie's past is also revealed. 

The acting is quite good. Undoubtedly, Ezra Miller is the star of the movie. The problem with acting gay is that actors tend to go quite over the top - acting homosexual often turns into a charade. But, with Ezra, it is a smooth flow. His character is the highlight of the movie.

There is a scene in the movie where Charlie says, "We accept the love we think we deserve." I think this movie deserves a lot.

To all my fellow Wallflowers out there, don't dare miss this!



PS : I'll read the book as soon as I can! You should do the same.

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Official Trailer

Lost In Translation (2003)

Lost In Translation

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Director : Sofia Coppola

Writer : Sofia Coppola

Actors : Bill Murray, Scar-Jo and others...

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Overall : 9.5/10

Direction : 9.0/10

Acting : 9.0/10

Cinematography : 9.5/10

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Talent runs in the Coppola family. There is no doubt about that. None at all.

Lost in Translation is a quietly beautiful movie - challenging in it's implications and yet, it manages to be subdued and relaxed at the same time. Bill Murray is excellent as Bob Harris - he delivers with ease a performance that sums up his life's regrets, his fading career as an actor and a superficial relation with his wife.

Enter Scar-Jo, a psychology graduate, who too has doubts of her own : whether her young marriage was a correct decision? Has she "bound" herself? Where is she to go from here onward? What is she to do in life?

So, it ain't a surprise that these two 'lost' souls hit it off instantly.

The scenes at the hotel bar are some of the best in the movie - Sofia Coppola brilliantly captures the deep-seated insecurities of the central characters. Towards the end of the movie, she even manages to convert the unromantic skyline of Tokyo into something humane. Something that evoked hope.

The Scar-Jo - Murray chemistry is simply amazing. I haven't seen anything better since or prior. The magic of their relationship lies in the fact that it isn't carnal, but just a healthy (and rather rarely found) companionship in a foreign land. When Murray sings "More Than This" in that karaoke bar with his eyes fixed on Jo, it hints at something playful, but nothing creepy that can put the audience off.

Ultimately, Murray has to return to America. His trip is over. And with it, the promise of a budding relationship. This is what makes the last scene all the more special.

As serendipity would have it, they meet again. He comes out of the limo that is to take him to the airport, chases down Jo and kisses her. Then, he whispers something in her ear. Sofia Coppola's stroke of genius is this : whatever he says is overpowered by the buzz of the Asian markets. Jo smiles, Murray returns to his limo, and I'm still left wondering what he could have possibly said to her.

Then, I realise what Coppola has done : I guess she knew that we never wanted to know what had conspired in those few seconds afterall. Like those two, I found it fulfilling to remain suspended in that moment. Neither inquiring nor over-thinking.

This movie is like poetry in motion. It'll be sometime before it can be displaced from my top 10 list. In all probability, it'll never be.

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Official Trailer