anirudh_shivaswamy Reviews

Inception (2010)

Amazing!

[10/10 · 17 July 2010]

I went into the multiplex to watch this movie without much expectation. I had seen all the trailers, but they did not really give away much of what I was going to see, in my opinion. When the credits started rolling, I was amazed. This is the best movie I've seen in the past 2 years. The last time I had so much to say about a movie was when I saw Nolan's "Dark Knight" First of all the opening is top-notch. It builds up the suspense, and smoothly moves on to introducing DiCaprio's character to the audience. DiCaprio shows us the first "mind heist" of the movie. His character Cobb feels the need to go home, and stealing others' ideas so that he can buy his way back to the US. It is revealed that he committed a crime in France, so he has not had the misfortune of being extradited.

Cobb gets a job from Saito (Watanabe) to get into Fisher's (Cilian Murphy) mind and steal an idea. To do so, Cobb needs to build the dream world, for which he hires an architect Ariadne (Ellen Page). Cobb has secrets of his own, which are revealed in the lower levels of his mind, so to speak. He searches for a sedative that can enable him to create a dream within a dream within a dream. To keep track of reality, he keeps a top. If the top topples, he is in the real world.

Cobb is supported by an excellent supporting cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy are excellent accomplices in his mind crimes. Michael Caine too gets some screen time. Mal (Marion Cotillard) is an impressive Shade, the memory which keeps killing all other 'projections', which is the dream representation of the real-world character. Cobb is constantly seeking ways to assuage his guilt of being partially responsible for Mal's death. It was because of him that she lost the ability to distinguish between dreams and reality, constantly seeking 'the kick' - the feeling of falling that jolts one out of her dream.

After the heist is over, Cobb is seen going back to the US, clearing immigration without being arrested. He spins the top on the table, which never really topples by the time the credits roll. Perhaps reality was never good enough for Cobb, and he has chosen to live in a dream forever until his brain is reduced to mush. Perhaps he did go home. The viewer is left wondering, bringing this brilliant movie to an end.

The Good Wife (2009–2016)

A great drama

[10/10 · 14 June 2010]

I have not been watching any of the law-firm based dramas such as Law & Order. Therefore I decided to give this show a try. I had already seen Julianna Margulies' excellent role in "City Island",which also featured the underrated Andy Garcia.

I was expected Margulies' portrayal of Alicia Florrick to bear a more victimized expression. What I saw instead was a strong female character - a character not stereotyped as a woman out to give a free vasectomy to every man who comes in her way. She holds her own, and does so without trying to bulldoze anyone who disagrees with her even remotely. Even the minor characters such as her children and mother are developed in satisfying detail.

I have only watched 9 episodes so far, but I definitely like what I see. Each episode has a definite conclusion, usually a happy one. It is possible to see the episodes out of sequence without feeling like you missed something. I give this show 10/10.

Jab We Met (2007)

So Sweet!

[8/10 · 19 March 2008]

I have grown up watching so many Hindi flicks, which invariably are love stories by the way. However, there is something different about this movie which sets it apart from the usual stuff. It is fresh and young - something which is missing these days. The songs too keep playing in your head long after you've listened to them. In short, it is not a drag.

Both Shahid Kapur and Kareena seem to be at their peak in this movie. I don't know how to compare their roles in this movie to ones in their previous flicks, but I must admit that they make a good pair. Kareena's excessively talkative personality matches very nicely with Shahid's reserved character. There are no villains too.

It is a pity that Shahid and Kareena will not be starring together in the foreseeable future...Enjoy! (8/10)

Phir Hera Pheri (2006)

What a waste of time and money

[5/10 · 17 June 2006]

I had seen Hera Pheri and came to expect a lot from the sequel. The perfect comic timing of the original made it a huge hit, one that cannot be surpassed easily. However, the sequel was much worse than expected. What we get is corny humour, redundant actors(what was the role of Sunil Pal?) and an ending lifted from Hungama. Perhaps Priyadarshan would have done justice to the movie. The two Bong actresses do not have much of a role, especially Rimi Sen. Paresh Rawal allows himself to be wasted yet again, and so does Rajpal Yadav. One wonders what the director/scriptwriter had in mind while making this movie. Better no sequel at all than suffering this kind of nonsense. I hope this sequel serves as a warning to all those wishing to make a sequel of a successful comedy movie.

Apaharan (2005)

A realistic movie

[7/10 · 4 December 2005]

Apaharan is a realistic movie about the total breakdown of law and order situation in Bihar. Ajay Devgan plays the role of the son of a professor who is desperate to get into the police. The movie portrays the politician-hoodlum nexus which plagues the state. Bipasha doesn't have much of a role,and could have been done away with. Same thing for the needless song. The film is too long, and the second half is tedious as the viewer is forced to hang on till the conclusion. Nana Patekar,playing the role of a corrupt politician once again is up to the mark. Mohan Agashe as the crusader against corruption could have had a bit more of a role. The ending too could have been better instead of leaving the viewer to tie up the remaining loose ends himself. Prakash Jha excels once more in creating a movie which reflects the reality of our times,when other directors are busy creating NRI flicks or boring art-house stuff.