Brick Mansions (2014) - Action

First things first – yes it’s a remake of an outstanding action thriller almost a decade old and yes it is or isn’t half as good as the original for sure – but it still works big time for me as I am big big action movies fan and it qualifies as a high adrenaline action flick for sure. Two reasons – one the protagonist Leno (Outstanding David Belle) who is regarded as one of the 8 founders of Parkour – is totally out of this world guy and does the same sequences as he did in the original District 13 earlier and two – of course apna Paul Walker as super cop Damien – he is good but nothing great. I guess by the time he started doing good movies to come to lime light – unfortunately he was destined to leave us a little too soon. I can vouch his last three movies have seriously changed his fans opinion about his acting skills but as I said unfortunately this one is his last movie. Everything remains same – same writer / producer, even the protagonist too – the only change is – it all is happening in Detroit this time. One minor change is that Leno and his partner Damien are saving the district by defusing a bomb and saving Leno’s Ex Girl friend and not his sister like in the original. Rest all is almost identical (mind-blowing start) but somewhere around the half time – it loses steam and goes almost nowhere hence a big big let down. Action is superb, background score is equally good, camera work is excellent and cast – the less I say the better as they were both good in their respective roles still it didn’t have half the magic “District 13” had on me almost a decade back. I guess they should have bettered in this much of time but they screwed it somehow – still it does qualifies as a good one time watch action flick for sure, again as the fate had it – we almost saw the last day first show with only a dozen people in the auditorium including us three. I will give it a 2.5/5 (that’s when I get confused whether I liked it or not) but still will call it a good one time watch.

Train to Pakistan (Book) - Khushwant Singh

I had never read a book by Khushwant Singh before I decided to pick this one up as my next – only a couple of his short stories – I had read that too long back while in college. And let me tell you this in advance – right like the title suggests – it is one mind-blowing read. Although after close to 60+ years it is one of the most beaten to death subjects – so much have been written, made into movies, documentaries and stuff yet it was one of the most important (read horrible) part of history being made in our part of the world. Now after reading this one – I’ve got to ask some of my good friends who have read more of Khushwant Singh – about his best five works after this (Let me know your suggestions). I am more inclined to read some more of him now – as I totally loved his attention to detail and the way he takes his story forward – keeping the reader totally glued up to the very last page as if reading a perfect thriller. It is indeed tough to believe that it was written and published in the year 1956 – I am sure if you have read this – you will agree with me on that. Looking forward to some of his works big time now.

The Book: Is based on the life of villagers of Mano Majra at India Pakistan border on and after the partition of 1947. What they witness and how it all changes their life upside down is the story all about. The village has its own story going on too in the meantime as a local money lender gets murdered by a local gangster Juggut Singh who in place is in love with a muslim girl. Then we have another character as a corrupt magistrate who has his own ways of handling situations. It’s totally amazing and so damn true to see – once close friends (Sikhs and Muslims) become enemies in no time as the situation changes but its again heartening to see how it ends. How the villains become heroes and vice versa is so damn good. Another important line I would love to quote here which in reality sums up the whole situation as well as the story in the book is “Muslims said the Hindus had planned and started the killing. According to the Hindus, the Muslims were to blame. The fact is, both sides killed. Both shot and stabbed and speared and clubbed. Both tortured. Both raped”. Another important character in the book is of Iqbal (Mohammed or Singh) who is well education and but an atheist social worker, well travelled and from Britain who thinks politically. What they do in the end is what we readers expect from them is totally fundoo stuff – it was beyond my expectations and I am sure no one can guess its ending that easily.

The story raises so many questions and offers so much food for thought. I really wonder how the public would have reacted to this one then – got to find it somewhere as what exactly the critics wrote about this one. Khushwant Singh gives us a superb understanding of human actions and makes it pretty clear that everyone was responsible equally. And isn’t it amazing that even after almost 70 years the difference is still very much there and visible big time. It is indeed a must read for all – a different perspective altogether which does not talk of politics much but it’s after effects on the society. I will definitely give it a 5/5 for sure – if I have to rate this book.

2 States (2014) - Drama / Romance

I will call it a way below average drama and unfortunately the Director is the culprit here – a story of this caliber should have got a Director like may be Adi Chopra or someone from Rajshri banner to do justice. Fortunately what works big time in this movies case and still keeps it watchable is the excellent cast – in that department this movie is Superb! Barring of course the man in lead (Arjun Kapoor) who kept precisely two expressions on his face during the entire narrative – Happy and Confused.  I assumed after a couple of movies (good ones) to his credit – he should’ve matured enough to take up this fundoo character which he isn’t able to do justice to (my personal opinion). Alia Bhatt fortunately is in superb form right from her first movie – now I can definitely say that and I must confess that I am hopelessly falling in love with her right like the way I was madly in love with her sister Pooja Bhatt while I was graduating. The rest of the cast is simply outstanding in their respective roles, like the two mothers played by Amrita Singh and Revathy respectively are simply too good. And so are the dads – especially Ronit Roy as Arjun’s dad was simply terrific – he continues to play the same character he enacted awesomely in “Udaan” – and was simply Terrific! I kept looking for an opportunity to see his smiling face at least once but no ways – he lived that character till the very end. Songs as per me were totally unwanted in this movie – I guess they should have skipped the songs and rather adjusted a little more drama but it’s a love story after all so I think songs are justified. Overall it qualifies as a good drama for sure and I will definitely give it an average 3/5 but I am sure some people will find it too long to their taste. If you have seen it – do let me know if you liked it? And by the ways – did you notice the movie starts with Arjun narrating his story to a psychiatrist but where does it end? Did I miss anything?

Comparison with the Book: Again, I guess it’s the same story every time they make a movie based on a book and the audience keeps on expecting justice which unfortunately never happens. Of course it’s a tough job to adjust a book of 270 pages into a two and a half hour long movie and still keeping it watchable but is it really that tuff? I am sure Chetan Bhagat could have done more justice to his superb story (in the book) while adapting it into a movie – but let me tell you – it isn’t half as good as the book was. The problem I feel now is that if you have read the book – the movie is never at par with it but if you haven’t read it and you plan to read it after you watch the movie – it becomes futile as you already know what’s going to happen next and how it all ends. In this particular case – in comparison to the book – movie is totally haphazard – it goes from one chapter to another just like that and there was so much left behind untold. Take that very first scene of the movie where Ananya takes Krish out for lunch – on their very first meeting and she is shown keeping her hands on his while asking if he was from IIT too? I mean, c’mon – that was a little superfast for a girl from anywhere to do that. No mention of his Boss at Yes Bank, No mention of Manju (Ananya’s Bro) other than that Krish teaches him, not much background on his father either and totally no nothing on the girl he sees on his mother and her cousin’s insistence. So in the end – I can say the book was way better, if you haven’t read it – I will say – go ahead and read it, you are going to love it more than the movie.

Revolution 2020 (Book) - Chetan Bhagat.

Chetan Bhagat: Is such a smart writer that I will not be shocked or surprised if someday “Madhur Bhandarkar” picks up this one to make a movie on corruption going on in our Education System. More than that what shocked me totally was the use of the names of so many institutes as well as the organizations like AICTE whose name he has used in the book – so far I haven’t heard or read anywhere that they objected to what he had to say about them in his book. If this is a work of fiction even then too – it’s simply WOW to see all those real time names in the story and the way author point’s fingers and calls them corrupt. As all his other works – this one too is definitely totally filmy – with so much going on all over at breakneck speed that it’s hard to tell if it’s a book or a movie going on (visually in readers mind). No doubt, one has to agree with what he says (at least most of it) about the education system in our part of the world – how exactly everyone is just making money and nothing else in the name of education, which end of the day is hardly of any use. As the book says – there will be a Revolution by 2020 and people will finally wake up to make a change in the system. I seriously hope it happens as how long one can just sit in the living room having a cup of coffee and say “This system just sucks and nothing can be done”.

The Book: Again, I will call it an amazing book and a fantastic story on top of that, of a handful of interwoven characters in the name of Love, Corruption and Ambition. Superb story of three school time friends mainly, Gopal the narrator who belongs to a very poor family – wants to become an engineer just because his dad wishes him to be. It’s heartening to see the way his father not only spends all his life’s savings in making him an engineer buy also takes up a loan and the way his own brother ditches him for property. Gopal’s best friend Raghav who is not only intelligent but also belongs to a rich family and becomes an engineer by default whereas he desires to do something else. He wants to clean the society of corruption even if that means losing everything that he had in the quest – still he never gives up. And then we have a love triangle with Aarti in between (these two) who belongs to a very affluent family who wants to become an Airhostess but his family won’t allow her to go out of Varanasi where all these things are happening. Daughter of an IAS officer (DM) whose Grand Father was the Ex CM of the state. And then we have another character - MLA Shukla - who is the face of all the corrupt people especially political figures we come across in our daily life. What happens with all these characters is the story with so many twists and turns that the villain becomes the hero by the time it ends or is it the other way round? 

Exactly like all his previous works even this one too is narrated by one of his characters (Gopal) – he actually meets the Author and narrates him his life story and we read it as a flash back. Chetan Bhagat is totally filmy – no doubt about that, he is big time inspired by our movies and hence writes in a way that I guess it becomes easier for the makers to adapt his stories into a movie. But it’s totally commendable the way he captures so much in one book that too in totally convincing way – as it happens in real life. Also, it is fantastic the way he uses various cities as characters in his narrative i.e. Varanasi in this one as one of the oldest cities of the country and whose people have now modern aspirations or Kota as the educational capital of India where almost everybody is related to the business of providing coaching one way or the other. How we humans manipulate and use other humans to the most of our advantage is shown in the story in the most amazing way, yet every villain has a positive side too. All in all it makes up for a fantastic read – no doubt on that and I hope someone like Madhur Bhandarkar – makes it into a movie one day. Let’s see if that happens anytime sooner. Till then I will be waiting for his next book which I guess will be out in Oct’ 14.

Captain America The Winter Soldier (2014) - Action

Finally, fortunately we saw the movie today – thanks to my friend – we planned to see this one on First Day First Show and somehow managed to see the Last Day Only Show. Thanking God and my stars to let me see it finally, as this one turns out way way better than “Captain America” which didn’t impress me that much. This one had a serious story to tell with some real good twists and turns and especially with some superb action sequences thrown in (that too on 3D) made up for an excellent and a little over two hours well spent. Although 3D just gives it some depth and nothing else – it would still be as good on 2D as well. Chris Evans as Captain America was as usual wooden throughout the movie (I guess that’s the demand of the character too) – I have no issues with him as I was more looking forward to the ravishing Black Widow (Hawtie Scarlett Johansson) in superb form – I almost love everything about her, looks, physic, attitude and especially her sexy voice, I wish the cinematographer had done a little more justice with the beauty – it would’ve been better but still it works big time. Initially the story confused me a little but later they clarify everything as SHIELD this time around is compromised and my heart came to my mouth when I saw the much loved Nick Fury (Sam Jackson) dies in this part – I was like “WTF, first they killed M in James Bond Series and now Nick Fury in this one”. But what to do! How Captain America takes the revenge and sets the records straight with the help of Black Widow and Falcon (Awesome Anthony Mackie) makes up for some mind blowing action. Robert Redford as Pierce and Sebastian Stan as Bucky were two fantastic shocking characters which kept us hooked throughout. Especially Sebastian – I had no idea who that guy would be inside the mask and totally loved him. Hope he gets up in the next upcoming installment and kicks some asses with Captain America in a more positive role. All in all it’s an awesome action movie better than my expectations and will highly recommend it to action / super hero lovers. I will definitely rate it a damn good 3.5/5 with two thumbs up recommendation.