Movie#22 Chloe

Hmmmm, I shall say that this movie would fall in the category of an emotional thriller. The story line is not excellent but definitely above average. And it is not a family entertainer, do you get the message? It has a collection of well known and respected actors such as Liam Neelson, Amanda Seyfried and Julianne Moore.
The commonly visible storyline is that a troubled woman plays a dangerous game by recruiting a high class hooker to have an affair with her husband to prove that he cheats on her. The shooting locals are breath taking and each shot has so much of vividness. I stand in admiration of the house the couple lives because it comes closest to my dream house. So beautiful and the outside colour, deep red?, just wow!
Amanda Seyfried has more colour and looks 100 times prettier in this one than the previous blogged movie, Dear John. Her golden tresses catches your attention. It makes us wonder whether it is Pantene or Sunsilk?
Even though it is clubbed as a thriller, the movie cause derailing of audiences' attention but pulls it back by nudity from the leading actresses. The story runs 96 mins with the credits.
My rating for this one will be 2.5 out of 5…

Movie#21 Broken Embraces ( Spanish)

Ah ha! decided to do something very out of the ordinary. Took this spanish movie to watch, mainly because it has Penelope Cruz in it. As usual it didn't disappoint, as she bared it all in it..ahem.
A dull story or perhaps a dull drama/love story. I finally lost my Midas touch after 5 good movies in a row. A movie director living as his alter ego for 14 years after the death of his lover (PC) who happened to be the mistress of a wealthy businessman. Because of his involvement with this woman, the businessman destroys his reputation by mismanaging the last movie ( a comedy!) he was working on, which starred the same woman (PC). The story unfolds and the director finally accepts his own ego and starts to edit the same movie for a re-screening. Happy Ending.
I don't have anything more to comment about this movie as I got only the above mentioned story line. Saw it with subtitles, hence on majority of the duration, my eyes were concentrated at the bottom of the screen than centre.
My personal rating will be 2 out of 5…

Movie#20 The Last Station

A very tragic story, this one. It is a love story of a different kind. Between Leo Tolstoy ( Christopher Plummer) and his wife, Sofya (Helen Mirren).
The story begins during the time Leo Tolstoy lives in a commune he himself made, far from the mainstream society and the church. It is supposed to be a place where freedom and love reigns. But things go out of hand for Tolstoy. His friends and partners twist his beliefs to their advantage to create an icon. They made him will his works for the public and not a share for his family. His wife, countess Sofya, fights with him for the rights, which I think is always fair. Atlast he is taken away from her. The story is seen from the perspective of his secretary, Mr Valentin ( James Mcavoy). He comes to the commune as a celibate but falls for a worker girl there but chooses to stay with Tolstoy than her. When he realizes the love that Mr Tolstoy had for Countess Sofya even when he was taken away, he realizes that there was no greater love than between man and woman.
I personally hoped for a happy ending but it was an apt sad ending. The rating I shall give for this movie will be 3 out of 5

Movie#19 Undisputed III- Redemption

Well, the name says it all. It is a story of the villain in the 2^nd  edition to redeem himself. In short, the part 2 villain is the good guy in this edition. I found it funny that I was rooting for the same guy I was cursing in part 2.
If you are a fan of UFC fighting, then you would love this. I don't know how exactly UFC is fought but I guess it is either this way or these fights come closest to it. Fantastic fights, especially the kicks.
The story line is nothing to brag about. You can expect the same as in part 1 and 2. Prison setting and the fight tournament for freedom. The 'current' good guy trains and is recuperating from the injury he got form part 2. Also, as usual, he has become God fearing and the role of The Bible is shown. He befriends a talkative american (as usual) in the tournament and helps him. Thus redeeming himself of the bad deeds from part 2. Interesting to note that the director tries to show the bonhomie between this russian and his american friend. The bad guy is a columbian in this one (maybe he will redeem in the 4^th  edition). And the one action to look out for– The final match, especially the final kick that settles the match. Wow!, seeing something like that for the 1^st  time.
Anyway, for anyone deciding to watch this–  you won't be disappointed. My personal rating is 3 out of 5

Movie#18 Neelathaamara (Malayalam- India)

I think I struck gold. Lately all my choices surprise me. It seems I got the Midas's touch. How else I decide to watch this and it turns out to be masterpiece…
The storyline is one of the simplest I have ever watched. Yet the movie is so smooth. The director has cleverly tread the path that so narrowly demarcates lust and innocent love. If it had anyone else, it would have made out to be a B class rated movie but not this one. The shots and the editing needs special mention. It can be termed as a class that is in transition from art movie to mainstream movie.
The music and the songs have the power to bring back childhood memories about innocent love. I can't seem to find words to describe the beauty of this movie. I suggest anyone, including people not versed in malayalam, to watch this one. There is nothing too complicated to understand in this one. Maybe subtitles can help if you want to know the dialogues but it can prove a distraction from the scenic shots.
My rating is 4 out of 5…

Movie#17 Requiem for a Dream

I took a chance to see this because I saw the review in IMDB.com. It came highly recommended by all the reviewers, so I didn't give up the chance.
If the saying 'What You See Is What You Get' holds true somewhere, then this movie is one of it. The movie starts and finishes without any fuss. The story is about the life experience of a son, his mother, his girl friend and his friend. All are addicted to drugs somehow or the other. It shows how dreams can be shattered by drug use and where one shall end up. The background music scores have a magnetic attraction to keep your attention throughout. The movie doesn't have any hidden message. It depicts what it wants to convey.
It is a rated movie because of drug usage scenes, nudity and language. But anyone adult shouldn't miss chance to view this. Made so beautifully with minimum expense, I guess.
My personal rating is 3.5 out of 5…

Movie#16 Winter (Malayalam- India)

Here I am writing my experience on watching a malayalam movie. Malayalam is my mother tongue and I rate such movies higher that Hindi movies as they are more in touch with reality and have themes which a common man can relate to. Since starting this blog, this is my 1^st  malayalam movie. For anyone who cares to read my short movie blogs, the review of malayalam movies would not give much info as I don't expect keralites showing any interest in my blogs.
This one stars Jayaram, whose movies I watch with caution as I'm fed up of his constant imitation of late Mr Prem Naseer's mannerisms. I find that there is no novelty in Jayaram's acting. Rarely does he come up with a worthy watch. The movie also has Bhavana who portrays Jayaram's wife. The movie is a thriller/horror category one. Barring a few gross mistakes (Jayaram, a super–  speciality surgeon, doing an emergency operation with his face mask hanging by the neck and etc), the movie is worth watchable. It also has some propaganda message for viewers as it glorifies vaastu shastra. Agreed that the fad was catching up with the Kerala community but obvious glorifying it in movie was a drag attempt.
The theme deals with a psychopath killing children and after his death, the killing continues, which invokes the fear that his ghost was still at large. The investigation follows with storyline peppered with sounds to jolt the viewers. Then as every horror/ thriller, the ending gives way for a possible sequel (don't know why every horror movie need to end this way–  why can't it be just 'The End').
My personal rating will be 2.5 out of 5