The Fanboy Reawakens - a less than honest opinion

SPOILER ALERT. Wait, if you still haven't seen this movie, you're either at the wrong webpage or in dire need of reevaluating your priorities in life.

Enter the holy grail of geek culture, the space opera fantasy that, since ages immemorial (at least for 90s kids), mandated that every man, woman and child fit for society should hum the Imperial March in reverence to the likeness of Darth Vader upon sight, Star Wars. From indoctrinating the young to the idol worship of Stormtrooper figurines and LEGO Star Destroyers to establishing that emotional attachments to fictional characters are socially acceptable while homosexuality isn’t, these events that transpired a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away have defined the way we see the universe. That being said, Star Wars is not merely one of the world’s highest grossing franchises - it is a way of life.

After a train wreck of prequels that culminated in a redeeming finale that was not nearly sufficient to keep creator George Lucas from going into exile, the series’ fan base was segregated into two factions – the Dark Side loyalists whose emotions had been played with by his treachery, and the Light Side optimists who ruminated on his mistakes so hard, they brought Darth Plagueis back to life and elevated Jar Jar Binks to the status of Sith Lord. Nonetheless, with the announcement of the third trilogy and the passing of the baton to Mickey Mouse’s fun house and J. J. Abrams, the man who did rather well with that Sci-fi franchise that the uncultured often confuse with this one, millions of voices suddenly cried out in anticipation, and were suddenly screaming all over the internet as the hype train once again took the world by storm. Two-minute teasers sucked away hours of everyone’s time as the countdown to Christmas 2015 began, with the familiar scream of TIE Fighters tearing through the atmospheres of unnamed planets, backed by John Williams’ timeless score, sending shivers down the spines of grown men and women who struggled to contain their tears. YouTube’s storage capacity stood challenged by the innumerable hour-long analyses, debates and speculations born of the mere five minutes of material that had been released to the public. To a large section of the uninitiated, the fanfare served as a call to arms, with catch-up marathons keeping people up late so as to keep them apace with their more enlightened peers’ everyday conversations. Star Wars was back, and the world would not sleep in peace till their tickets for the opening day were in hand.

How to sell a teaser in 2 seconds

While those of us in India were inconvenienced by the higher popularity afforded by a pair of films with two hours of dance sequences and two minutes of plot development, our honorable brethren from the far west took great care to ensure that we walked into the theaters a week later than them with no more than the trailer to go by. When the day finally arrived, I donned the attire of Han Solo, abandoning the calm, jocular demeanor of the master smuggler in favor of uncontrolled excitement, a sentiment shared by her worshipfulness Princess Leia, seated beside me, as numerous advertisements and trailers streamed by unnoticed on the IMAX screen, the final test of patience before the conscious mind allowed the fantasy it had molded and twisted beyond reason over the course of a year to take proper form, nurtured by the senses alone.

Star Wars movies are a wholesome experience right from the start, with the 20^th Century Fox fanfare giving way to the Lucasfilm banner halfway through, followed by the tense silence accompanying the phrase “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”, the calm before the storm of trumpets heralding the march of the opening crawl to Williams’ legendary Main Theme - a potent cocktail of immeasurable grandeur that leaves longtime fans with eyes so watery they can hardly read the text as it ascends towards the stars. Disney could not, of course, replicate the first part of this sequence, but the experience remained unadulterated, and fulfilled its established duty of setting the tone for the odyssey that lay ahead.

The opening scene is one of the finest in the series, introducing the new Rebel Alliance, the Resistance's friendliest pilot, Poe Dameron, his trusty droid BB-8, the Stormtroopers of the post-Galactic Empire Imperial faction, the First Order, who display a remarkable capability to actually hit their targets, and the chief antagonist of the film, and hopefully the rest of the trilogy, Kylo Ren, a seemingly powerful Dark Jedi who demonstrates his frightening ability to stop blaster projectiles midair. We are subsequently introduced to Finn, an exemplary Stormtrooper with a conscience, whose primary purpose is to ensure that no Bothans die while the Resistance plays covert ops. Dameron affirms his flying prowess by adeptly piloting a TIE fighter as Finn takes over its firepower, igniting a passionate bromance that soon goes down in flames just above Jakku, leaving a forlorn Finn to cross the unforgiving dunes by himself.

Writer Lawrence Kasdan proceeds to fulfill the New Hope in the fresh trilogy by following the adventures of a droid with sensitive information sought by the enemy across a sandy planet, accompanied by a budding Jedi who eventually makes a hasty escape to space aboard the Millennium Falcon - a narrative that bears stark similarities to that of the first movie. It is, however, supplemented by dramatic visuals, the most powerful being protagonist Rey’s solitary ride across the sands of Jakku with a fallen Star Destroyer in the background, an ominous throwback to the events of the original trilogy. Abrams whets our appetites for the dogfights to come with an intense Falcon-TIE Fighter battle in a graveyard of Destroyers, ending in an incredible maneuver of the Falcon to align its damaged cannons with the single remaining Fighter, making its pilot, Captain Phasma, feel as weak as her character's development. The film, up to this point, provides an accurate view of its perfect pacing, which is more or less consistent throughout.

Super thug Wookiee face

The entrance of Han Solo and his Wookiee companion Chewbacca elicits a loud cheer from both those well aware of their presence in the movie and waiting for the right moment to proclaim either love or sycophancy, and the genuine folk who hadn’t seen the trailer beforehand, the latter group being merely hypothetical. While his age and his newfound faith in the Force could have made him more mature and boring, Han proved to be the same old sly scoundrel from the original trilogy, attempting to appease the mercenaries, whose kind is still after his head, with his signature sweet talk. The frantic chase that ensues has Abrams written all over it, but is nothing special enough to elaborate on.

The film's excellent choice of set locations is made prominent as the Millennium Falcon descends onto the lush green paradise of Takodana. Maz Kanata's fortress of a cantina has all the charm of a wartime keep, with a spectrum of flags from across the galaxy greeting visitors as they enter. While Kanata herself plays a role very typical of hero-centric plots, she helps reveal Finn's need to escape the terror of the First Order, and aggravates Rey's panic at the visions of Luke Skywalker's slaughtered Jedi Order and their assailants, the Knights of Ren. Their attempts to flee are cut short by the horrific obliteration of the New Republic and its neighboring worlds at the hands of the offspring of the Death Star and a planet, the Starkiller base. The subsequent convergence of the First Order and the Resistance at Kanata's doorstep begins the most exhilarating dogfight in the series so far, opening with a beautiful shot of TIE fighters arriving at the scene to the backdrop of the sunset and several views of the front line of Resistance X-wings racing towards the waterfront. The IMAX 3D experience proves to be utterly spellbinding as I take in the epic tracking shot of Poe Dameron's X-wing hunting down a fleet of unfortunate TIE fighters as Finn scrambles about the battlefield rejoicing at the glorious return of his brother-in-arms - the very moment I couldn't stop thinking about even as I stood in line to watch the movie for the second time a few weeks later.

Now, that's a damn good cameraman!

Nostalgia strikes back in the form of Princess-General Leia, who arrives with her Resistance fleet and greets Han, whose haunting sense of failure is betrayed by his eyes as first lost son and then estranged wife reappear after his many years of running away. While Leia is not given significant screen time, the chemistry between the iconic couple is heart-rending. With their romantic theme from the original trilogy playing softly in the background, time stands still for the small moment when their eyes first meet. Carrie Fisher perfectly embodies her character’s description as being “war-worn and somewhat sad”, bearing an expression that speaks of decades of hardship and a strict dedication to duty while giving a tiny hint of being tired of it all. C3PO’s cameo appearance doesn’t give him enough time to be his old comical self, and R2D2’s almost ridiculous “low-power mode” stretches to an unreasonable extent the notion that droids have feelings, elevating newbie BB-8 to the title of Most Entertaining Droid.

I'll try spinning, that's a good trick!

Without thoroughly debating the degree of realism observed by a universe in which stars can be absorbed by their orbiting “planets” and fired at solar systems in concentrated beams, sneaking into Starkiller’s atmosphere at warp speed was an incredible comeback stunt for the Falcon and her favorite pilot. The sensitive ground operation undertaken by Team Falcon is led by Finn’s sugar rush, mediated at times by Han’s timely sarcasm. Captain Phasma’s incompetence is exploited yet again by her least favorite subordinate as she is forced to lower the base’s defenses. Following the X-wings diving in formation to take out the vulnerable stronghold, we are once again pulled into the action and reminded that 3D effects aren’t always superfluous.

The change in atmosphere as Han catches a second glimpse of Ren is palpable. Abandoning his immediate objective in a seemingly final attempt to win a more personal battle, Han cries out to his son in a tone that leaves the audience frozen, muttering “Don’t do it” again and again as the beloved smuggler’s inevitable fate, as envisioned by Harrison Ford himself, unfolds before our eyes. While it is well known that the Dark Side brings out the worst in people, the act about to be committed seems unreal – Han Solo, who survived being encased in frigid carbonite, shone like a true veteran in the Battles of Yavin and Endor and stole a great number of the original trilogy’s many memorable moments, thereafter attaining legendary status in Star Wars lore, couldn’t possibly die, right? Even resigning to the obvious outcome of the situation at hand and how it makes perfect sense in the larger scheme of things does nothing to quell the outburst of emotion as Ren ignites his savage saber to impale Han, who tenderly touches his son’s face before becoming one with the Force. Leia is struck by the same pang of sorrow that Yoda was forced to endure as Order 66 was being carried out to destroy the Jedi Order of the Republic. A haze of uneasiness hangs over the gathering, threatening to persist through the rest of the film.

Bring our souls back. :'(

Star Wars has always explored its central theme of the conflict between the Light and the Dark through Lightsaber duels, subduing the chaos of the surrounding war in favor of a more intimate contest of skill and willpower between the main characters. The original trilogy’s heavily plot-driven and psychological trials and the prequels’ beautifully choreographed, operatic showdowns (yes, they’re awesome; haters, go away) have served as the series’ most defining moments. The Force Awakens does justice to this legacy, upholding the quality of swordplay advocated by the prequels while employing the OT’s narrative approach, thus providing an opportunity for the combatants to bare their personalities for a thorough analysis.

Ren opens the attack with a sudden outburst of force power, rendering Rey unconscious as he singles out the traitor to his cause, his crudely crafted lightsaber arcing violently like the flood of emotions set loose by his recent patricide. At this point, we have been completely convinced of the sheer extent of evil hidden beneath his innocent facade, proved once and for all by the execution of the deed that even Darth Vader couldn’t bring himself to see to completion. The savagery with which he waves his saber is indicative of his lack of training and of the raw fear and anger that had driven him to the Dark Side. His short attacks are separated by asides with him beating on his bowcaster wound, trying to keep the acute pain from impeding his vengeance. Han’s cold blooded murder at the hands of his own son instills in Finn the desire to fight the evils of the First Order, and he picks up Luke’s lightsaber as Ren charges at him, but his resolve proves too weak against the Dark Jedi’s unquenchable thirst for blood.

As Rey pulls the fallen lightsaber away from Ren, his eyes seem to recount her capture: how her initial fear was drowned out by the revelation that she could keep him, a conditioned Force user, at bay while perfectly reading his thoughts, eventually leading to her escape by means of a Jedi mind trick; her growing faith in her abilities had been feeding off of his failure. It’s as if they were the perfect descendants of Anakin Skywalker, with him inheriting his temperament and her his prodigal force sensitivity (not to say that I’m sure Rey is Luke’s daughter). Rey takes on a defensive stance as she is pushed towards a landslide caused by the base’s collapse, when Ren offers her a chance to submit to his tutelage and unleash her potential in the Dark Side of the Force. That brings us to a small bad part – the utterly cheesy manner in which Rey realizes that the Force can help her fight back, being conveniently reminded of its omnipresence by the sound of its name. It is, indeed, rather unfortunate that Ren was subsequently defeated by a fledgling with such ease, but he cannot be held responsible; what burns is that every time I watch this movie again, I will have to relive this pivotal moment that almost seems to pay homage to Lucas’s abysmal dialogue writing. All bitterness aside, Rey’s innate skill is nothing strange to the Star Wars universe (refer to “Now, this is podracing!”), and the circumstances make it reasonable for her to have the upper hand over Ren, who manages to put on an impressive show in spite of his less than healthy physical and mental states at the time. Their next encounter is definitely worth looking forward to.

We will watch your careers with great interest!

Rey’s first meeting with Leia is suspiciously intimate, adding to the growing dilemma of her parentage. Meanwhile, R2 reverts to “high power” for some unexplained reason, helping BB-8 reveal Luke Skywalker’s refined taste in exile destinations, something his late master Yoda could have certainly benefitted from in retirement. The flight of steps that takes Rey to her new master seems like a tribute to the martial arts in pop culture that gave rise to the ways of the Lightsaber. Luke, now a world-weary Jedi Master, certainly looks the part, silently conveying all he needs to say as his apprentice-to-be holds out the lightsaber that he could have sworn had fallen deep into the gaseous bowels of Cloud City. As their eyes meet, he understands what must be done, and the mellow background score transitions to the epic Force theme for one final moment of glory before the curtains fall. We choose to remain seated through the credits, allowing Williams’ magical soundtrack to wash over us as we slowly gather ourselves for the return to normal life.

With Episode VIII within sight, there comes the fervent hope that we shall never have to witness the destruction of yet another Death Star. The biggest expectation from the sequel is a significant focus on the training of the arch-nemeses Ren and Rey in parallel, thus forging a rivalry the likes of which cinema has never seen before. Ren is, however, the more interesting of the two simply because villains seldom debut as fledglings, and the potential that lies in a Dark Side version of The Empire Strikes Back is immense. On Rey’s end, the big reveal about her lineage will be disappointing if it makes her story look very similar to that of Luke and Leia, especially after all the rampant fan theories bringing Obi-wan and even Palpatine into the picture. Also, given Finn’s origins, more encounters with the First Order seem inevitable, particularly a climactic confrontation with General Hux, whose evident rivalry with Ren is also worth developing. Two very significant players in the upcoming movie had, however, barely made an appearance in TFA.

Supreme Leader Snoke, puppeteer of the First Order and master to Kylo Ren and his “Knights”, is more or less left in the dark, as Darth Sidious was before him, and this raises many questions regarding his connection to the Sith, if any, his activity in the era of the Galactic Empire and, finally, how tall he really is. While his position in the grand scheme of things calls for a generous backstory in Episode VIII, it would be nice if he remained a supporting villain unlike the Emperor, nurturing his apprentice for the role that could serve as inspiration to the fallen Jedi of Disney’s universe, placing him even above Vader. It would be delightful to see Snoke fall to Kylo Ren as the young Jedi attains mastery in the Dark Side.

Tired to death of family surprises

Luke Skywalker, on the other hand, has other expectations to fulfill – from the New Jedi Order to his nephew’s fall and why he chose to leave a jigsaw puzzle leading to him in the first place, there’s plenty to shed light on. Given his extreme reaction to the fate of his Padawans, his state of mind is worth exploring, particularly what would happen if he came face to face with Ren again. And it goes without saying that he knows what fate befell Han; a stream of tears upon seeing him reunite with Leia would be most welcome. And we all know who held Poe Dameron’s title in the days of the Empire. Thoughts of an aerial assault on the First Order led by the Falcon and two proficiently piloted X-wings, matching or even outdoing the standards set by Abrams, add to the sheer potential of the experience to come.

While the vast canon of the Expanded Universe has been cast aside by Disney, it is evident that Star Wars is headed in an interesting direction, with Rogue One and the Han Solo anthology filling the long wait for the remainder of the new trilogy. Rian Johnson will now proceed to work in an environment constantly abuzz with talk of the franchise, hopefully improving where Abrams fell short, namely the repetitive, predictable plot, and building on every other aspect. Having documented this affair in the present tense after almost a month of its occurrence, I am still hungover from the excitement at the return of Star Wars, which is evident from the rather redundant list of suggestions YouTube offers me nowadays. Lucasfilm has set its clock ticking, and before long, the world will once again turn oblivious to the mundanity of everything else Hollywood has to offer.

Of Space, Time and Pizza

[Spoilers ahead]
Interstellar is certainly brave if nothing else. Spanning multiple galaxies and time zones (I know this term is probably incorrect, you geeks), the movie is a beautiful experience for at least the first 2 hours of its run-time.

The Good

• TARS – This robot, thanks to his dry humor, was at once amiable and certainly held his own in a film with a solid cast all around. Special mention to TARS' form which was functional and unlike anything I have seen before, yet aesthetically pleasing.
• Time Dilation – If there was one scientific concept whose use the movie absolutely nailed, it was this! Key to the the plot, time dilation served to heighten the drama and elicit gut-wrenching emotion on several occasions. We feel Cooper's joy turn to pain as he watches how his son has been sending out hopeful messages out into space all these years.
• Matt Damon's entry – I and, judging by the collective gasps in the theater, most people watching had no idea that Damon was in the film. There was good drama on both the planets that Cooper and Brand visit, but Mann's world really took the cake. The half an hour or so that he was in the film were edge-of-the-seat stuff, and Damon was the perfect choice to play the Mannipulative pioneer. BTW, when Damon comes out of cryosleep, did anyone else mistake him for Philip Seymour Hoffman?
• Despite the terrible pacing that leads up to this scene, I loved Cooper's reunion with Murph. Her line about knowing Cooper would be back because of his promise as a father is a genuinely sweet moment and reassurance that Interstellar is a film with its heart in the right place.
• Visuals and acting, obviously. The film was also peppered with some nice dialogue and crisp, funny one-liners throughout.

The Bad

• For weeks, we heard about how the visuals in the movie aren't typical artistic fare but rather the results of complex, scientific calculations that took hours of computing time to render; we read The Physics Refresher You Need To Read To Understand 'Interstellar', and saw Kip Thorne tell us about research papers that will be written based on everything that was learnt in the development of this magnum opus. And while that is commendable in terms of breaking new ground, for an average moviegoer like me, it really does not matter. Gargantua, for all of its scientific accuracy, is at the end of the day, just a black hole that is supposed to suck everything in its vicinity into its unforgiving, gluttonous self. Why this is bad is at several times, it felt as though the film wanted me to care about its amazing complexity rather than its story, but I didn't.
• The first couple of minutes that Cooper, after passing through Gargantua's wormhole, spends in the limbo(?) overlooking his daughter's bookshelf were amazing! But that feeling of "OMG! It was him all along" was quickly replaced by wariness as Cooper passes on complex, esoteric information in Morse before the film fast forwards to Murph's Eureka moment. For a film that had real potential to generate an emotional reaction, Interstellar let its magic be diluted by its half-baked scientific expositions and hurried pace in the last quarter.
• For all its technological brilliance, Cooperspace (or whatever that futuristic NASA colony orbiting Saturn was called) seems to have an improbably lax security system, judging by how easily Cooper sauntered into wherever the spaceships are kept and escaped in one of them. I mean c'mon man! Even stealing a car from a parking lot has to be more difficult than that. Just because my brain was a little tired by then doesn't mean you try to slip that past me.
• The all conquering power of love – This theory, that love guides us in a manner that transcends space and time, could have been beautiful had it been made more tacit, but in the way it was oft-repeated by its characters, the message seemed rather forced and unintuitive.

The Incomprehensible

• A lot of the dialogue in the beginning was difficult to understand. McConaughey's slick, Texan drawl is easy on the ears but more than a little tedious to process at times. Kudos to Jessica Chastain for deciphering not just Cooper's codes but also what Michael Caine was saying on his deathbed.

In conclusion, I would like to say that for me, the film was like having a large Pizza all by myself, all at once – there is enough good in there while I'm eating it, but when I'm done, I feel more stuffed and tired than happy and content. Metaphors aside, Interstellar is a movie that you may or may not love but definitely one that you should watch.

The Wolf of Wall Street: Howling in despair

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Terence Winter, Jordan Belfort (book)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Rob Reiner, Matthew McConaughey

People who know me for the passionate Scorsese fan that I am would expect a shining review of this movie with nothing but praise and a perfect score. How I wish that was the case. Contrary to these expectations, I scrutinized the movie looking for genius but only ended up squinting at the chaos on screen.

The movie was a much awaited one with a very eye-catching trailer and a lot of expectations from the very successful Scorsese-DiCaprio duo. Eventually, donning the disguise of a “Dark Comedy”, Wolf of Wall Street gave the audience what they wanted: A drug driven laughter fest with a stellar cast putting on their best “Cerebral Palsy faces” for the camera as they pranced about the screen like underpaid circus clowns at a birthday party.

"Censors. Censors EVERYWHERE"

The movie was said to be based on the true story of Wall Street legend Jordan Belfort, his claim to fame and fortune in the stock market, and his subsequent brush with the law. Well, at least, that’s what the posters said. As the movie progresses, one becomes less and less convinced that these events haven’t been exaggerated and bloated to entertain the audience and possibly to embarrass the cast. In my experience of movies with a similar plot ^[1] , A middle-class protagonist makes big money through “not strictly legal” means, gets where he wants to before imploding in a flurry of drugs, women and the law. The movie was pretty much along this line but the important bits are killed by the apathetic narrative.

"So you wrote the screenplay on this thing??!"

The worst scenes:

The movie hit an absolute low when DiCaprio and Hill get into a drug-riddled tussle which drags on painfully for way too long until Hill starts choking on some food. Seeing his friend dying, DiCaprio gets inspired by the TV as it shows Popeye downing a can of spinach. So he does the same; except with a vial of cocaine down his nose. (Hang self with rope). The few others were a horribly long slow motion shot of Jonah Hill attacking DiCaprio from the back and one where Hill openly stimulates himself in the middle of a party. FULL RETARD.

Barely supported by the terrible story (even if it is a true one), the movie thrives on comedy and eye candy. I walked into the theatre thinking I’d be missing out on some good scenes because of the Censor^[2]. In the second half I was thanking the stars that they weren't there. I walked in for something along the lines of The Aviator and walked out after watching a teen comedy.

The general opinion was that Leonardo DiCaprio acted brilliantly, and I agree; but his job was far too easy since all he had to do was be angry, high and mostly retarded. Fueled by a variety of drugs and possibly an annoying itch in his pants, DiCaprio goes all out in his attempts to inspire his staff by screaming into a mic. This didn't really strike a note with me after the many inspirational speeches that have graced the Hollywood screen^[3]. I've never liked Jonah Hill and he was pissing me off through the entire movie with his ridiculous antics and below par acting. His work in Moneyball is the one thing I can give him credit for. Matthew McConaughey had a surprisingly short role in the movie, but in 7 minutes of screen time, he set up the Wall Street feel beautifully with his affable charm and chest-beating, surfer dude, coolness. The other characters were as insignificant as the extras in a bad mallu movie.

As the credits rolled, I read “Directed by Martin Scorsese”. I didn’t believe a word of it. The camera work was very ordinary and uninspiring. There were one or two scenes where I got a flicker of the Scorsese style but they were drowned in the whirling cesspool that was the plot. A few signature tracking shots through the crowd of employees caught my eye, but the one scene that put a smile on my face was that of DiCaprio sitting in the car after he crashed it, as his head began to bleed and the window wiper oscillated blankly, marking the end of his tryst with narcotics. Good stuff. The narrative in the background by DiCaprio was very reminiscent of Ray Liotta’s in GoodFellas although it was no match. So perhaps the Scorsese vibe was present after all. 

"Yeah i know it's crap, but just go with it!"

Now for the few things that kept me going. I liked the ending and the whole “sell me this pen” gimmick. The music was wonderfully apt and the narrative held the movie together. I also really love the Nachos at Cinepolis, City Centre. They've got different dips and sliced vegetables and everything! Oh and also, Margot Robbie: WOW

As the lights came on I was already thinking of how harsh I should be with the review, and this is as friendly as I could be. Wolf of Wall Street is worth a 360p download at best for two reasons: It sucks, and a big chunk of it is censored. Watch it for laughs. I wanted to compare it to other comedies and give it a fair score, but I've reconsidered. This was meant to be a pacey, financial drama with a feel good first half, amazing acting and top-notch cinematography. With these expectations in mind I cannot give it more than 1.5 out of 5. Fellow Scorsese followers: I feel your pain.

1: Refer "GoodFellas" by Martin Scorsese
2: Refer love scene from Scorsese's "The Departed" with Pink Floyd background music
3: Refer Alec Baldwin's awesome speech in "Glengarry Glen Ross"

The Great Game

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

Sherlock Holmes seems to have caved in to his drug addiction because of the lack of ‘interesting’ cases and his eccentric behavior causes Watson to move out of the apartment and spend the night with his girlfriend. The same night, there is an explosion at 221B baker Street and it is clear that someone is after Sherlock’s life. Sherlock soon gets a series of calls from various victims controlled by a third party asking to solve various puzzles and crimes within a time limit in order to save their lives.

All the shortcomings of the second episode are all forgiven after this episode. In James Jim Moriarty, the creators have managed to create the perfect anti-Holmes. While Holmes is restrained and unflashy, Moriarty is flamboyant and swanky. While Holmes boasts the title of the world’s only consulting detective, Moriarty is the polar opposite - he’s the world’s only consulting criminal. 

Again, the writers successfully capture the essence of the original and the final confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty, which is supposed to mirror the exchange that takes place in The Final Problem,
has been beautifully executed by both Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch. Credit again goes to the creators Moffat and Gatiss to present an antagonist unlike any other to have appeared on screen.

The plot keeps you gripped from the start to the finish and before you know it, you’ll be watching the second season of the series(trust me, you just won't be able to help yourself!)

The Blind Banker

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

Follow Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) as they investigate a series of ciphers representing numbers in an ancient Chinese numeral system which have been left by a Chinese smuggling ring who seem intent on killing to retrieve an item that one of them stole.

After a brilliant start to the series, the second episode is somewhat disappointing and unmemorable. The story makes a few allusions to the ciphering techniques that Holmes applies in The Dancing Men and takes the concept of coded messages from The Valley of Fear (using book references), but apart from that the story is largely independent of any particular book. This fact clearly shows as the banal plot fails to keeps you engrossed and feels a bit dragged.

Although the episode comes nowhere close to the benchmark set by its predecessor it still makes a decent watch with Zoe Telford playing Dr Watson’s love interest and briefly bringing a strong female character into the mix.

Episode 3 : The Great Game

A Study in Pink

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

“There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skin of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it”
                                                              - Sherlock Holmes to Dr Watson, ‘A Study in Scarlet’

Across London, a number of ‘serial suicides’ are occurring which involves the victims killing themselves in the exact same manner, with the exact same poison pill. Sherlock forces Detective Inspector Lestrade to take his help by making a fool of him in front of the media while the Inspector is giving a press conference.

The rest of the episode follows Holmes and Watson as they try and solve this seemingly inscrutable case.

The main plot of the first episode is loosely based on A Study in Scarlet and it makes a few references to a few other stories from the original book series.

Doctor Who writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat really have done a remarkable job adapting this victorian epic in a modern day setting. The suitably retain elements from Conan Doyle’s stories at the same time giving them a refreshing twist.

What really amused me was how they have explored Sherlock and Watson’s relationship - Mrs. Hudson presumes them to be a couple when they move in together and throughout the series people often jump to the same conclusion. Whenever this happens on screen Watson is invariably offended while Sherlock remains indifferent. And if you think about it, Sherlock being gay would perfectly explain his somewhat misogynist attitude. Its the 21st century and anything is possible!

The episode is full of innovative ideas like the one mentioned before and looks at the characters from a different, more relevant, perspective. The plot keeps you gripped throughout and even those who have read the original story have something in store for them.

Overall, there is almost nothing that the episode gets wrong and its freshness and originality leaves you thoroughly entertained and wanting for more!

Episode 2: The Blind Banker

Sherlock : Season One Review

Genre : Crime Drama

Created by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat

Based on : Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Written by : Mark Gatiss , Steven Moffat, Stephen Thompson

Directed by : Paul McGuigan, Euros Lyn, Toby Haynes

Composer : David Arnold, Michael Price

Starring : Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss

123 years after the world first heard of him, BBC brings to you a modern day rendition of the world’s most famous detective - Sherlock Holmes (just born in a different century and not so famous yet).

This 21st century investigator combines modern day technology with the classic “Art of Deduction” to solve bewildering crimes and catch bad guys. Featuring alongside him are all your favourite characters from the original series. Dr Watson (Martin Freeman), Holmes’ right hand man and perhaps the only person in the world who can solve the inscrutable puzzle that is Sherlock Holmes. Mycroft Holmes(Mark Gatiss) , Holmes’ elder brother who possesses powers of observation and deduction that even exceed Sherlock’s. And last but not the least Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’ mirror image - just as Sherlock is the world’s only consulting detective, Moriarty is the world’s only consulting criminal.

Ever since Nolan’s Batman series came out, audiences across the world are no longer convinced with the smokes and mirrors approach to super heroes. I use the term super hero because Sherlock Holmes is in his own way as much a superhero as any other. This show presents Holmes as a more human and relatable person, even more so than the original series (at least in season 1). Holmes no longer relies on his memory for trivial matters such as the weather neither does he maintain an impractically large index of every criminal in the country. He now simply pulls out his I-phone and google's the information he needs.

Just as the creators have depicted Sherlock in a modern day avatar, they have done so with all the other characters. Mrs. Hudson is no longer their caretaker but has just leased out her room to Watson and Holmes and takes care of the duo out of fondness. While in the original, Conan Doyle only alludes to Mycroft’s association with the government, the series openly shows him as being affiliated with MI6, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service. But the depiction of James ‘Jim’ Moriarty is perhaps the most captivating of the lot.

The creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, ventured out to present Moriarty as someone who is ‘absolutely psycho’ and need to be congratulated for their efforts. Easily the most interesting character in the series, Moriarty (no longer Professor) plays Holmes’ counterpart who has a criminal strain running through his blood which has been ‘increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers‘; an evil so demented that you wish Sherlock had never crossed his path.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the part of modern day Holmes to perfection and impresses with his impeccable dialog delivery (he does it without sounding like Tony Stark with a British accent). Another special mention goes to Andrew Scott for the portrayal of Moriarty in a never before seen avatar. From his dialogue delivery to his body language, everything about him seems nefarious.

The show’s principal virtue is that it preserves the original book’s integrity while at the same time presents it in a relatable and stylish manner. It possesses all the glitz and glam that viewers have come to expect from a prime-time show without reducing itself to a mere action series. That was one major complaint I had with the movies. Sherlock is someone who is skilled at martial arts but avoids physical exertion as much as possible. His boxing days were long over, he didn't go get into fights in underground joints for entertainment, he injected himself with a cocaine solution and sat in front of his fireplace. The series stays true to the original in this aspect and as a devout fan that is what I appreciate about it.

Apart from Sherlock’s fighting skills the series also eclipses some of his other talents. Several of the original stories involved Sherlock donning numerous disguises and spending nights just staking out, this is something that is rarely seen in the season. An anomaly in the show for me is Sherlock’s apparent cluelessness to his coworker Molly’s feelings for him. For the world’s smartest detective, this seems pretty stupid. However, these shortcomings are hardly notable and do not at all hinder the viewing experience.

A novel idea in the show was how text messages or emails appeared on the screen for the viewer to read instead of the actors having to read them out. This was the first time this was ever done on screen and has found its way to other shows and movies as well.

And last but certainly not the least, the music score. The theme song, when it came out, was perhaps the most widely hummed tune everywhere and due credit needs to be given to David Arnold for this musical masterpiece.

Overall, the conglomeration of brilliant screenplay, dialogues and solid acting performances along with a catchy background score make it one series you definitely should not miss!

Episode 1: A Study in Pink

The Pink Panther(2006) : A Diamond in the Rough

Director : Shawn Levy
Screenplay : Len Blum, and Steve Martin
Cast :  Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer Henry Czerny, Beyoncé Knowles, Jason Statham (The Dead guy)
Run Time : 93 min

If you haven't watched this movie yet, I am not going to hurl obscenities at you.    I do request, however, that you close this tab, find the movie and watch it before you even consider going over the next few lines.

Classics are, by definition, fantastic, and you could hardly find a better example of this than Peter Seller's classic, "The Pink Panther". Don't panic if you haven't watched it. Most people haven't; they've seen only some snippets and that's okay. The humor is from a different period and you need to be in the right mindset to enjoy it. History tells us that remakes of classics are doomed to fail. Why? Is it because they are so good that you simply cannot compete? Or is it just that we have formed such an impeccable image of the movie in our mind that we are unable to accept that the remake can be anything but miserable. I am of the opinion that the truth is the latter. The "New" Pink Panther has fallen prey to this very idea. If it weren't to be the remake of such a fantastic movie, it would have been considered a comic masterpiece. But alas, such a movie ends up with a lowly rating of 5.3.

Stop browbeating her! Can't you see she is sexy?

The movie opens up with the high profile murder of a Football Coach Yves Gluant (Jason Statham) and the mysterious theft of one of the the world's largest pink diamonds, "The Pink Panther". Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) looks at this as an opportunity to make his mark as a great detective and assigns the case to the Village Dunce, Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin), a man who has supreme confidence in his own abilities but lacks somewhat of a finesse in his execution. Dreyfus needed someone to distract the world press while he and his team pursued the "real" perpetrator. To keep an eye on Clouseau he assigns Detective Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno) as his partner. Clouseau graciously takes him under his wing as "a simple farm boy who has come to Clouseau to learn". Xania (Beyoncé Knowles) who was the victim's girlfriend is now a suspect but chivalrous that he is, Clouseau refuses to interrogate her in the conventional sense. He instead uses his legendary powers of seduction to poomp her for imformasion. 

He is not 'pushing up the daisies,' he is DEAD !

Armed with the miracle pill for middle aged men, their "date" still ends up as a hot mess. Clouseau continues training his partner with surprise attacks in order to keep his senses sharp. But as it turns out, the farmboy's senses are a little too sharp for him. Nevertheless, as time passes Ponton's respect for the heavily accented frenchman only grows. The investigation continues, failing miserably but with style. Clouseau pulls out every trick in the book, including his own variant of the "Good Cop - Bad Cop routine" where he plays both sides. His investigation leads them to the United States of America where he finds bliss in the disgusting american food, The Hambuuger, no wait.. aambaaga, I mean dambuger. While returning to France though, Clouseau's new found affliction gets him arrested as he tries to smuggle a few burgers through customs. When he returns, he is proclaimed a National Embarrassment and stripped off his rank. He returns to his home, to his old friend "Ze Inzernet" to download some ringtones, when he notices something in a picture of himself at the airport. He immediately calls his sidekick to infiltrate the Presidential Palace and solve the case! Chief Inspector Dreyfus makes his move and arrests the wrong person, while Clouseau arrives just in time to prevent the 3rd murder and apprehends the true murderer, instantly becoming a National Hero.

          

Steve Martin has outdone himself in this remake with his supreme comic timing and Jean Reno rarely fails to deliver. With such a splendid cast and sublime execution, it is hard to imagine why the movie received such bad reviews. Perhaps it is the curse of the remake or perhaps I am wrong. But one thing is for sure, the movie will leave you grinning be it the first time you watch it or the hundredth. And if Clouseau was right about the gentle healing power of laughter, then I believe we have found here the cure for cancer!

Because Justice is Justice and France is France !

In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream

Title: Gravity

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Running Time: 90 minutes
Trailer:

SPOILER ALERT: This review contains material crucial to the plot of the movie.

Space - the vast, empty void where your revolutionary ideas and cinematic ambitions are merely insignificant specks of dust. Such may be said of Gravity by die-hard Star Trek fanboys who were terribly misled by its sci-fi label, thinking it to be an account of an interstellar voyage of epic proportions. To call it a blend of suspense and drama entangled with a lot of visual treats and pure cosmic awesomeness would be more apt. Apart from its rather mocking view of the laws of physics and the human mind, it's a great film to catch on the big screen.

Yes,yes, I used to work in a hospital, but now I sort out technical glitches under zero gravity.

The movie follows the series of unfortunate satellite explosions that lead to the well-portrayed and seemingly overqualified Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) being deserted by a bunch of cold, floating corpses that were once her crew mates aboard the space shuttle Explorer, and how she makes it back into Mother Earth's caring arms after inhumanly abusing her repeatedly ragdolled, oxygen-deprived body and suffering countless pangs of hopelessness and despair at the hands of cruel fate and fossil fuel depletion. As stated earlier, the film is a feast for the eyes, and one cannot help but gape at the ever-present Earth, in all her exaggerated, computer-generated beauty, as she bathes in the light of the sun and drowns in the shadows of its absence, illuminated only by lights from numerous cities. The scene which has Dr. Stone and Commander Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) slowly drifting towards the International Space Station serves to provide a reasonable amount of character depth through dialogue, and provides a vague sense of attachment to the protagonists – the hardship afflicted, warm-hearted doctor and the uncompromising, duty-driven commander, both very well portrayed by brilliant actors. The several tense, fast-paced escape/forced entry sequences, which strongly emphasize on holding on, in both the metaphorical and the literal sense, are very well made, keeping viewers at the edge of their seats throughout. The sound effects also help to make the movie quite the immersive experience, especially Dr. Stone's panicky breathing. Gravity certainly lives up to its expectations on the thriller front. Most importantly, it makes you feel involved till the very end.

I said 5% O2 left. Do I really have to keep talking to you?

There isn't much to be said about the negatives surrounding this film. One scene in particular which did provoke a facepalm was the rather convenient intervention of Dr. Stone's conscience, in the form of her commander's ghost, during her slow, painless suicide attempt resulting from several failed shots at salvation, which elicits a change of heart quicker than the speed of light, convincing her to live on to tell the tale of she who can tell herself not to kill herself when she wants to kill herself. Apart from this and several minor mechanical inaccuracies, which are not very relevant considering it's a movie, there's nothing bad to be said about the film. In my opinion, however, it is certainly not close to the "masterpiece" everyone deems it to be.
 

You and I, above this beautiful world, No one cares if we die, above this beautiful world

Gravity is one hell of a thriller, and must be seen in theaters, preferably in IMAX 3D, in order to thoroughly savor all that's been served. Taking the survivalist genre to new frontiers, Alfonso Cuarón has done a fabulous job as director. Gravity is an assured one and a half hours of pure entertainment.

Reviewer's Rating: 3.5/5

 

Elysium (2013)

Director     : Neill Blomkamp
Screenplay : Neill Blomkamp
Running Time : 109 minutes
Cast : Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, William Fichtner.
Budget : $115 Million

“Diseased, overpopulated, ruined”.

Welcome to Earth - 2154, the opening scene of Elysium, Neill Blomkamp's latest science-fiction thriller. Elysium is a man-made utopia orbiting around Earth, 'created by the super rich to preserve their way of life', according to the movie. The citizens of Elysium live in bliss, completely ignorant of the happenings on Earth, which has degenerated to a state of Malthusian disarray.

The movie lets you explore an interesting world with lots of thrilling action pieces. The design and technology of everything in Elysium  manages to balance between reality and futuristic cool stuff. The director has incorporated some stunning special effects that go along with the tone of the movie. The cinematography was simply superb and we appreciate the attention to detail in many aspects of the surrealistic world.

The protagonist Matt Damon plays a disgruntled citizen of Earth, Max, who has been obsessed with the idea of reaching Elysium since childhood. However, faced with the harsh reality that getting to Elysium (or rather, getting citizenship of Elysium) is next to impossible, he indulges in crime and later tries to reform himself. Forced into a life-or-death situation and into a perilous condition, he realizes he has a far higher purpose to fulfill than simply bringing his own desires to fruition.


Jodie Foster superbly plays the part of Delacourt, the ruthless, steely, corrupt, and power-hungry Secretary of Defense of Elysium(watch out for her accent!). This is in stark contrast to her role in Silence of the Lambs, where she is docile and at mercy to the whims of Hannibal Lecter. It is a tribute to her acting that she is able to pull off both roles with ease. The awesome William Fichtner (The Dark Knight, Alex Mahone of Prison Break) convincingly takes the role of her emotionless and equally ruthless co-conspirator.

The engaging Sharlto Copley (District 9, Murdock  of The A Team) also deserves mention for pulling off a villainous role with ease , acting as Kruger an earth-based agent of Elysium.

Society is split into the “haves” and the “have-nots”, and self-preservation takes precedence over any sense of civic sensibility. Each of the main characters is corrupt in one way or another, including the protagonist, providing a refreshing break from the archetypal heroes we’ve been exposed to recently in cinema halls. Matt Damon’s slow progression from a man interested only in keeping his own life to one who is ready to sacrifice it, makes the plot line almost a “reverse tragedy”, so to speak. After watching the movie, we felt that Alice Braga was not the only thing common between this movie and  Will Smith’s I am Legend.

Several things set this sci-fi apart. For one thing, the movie seems to be a political commentary on the world today. Delacourt seems uncannily like Angela Merkel: both are “iron ladies” chiefly interested in preserving their own state's way of life and prosperity. Los Angeles has become a ghetto where Spanish and English are interchangeably spoken. Latinos and Africans trying to overthrow the whites and gain control. Yes, we get the point Mr.Neill!

Bizarre observations :
For a movie set 100 years in the future, the Earth computers were ancient and basic - Running on DOS!
Also, the president of Elysium is an Indian(funnily named Patel).

Ultimately, the movie presents provokes thought about questions that are relevant in today’s time. Can altruism be justified in a world running out of resources? If protecting your own way of life involves killing others, is it right to do so?

Well, if you are one of those who just wants some good action and killer acting with your popcorn and coke, this movie does just fine.

Rating : 7/10

This One Glides Sublimely Over the Chicane

Director: Ron Howard
Screenplay: Peter Morgan

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino

Music: Hans Zimmer
Running time: 122 minutes

1976. It was an age before strict safety standards, press room decorum and radio transmissions with the team. It was the era of the monstrous V-12 engines, uncountable overtakes, flimsy unstable cars, a Ferrari pit crew in striking yellow, and a nightlife that would make Hugh Hefner jealous. It was also the year that will go down as the most exhilarating, the most unpredictable and the most dramatic of all Formula One seasons, thanks to the legendary rivalry between Brit James Hunt and the Austrian Niki Lauda. And Ron Howard’s makes it all come alive in the sleek, finely crafted sports drama Rush.

Without spilling too much beans, the 1976 F1 season is ingrained in popular motorsport folklore for the bitter, fierce and tumultuous feud between Hunt and Lauda – both on and off the track; and it also saw one of the most amazing comebacks in the history of competitive sports. Going into the German Grand Prix at the then notorious Nürburgring circuit, Lauda, driving a Ferrari, had had a clear advantage over Hunt, who had been having a disastrous season up till then courtesy a very unreliable McLaren. Driving in precarious weather, in a race that would later go on to define his career, Lauda crashed his car and suffered burns that threatened to end his racing career, if not his life. His absence from the track helped Hunt gain in on invaluable points and bridge the gap in the Championship Standings. About a month later, however, against the advice of all his doctors, the phoenix of Lauda – quite literally – rose from the ashes to compete in the last four races of the season amidst universal shock and admiration and tremendous amount of pain.

But what makes this rivalry one for the ages isn’t just the battles in their respective cars, but the polar opposite personalities of the two men. Hunt – British wit notwithstanding – was the quintessential F1 playboy, living each day as if it were his last, with a hedonic lifestyle involving a lot of women (including a short-lived marriage), drugs and alcohol, and always drove an aggressive passionate and often reckless race. Lauda on the other hand was a level-headed tactician, an Alain Prost of that age.

And does Ron Howard capture all this in a movie spanning less than two hours? Bloody hell, he does!

After mediocre outings like The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, Howard shows the skill seen in earlier films such as Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and Cinderella Man. The race sequences are adrenaline-filled, edge-of-the-seat affairs and yet keep you invested in the characters in a way no no-brainer action flick can do. You get more than a glimpse into the steely, stolid mind as the face disappears behind the visor as the drivers put on their helmets. Never once getting histrionic, there is enough drama to differentiate it from an insipid made-for-TV biopic, and I for one was engrossed as if it were all a real race being played out live before me. More importantly, the film manages to capture the evanescent nature of the whole sport; how it’s all so uncertain; how so much of it depends on luck. 

Peter Morgan (of The Queen, The Last King of Scotland and Frost/Nixon fame) crafts a screenplay that is engaging and well-paced, and never once does the movie seem prosaic or uninspired. The Hans Zimmer score, unsurprisingly, does not disappoint. The two leads cap off fine performances, with Chris Hemsworth stepping out of the pretty hammer wielding god image and effortlessly becoming the roguish, witty and likeable – and sometimes disturbed – Hunt, complete with a surprisingly good British accent (Hemsworth is Australian) and a mischievous twinkle in the eye to go along. The German actor Daniel Brühl (you might remember him as the German war-hero turned film star Frederik Zoller from Inglourious Basterds) is perfect foil as Lauda, with the characteristic level-headed obstinacy and no-nonsense speech that epitomizes the Austrian driver. The most memorable moments of the film are those where both actors share the screen and exchange nasty pleasantries.

Lauda (angrily, after their first race against each in Formula 3): Hey, what’s your name?
Hunt: It’s James Hunt. It rhymes with c***. And that’s what you are.

As a movie on Formula 1, Rush gets almost as good as the sublime Asif Kapadia documentary Senna. The vintage cars, the driver’s eye view of race sequences as the cars whiz past chicanes, and the glimpses into the lives of two antitheses of racers – both united in their drive to win, are all welded masterfully to present a smasher of a film. All in all, Rush is a well-made biographical action-drama, which ranks with The Damned United and even Chariots of Fire as far as sport dramas go, which never gets cloy or pretentious (like Remember the Titans), rusty, dry or brainless, and has more than enough poignancy, soul and mind, amalgamated with the right amount dry humour, to stay with you for quite some time.

Rush is worth every rupee and even more.

Rating: 8.5/10

PS. If any of you snicker at Niki Lauda's surname (as did many in the theater I went to), I curse that your mind doesn't mature beyond where it is right now.