Movie Talk

More quick reviews of the recent movie flicks I saw in the very recent past

Dumb and Dumber To (2014): The ‘King of Comedy’ is BACK. Jim Carrey is at his usual comedic best as always. Effortlessly goofy, Carrey along Daniels makes sure you cringe in disgust and laugh out loud simultaneously as you join them in this wacky ride of a flick. It’s classic slapstick comedy. Think ‘Charlie Chaplin’, ‘Laurel and Hardy’, ‘The Three Stooges’ and the likes. If you appreciate old-school comedy like me, this flick is for you. Simply leave your brains in your behind for a couple of hours and enjoy. Jim Carrey, you totally rock!

PROS:Some great comedy, spunky acting, Jim Carrey.

CONS: If cerebral comedy is your kind a la Russell Peters, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ etc, look the other way. If you don’t mind some dumb, slapstick fun, go for it unapologetically. Duh!

Interstellar (2014): I have very mixed feelings about this one. I wish I could say great things about this movie. I could really sense this was a novel story waiting to come alive on screen. But alas, as a movie-goer, the movie failed to hold my attention or interest after an hour of going nowhere into space endlessly. I’m sure Nolan himself would secretly agree that this is not his best work. For me, it looked like they tried to get too ambitious with this project while not paying attention to the basics. I have no idea why they chose to drag this 1-dimensional storyline (pun intended) into a 2 hr 50 mins movie. Ahem! Some crisp editing would have worked wonders. Couple that with bad dialogues, sleepy-weepy actors, unwanted characters that distract your attention rather than hold it. Way more enjoyable, fascinating and thrilling is the much lesser known, low-key budget Sci-Fi movie ‘The Signal’.

CONS: Ill-fitting star cast/ shoddy acting, unnecessary characters in the plot, poor dialogues, low emotional quotient and the length of the movie.

Gone girl (2014): A few minutes down the movie, Hubby and I were almost about to get up and leave. Glad, we decided otherwise. Have patience for the first 15 mins and the movie grips your interest till the end with all it’s bizarre twists and turns. The star of the show is undoubtedly, Rosamund Pike. She overshadows them all with her seriously competitive acting skills. She sinks her teeth into the character and plays every shade of innocence and eery phenomenally. Surely, Ms. Pike is the creme de le creme and is here to stay for a very, very, very long time.

PROS: Pike, Pike, Pike and of course, the story. No more spoilers. Just go see it.

CONS: That’s fine. Just go see it.

Night crawler (2014): Again, a unique story exploring the ruthless, competitive face of news reporting. Set in the dark, mysterious after-hours of Los Angeles, is a psyochopath news reporter hungry for sinister stories and action, preys and control. Jake Gyllenhal is almost unrecognizable, a far cry from his hunky look and endearing role in the ‘Prisoners’. Here, he’s detestable, slightly off putting with his shrunken weight and cocky attitude. His serious depravity and psychopathic streak is latent underneath those needy, sympathetic (read deprived) puppy-dog eyes. In one word, he looks HUNGRY. After I saw the movie, I happened to read an interview of Jake Gyllenhal where he describes his character in the movie as a ‘Human Coyote’. It made perfect sense.

The Judge (2014) : This family drama was a real treat to watch, offering several moments of emotional connect with the lead characters. It explores the difficult relationship between two, wholly divergent and conflicting personalities (and philosophies) of a Father, who plays the role of the Judge and his son, a professional lawyer. Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall make a formidable Father-Son duo and their turbulent saga is interesting to watch. Downey Jr. is his usual suave, classy and cool self. Duvall is nothing short of a legend and he simply soars all the way. Respect!

PROS: Love, love, love – The story, the star-cast, great performances by the lead and supporting cast, strong emotional connect with the characters

CONS: Trival to mention

The Hunger Games:The Mocking Jay (Part 1): Okay, I’ll be honest and admit that this is first movie that I’m watching in this hugely popular series. I’m also watching Jennifer Lawrence’s work for the first time. After all this current hype around her, my expectations were much higher both from the movie and the actress. I stand disappointed with both. The movie is a no brainer. It’s definitely not my cup of tea and I guess, I’m not their target audience either. Absolute test of patience, wits and money. Lawrence was blander than the blandest of cheese that’s ever available. And she can’t sing either. She’s one of those actors I’ll watch offscreen – red carpet appearances and interviews where she totally comes alive. Onscreen? Nah! No more dead meat for me, again. On the other hand, I loved Elizabeth Banks in her extremely brief role. She was sensational and sparkled up the screen with her picante’ presence. Her screen time deserves to be lengthened.

PROS: The only saving grace – The very spicy Ms. Elizabeth Banks who can also act. And the climax that leaves you hanging in suspense. But for that, you need to watch the next concluding part.(Some mean marketing there to mine your money from the deepest pits of your pockets)

CONS: Crappy overall! Or I’m too old for this s%%^. Hot bodies that make a hot mess of acting. AVOID! Unless you are either an adolescent for real or on a mental plane (Bless You!) or you are a true blue Elizabeth Banks fan. (Now, that makes some sense…hahaha!)