Movie watching has not been as frequent this year as it has been in the past, however I have not missed any movie which I really wanted to watch. My two-bit opinion / advice on some of the stuff I have seen this year.
Hindi Films:
Udaan: By far the best movie of the year according to me. Great performances, good music and a story that strikes the right chord. A highly recommended watch according to me.
Peepli Live: A nice satire on media and problems faced due to poverty. The concept is good, but the media portrayal is slightly cliched. However good performances and great music more than make up for it. I loved the movie, hope you did too.
Ishqiya: Naseeruddin Shah acting and a Vishal Bharadwaj protege directing meant that this movie was a must watch for me. It did not disappoint me at all. A tight script and good performances keeps the audience engrossed. Although I expected more from the end, overall the movie was decent enough and well worth the money spent on the tickets.
Once upon a time in Mumbai: I have always been a sucker for gangster flicks, so this was one of the most anticipated movies of the year for me. Ajay Devgan rocked in a role tailor made for him. Emran Hashmi was convincing enough. Kangana Ranaut and Prachi Desai hardly had any roles. The story appealed to me and so did the performances. Direction was also good. Once again paisa-vasool for me.
Rajneeti: This was once again in my must watch list along with 'One upon a time..'. A Godfather - Mahabharata based plot needs to be handled with great care. Prakash Jha did not disappoint and gave us an excellent political drama. Although some scenes forcibly tried to draw parallels with Godfather / Mahabharata, the first half of the movie was really good. The second half was some sort of a letdown and the movie dragged in parts. Nana Patekar and Manoj Bajpai were very good. Ajay Devgan was sidelined and I do not think Katrina Kaif is a good actress (contrary to what many critics and her retarded fans think). But Politics + Godfather + Mahabharata made this movie a good enough reason to spend money on those expensive multiplex tickets.
Amongst the rest, I found Dabangg extremely entertaining, in fact it was the first Salman Khan movie I liked after Maine Pyar Kiya. Full on paisa-vasool, highly recommended, cinematic brilliance be damned.
English Films:
Inception: My favourite film of the year. Nolan is one of the best directors of his generation and he delivers a brilliant story with superb execution. Leo is slowly becoming a star of psychological thrillers (after Shutter Island) and gives a good performance yet again, no wonder the likes of Scorsese keep repeating him in movies. The rest of the cast is also very good (Ellen Page in particular has lived up to the promise which she showed in Juno). In my opinion this has all the makings of a cult film (like the Matrix series). My brother pointed out that its story is similar to the manga 'Paprika', well people also said that Matrix was similar to Dark City and borrowed concepts from Neuromancer. Its the script treatment and execution that matters and I give full marks to Nolan in this department.
Up in the Air: I quite liked the book so was looking forward to the movie. Highly recommended. Brilliant performances. I don't think I need to say more.
Alice in Wonderland: I am a big Johnny Depp fan, somehow he brings life to eccentric and weird characters and makes them memorable. However I was disappointed by his Madhatter turn this time, looks like it was forced upon him. However the movie was okay and with the 3-D visuals it makes for an entertaining watch.
Ironman -2: I though Robert Downey Jr played the coolest superhero in the first movie and was expecting lots from it. Yes, he is still cool, but now some parts of the script once again force the wit upon us. Make it natural people. The problem with franchises like Hulk and Ironman is that there is not enough scope for creativity in terms of villains (unlike a Spiderman or X -Men). But the producers / director have done a good job within the constraints. It was worth the money spent on the movie ticket.
What I am really looking forward to is Wall Street-2 next week and of course the biggie - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1.
TV Series:
With Indian television still crowded by mediocre (but highly entertaining) reality shows and sub standard saas-bahu serials one has to look towards the west for entertaining shows. A quick recap of what I have been watching and my recommendations.
Entourage: My favourite show. I liked the way season 7 started, eagerly looking forward to the last few episodes (could not catch the season finale online). Ari Gold is one of my all time favourite characters (along with Hank Moody and the Jack Bauer) and I think once the show winds up there should be a short series centered around him.
Californication: Started watching this on the recommendation of my brother and loved it. Yeah the profanities and nudity are slightly excessive, but the show has some great performances and a really good script. Just finished season 3 and am eagerly looking forward to season 4.
Mad Men: I started watching this because of the loads of awards which this show has won. Now I can see why. A very good storyline about the advertising industry and some good performances make it a gripping watch. Am just about to finish season 1 and will start season 2.
Modern Family: Just started watching this yeaterday and I like what I see. Its quite funny. More on it later.
Dirty Sexy Money: A very good concept, this could have been a really interesting series, but it sucked. Bad performances and a stupid script spoilt what could have been a good show. No wonder it was taken off the air in two seasons.
Las Vegas: Its more like a documentary on the functioning of a casino in Vegas. I expected much more from it, but was very disappointed. I finished season 1 and stopped watching it. None of the characters are memorable or even likeable.
Other Favourites: I loved Lost and 24. Lost definitely deserves a second watching through seasons 1-7. Have seen only a couple of seasons of 24, but loved what I saw, will start season 3 soon.
Yet to Try: Friends have recommended Scrubs (a British series) and Dexter, will catch a season of both soon and share my notes.
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