Tom Cruise - Know me better

 I don’t think him to be the best of the acting talents around but the way he carried himself out playing the roles to his strength with dedication & hardwork demands enormous respect from any movie buff around the globe.

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV famously known as Tom Cruise, in today’s date is one of the most bankable, reliable and  sought after actors on the big screen. Having cherished some great success in Hollywood from past 2 decades, Cruise comes from very modest background with Nomadic parents who were often on move that effected Tom’s life as well evident from the fact that by the time he was 14, he had been to 15 different schools.
        Coming from a religious background he initially aspired to be a priest but abandoned thse plans having developed some great interest in plays during his school days. By the time he was 18, he moved to New York to make a mark for himself in Hollywood. He debuted with a small role in Endless Love, followed by his first major role in Francis Coppola's The Outsiders. But it was with Risky Business,  Color of money, Top Gun  & Rainman  he  established himself in the film fraternity. He ended the 80s with a high potraying the role of Ron Kovic in Born on fourth of july.

            Continuing from his initial success in mid and late 80s he did some fabulous work in good movies of 90s & in 2000s in the likes of  A few good men, Interview with the Vampire,  Jerry maguire, Magnolia, Vanilla Sky, and some great action thrilling flicks like Collateral, The Last Samurai, Minority Report and every girl’s favorite Mission Impossible Series having Cruise starred as famous secret agent Ethan Hunt.

        To me personally, he also did some average movies in the likes of War of the Worlds, Lions for lambs and second installment in Mission Impossible franchise.
             Frankly, I don’t think him to be the best of the acting talents around but the way he carried himself out playing the roles to his strength with dedication & hardwork demands enormous respect from any movie buff around the globe. I think he has been very clear of the kind of image with which he really wants to be perceived and maintained a great metro-sexual appeal among his audiences. His background has a lot to do in all this, especially getting bullied by his schoolmates or by his Stepfather and living like nomads, he figured out pretty early in his life where he wants to see himself and the reason why Success never got over him is that he has been calm, religious  and on top of that he never forgot that he is loved by people because of the good work he does not of his personal antics, that’s why he remained grounded and has been doing some great work till date. Plus, to him some roles offered were tailor-made and his LUCK served the purpose of icing on the cake.

Directors to look for in near future.....

Which directors would be the one to look for in future?

As soon as this question strikes me, the first name that comes to my mind is Paul Thomas Anderson, the man who has directed few but has powerful movies to his credit that includes Magnolia, There will be blood and Hard Eight. Paul’s movies are the ones that are lengthy, powerful and shakes the viewer with the enormous impact they carry.
Next I would Say is Jason Reitman, Director of Juno, Thank you for Smoking & Up in the air. I think he would be the one who would define humor genre in future like no one has ever done and definitely the one to look out for...
Also in the pipeline is Richard Linklater, he is the guy who is a mastermind & knows how to make the movies even with the most simplest stuff and touches the right note whether it was Conversation in Before Sunset & its prequel or it was Humor in School of Rock & Dazed and Confused .
It won’t be unfair to put Guy Ritchie's name in the list who has directed some fabulous movies till date in the likes of Snatch, Sherlock Holmes & Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I love the Conviction, authenticity and dedication with which he makes the movies and deals with each character.
Last but not the least Paul Greengrass, definitely one of the underrated directors has two of the Bourne serie movies & United 93 to his credit.
Also I would love to see M. Night Shyamalan, director of village, signs and The Sixth Sense grow more as a Director

About me..

I am 23-year old guy from Ludhiana, India who had his share of ups and downs and was not that interested in movies till 2008, at that time I used to be extrovert, cheerful and carried a lot of passion in whatever thing I used to do which is still there in me. Then came a transition in me due to which I became quite and started enjoying movies and discovered what a beautiful form of human art it is. It was then when I became more interested in movies and my passion for movies is still underway…..

How blogging came to me

Then I felt that I should create a place where I could express my views regarding good movies, that’s where I try to justify the title of my blog    “Recommended Movie” - aimed at reviewing good movies

I started with aim of reviewing 300 movies in my mind, with that number in mind it’s a long way to go..., during this journey I would try to review and recommend good movies of different genres

About my Blog

I am hugely inspired by Lance Armstrong, the way he defined passion and love for cycling is enormous. I have huge respect for him especially how he came out as a reformed personality with great focus on performance and excellent work ethics after his struggle with Cancer. That’s why I have a strange URL of my blog combined with my nickname ashi
 http://ashi4lancearmstrong.blogspot.com/ which now has been changed to
http://recommendedmovie.blogspot.com  so that users can make easy access to the blog.

At times, I am very passionate to blog and sometimes I am not in a good mood but still blog, but this does not happen anymore (used to happen when I just started). For the reader, I would like to confess that sometimes I do take ideas from others about the movie before writing a review, well all I can say is it is not more than 15 percent of the overall post on my blog, rest is all by myself
I do admit that in my posts I generally don't interact much with the reader but rather I try to focus on giving fair and unbias verdict to the movie

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

“It is brilliantly written, uproariously funny and goes along at a pace as fast as the crack of a whip.”

A lot has been said about A Fish Called Wanda, everything has been said rightly, infact this movie deserves the accolades. The movie epitomises the term comedy classic in every way. The film looks great too, with the cinematography skillful and striking. The story is wonderfully constructed with seldom a dull moment, while the acting is superb.

Four criminals come together to pull off a daring jewel robbery. Wanda is in relationship with George; tries to get rid off him  with Otto (another roberer), portrayed as Wanda’s brother among the robbers.

It is great fun to watch each character trying to con the other out of their share of the loot. Its hilarious to listen to K..K..Ken trrr.... too... trying to negotiate with Otto. Its funny to see Archie's relationship with Wanda develop while his relationship with his wife has almost stagnated.

Whether it's John Cleese's dance, Kevin Kline's rips at England, Michael Palin's stuttering, or Jamie Lee Curtis's deadpan performance, they know how to do everything here. I can't describe how funny the movie is; you just have to see it. And you may very well die laughing - or if nothing else, you'll want to take a trip to England. Kevin Kline definitely deserved his Oscar. And of course, the cast teamed up again for another funny movie  "Fierce Creatures" (not Achieved the kind of success as this movie did). So go get yourself one of the best doses of comedy of 80s

My Rating – 8/10

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) “I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged”

“Every mind has billions of ideas and each one of us do things that no one expects us to do, some of those things are visible, some not…
 but still one of those things that make our life worth living is FREEDOM”



Tim Robbins stars as Andy Dufresne, a young man who faces a long, long time in prison after he is wrongfully found guilty of murdering his wife and her lover. While inside he learns an awful lot about what a man can hold onto and let himself be put through if there is still an ounce of hope in his soul.
Bottles of cool drink on a hot rooftop, a slowly building library collection, the moment of musical joy that sees Dufresne severely punished for his overstepping of the mark and many other scenes spring to mind as classic moments in a movie almost chock full of classic moments.
Andy quickly gets befriended by "Red" (Morgan Freeman), actually the narrator of the story, both soon prove that even in the worst circumstances, within the "hell on earth" they can maintain human dignity and strive on their own way to freedom...
Morgan Freeman is the film's secret strength, playing "the guy who can get it for you" with a note of welcome ambiguity. Watching him in an early scene, when a fat, new convict (fresh fish) is being beaten by cruel head guard Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown), you don't know whether Red looks so crestfallen for the victim or for the packs of cigarettes he just lost betting the guy wouldn't break before Dufresne
James Whitmore was equally memorable as a prisoner who was unable to adjust to the outside after his parole following a 50 year stint. This shows that people who have been incarcerated for such a long period, need some sort of readjustment training before they rejoin society. For Whitmore, freedom meant ultimate doom, making the scene one of my all-time favorite displaying the ultimate dark side and a certain fear in freedom.
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman alongwith James Whitmore etched unforgettable performances as prisoners charged with crime. The film shows what prison life is all about. Subjects dealing with prison survival, brutality, corruption and ultimate redemption are well shown.
An outstanding film dealing with prisons as seen by several prisoners. Many social problems are discussed here. The picture earned a well-deserved best picture Oscar nomination. It certainly should have tied with the winner, the equally good "Forrest Gump."

My Rating - 10/10
 

Casino (1995)

"Casino" is another modern classic from Martin Scorsese. Drawing parallels with his earlier "Goodfellas" , "Casino" again teams Scorsese up with writer Nicholas Pileggi having De Niro & Joe Pesci in lead traditional favourite of Scorsese. The result is a truly engaging tale of mobsters setting up a new gambling empire in Las Vegas and the subsequent ripple effects that involve the local authorities and the police.

 A joy from beginning to end, "Casino" is an example of a perfect movie. There's nothing you'd want to change about this film. It's full of memorable scenes that are rich with outstanding performances and dialogue and it simply demands a repeat viewing.

Casino spans three decades and chronicles the true story of a faction of the mob who ran Las Vegas casinos. Robert De Niro plays Sam Ace Rothstein, a fantastic bookie who is chosen to run the Tangiers hotel and Casino. Along the way, he marries a drug-addicted con-artist trophy wife (Sharon Stone) and struggles with his friendship with loose-cannon Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci). Rothstein is a complicated figure in that he is not a heavy, yet he wields a lot of power due to the respect he has gained from his mob bosses back home.

Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci are both fantastic in their roles, and Sharon Stone actually turned out a non-irritating performance. As the viewer, you can't stand her, but that is the point. Scorsese seems to have several different directing styles, and Casino follows in the tradition of Goodfellas as a pseudo-documentary. A lot of the exposition is revealed by the characters themselves in the form of voice-overs, and several scenes are filmed in documentarian fashion. The entire production however, is sleek and very quick. The use of music bears mentioning as well: Most Martin Scorsese films have an amazing soundtrack that adds to and enhances the scene. Scorsese doesn't just utilize the soundtrack, he makes it part of the storytelling - by the music, we chronologically know what time period we are witnessing, since one cannot rely on other factors, such as fashion alone. One of my favorite scenes in film which effectively involves music is actually from Casino - the very intense scene when the relationship between DeNiro, Stone and Pesci come to a head in the climax of the film. The pounding music cut throughout this scene is a cover of "Satisfaction" by Devo and the result is absolutely brilliant.

Being a complete movie buff, I generally don't watch films that feature certain stars, I go to films by certain directors and Scorsese is definitely one of them. The man is a complete genius, and a gift to any movie buff - my suggestion is to watch some of his films, then check out his unbelievable series, "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" which was done the same year as Casino. The series is essentially a primer on the history of film, sectioned off by film genres. You not only will experience his amazing intellect and massive knowledge of film history, but his incredible humility as well.

Casino has to be one of the most underrated films that Martin Scorsese directed in the nineties. The acting by the leads is good and the script is excellent. Robert De Niro gave an Oscar worthy performance and Joe Pesci is chilling yet funny again. Even Sharon Stone is good in this brilliant film.

My Rating – 9/10

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

This movie review by me is an attempt to improve my image in eyes of all those people who have always complained that I write movie reviews without interacting much with the reader,  So here goes the review of Ferris Bueller's Dy Off  keeping in mind my XI standard days of missing the school 48-times in a year.
  Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller), widely liked by everyone in his community decides to take a day off from a school. He plays hookie with his friends Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck) and Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) and enjoys a day in Chicago. There's only one person who can stop the fun and that's the principal Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones). And Ferris' sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey). OK, that's two persons. Ferris is a slacker but in his parents' eyes Ferris a perfect angel. So can Ferris get away with his plan or will he get caught?

Seeking the company of his best friend Cameron to loan him his father's car which is a super sports car and the pride and joy of his father. Cameron is rather reluctant about getting his father's car but Ferris overcomes and they also take along Sloane Peterson,  girlfriend of Ferris and they all head to Chicago, Illinios and have a ball going to baseball game at Wrigley Field, an expensive place to eat and visit the Art Museum. The movie is filled with some cool comic scenes involving his Principal and his witty tricks to fool people around him to get the things done in a manner he really wants. Don't miss the Greatest scene of the movie when Ferris gets up and sings TWist & ShOut  by Beatles along with the parade making everyone out there dance.
I admit that storyline is paper thin, and there isn't much substance that it contributes to the movie ,but at the same time we also don't want some complex storyline in a teen comedy. The dialogue for this movie has received such a following that it has even been printed on shirts and recited at parties by true fans of the film. I don't blame them. It's a classic!  Afterall, JOHN HUGHES is best at this......

My Rating - 9/10

Witness (1985)

It is a film about adults, whose lives have dignity and whose choices matter to them. The story focuses on a detective (Harrison Ford) protecting a young Amish boy who becomes the target of a ruthless killer after he witnesses a brutal murder.
Witness is as much about the meeting of cultures as about cops and robbers, this is one of those lucky movies which works out well on all counts and shows that there are still craftsmen lurking in Hollywood. The film is powerful, assured, full of beautiful imagery and devoid of easy moralising, which is good.
Ford is Chicago Detective John Book, assigned to investigate a murder that was committed by crooked cop Danny Glover. The only witness is the son of an Amish widow, played by Kelly McGillis. When Book gets too close to the truth, the crooked cops try to kill him, forcing Book to take it on the lamb and hide out in the Amish country. There, he slowly makes a transition into their society, their way of life, and of course, he starts to fall for Kelly McGillis. (who would later star with pretty boy Cruise in "Top Gun").
Alexander Godunov, who later played the murderous Karl in "Die Hard", makes his debut here as an Amish farmer who is, Ford's romantic rival for Kelly. Also making his debut here is a much younger Viggo Mortensen as another Amish father. Mortensen's barely evident in the role out here,although had his eventual success as Aragorn in "Lord of the Rings" ........
After Star Wars & Indiana Jones,Ford succeeded in a serious role and his multi-layered performance earned him his only Oscar Nomination till date.Well directed Romantic Thriller by Peter Weir (Director of Dead poet's Society and Truman Show) that earned him his first Academy Award Nomination. Do watch this one for great Cinematography and Artwork

My Rating - 8/10

Gattaca (1997)

Director Andrew Niccol's Gattaca, in my humble opinion, is  the peak of the motion picture art form. All aspects of the production serve the story spectacularly.

Vincent (Ethan Hawke) is one of rare naturally born children, who is condemned to die in young age with 99% percent probability. Vincent wants nothing more than to be an astronaut, so he buys himself a different life as Jerome (Jude Law), who has been crippled in an accident. From here begins Vincent's deception game to reach the stars.
Basically the plot deals with the issues of human spirit: what Vincent can achieve despite of his condition. Can he be better than the perfect people? Can he deceive everyone? Also there are lots of issues between the perfect and their humane flaws and how Vincent as flawed contrast with them.

Gattaca represents a rare genre of intellectual sci-fi movies that contains minimal amount of action and none of larger than life stuff (usual weapons and monsters kind)  This kind of  genre is heavily relied on the actors and settings. Settings for Gattaca are originally adapted where the future children are not conceived naturally, but through genetic engineering. This has brought up new kind of racism: perfect versus flawed

Watching Ethan Hawke's role as Vincent evade the relentless pursuit of the authorities while trying to be on the Titan mission, romancing Irene (Uma Thurman), and micro-managing his samples from Jerome (Jude Law in a very impressive supporting turn) made for some the most riveting viewing ever.

The best part for me regarding the movie is the greed and passion Hawke carries to be successful on his mission despite the disabilities on his side......At that point of time it doesn't matter wether he gets caught or not but his passion really stole my heart giving an insight into the hard work he really does although is not very legal though...

Do watch the movie for great screenplay,stunning cars,and great sets and decoration and Uma Thurman delivering a great performance in one of the most glamorous role of  her career accompanied by excellent acting of two leads well played by Eathan Hawke and Jude Law. The retro-style art direction, script, acting, music, and lighting all brought to life, much too chillingly, a cold and soulless world where the content of your genes counted for everything while the content of your character counted for nothing.

My Rating  - 9/10

Layer Cake (2004)

Matthew Vaughn  (Director of Stardust & Kick-Ass) made an impressive Directorial debut with Daniel Craig in the lead for the first time in his career in Layer Cake, a British movie.Craig, portrays a successful cocaine dealer at the top of his game, and he's planning to get out while he is ahead. His boss has one last assignment though, to find the missing daughter of his old pal. Caught up in a major ecstasy deal, a brutal Serbian gang and everyone trying to double cross each other, Craig has go against his own rules and outwit the lot of them.
The movie packs on the machismo and revels in the outlaw's contempt for the "straight" world without ever losing track of the menace and danger of the outlaw way of life. The plot is full of twists and turns and may take more than one viewing to take in, which is good for movie fans who like their films "chewy".
Layer Cake runs a fairly brisk hour and forty some odd minutes. It's well paced and has great narration. The lead character played by Daniel Craig (aka the next/future James Bond) is interesting as sort of someone obviously greedy but smart enough to know he's in the wrong business. There's an excellent mixture of fear in his character's actions/dialogue which is well placed earning believability.The supporting cast, on the whole English produce polished snappy dialogue with cool, collected energy. The editing is fast paced, but thankfully the director has chosen a fairly linear storyline.
Layer Cake is based on a novel by J.J. Connolly, who wrote the screenplay for the movie.  Originally Guy Ritchie was due direct but he had to put out because of scheduling conflicts. This was a blessing really because we all know that Ritchie would have just made Layer Cake a comical mockery fair. What Vaughan did was he played the material as straight as possible, keeping comedy to a minimum and a made an good example of a British Gangster film. Vaughan shows that he could handle the material and do some stylist directing trick like a pro, fitting in with the film.

My Rating 8/10

Ray (2004)

This is the true story of the great pianist and jazz singer/legend Ray Charles (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning Jamie Foxx) telling how he became one of the most loved souls of  Music that people of America ever saw .  He was born in a poor African American-town, and he went blind at 7 years old, but with his skills of touch and hearing, this is what would later in life would lead him to stardom. By the 1960's he had accomplished his dream, and selling records in millions, and leading the charts with songs and albums. But the story also showed his downfalls, including the separation from his wife and child, because of his affair with a band member , his drug and alcohol use, and going to prison because of this.
It is a great story with a great singer impression, the songs, including Hit the Road Jack, are the highlights due to which the movie is must watch for any music fan.
Also starring Regina King as Margie Hendricks, Kerry Washington as Della Bea Robinson, Clifton Powell as Jeff Brown, Harry J. Lennix as Joe Adams, Bokeem Woodbine as Fathead Newman, Aunjanue Ellis as Mary Ann Fisher, Sharon Warren as Aretha Robinson, C.J. Sanders as Young Ray Robinson, Curtis Armstrong as Ahmet Ertegun and Richard Schiff as Jerry Wexler.

Talking about supporting cast, Kerry Washington is superb as the understanding and long suffering mother and wife, Della Bea Robinson as are the rest of the supporting cast. While Foxx does some of the singing, we mostly hear the voice of Ray Charles from his hit recordings. But Foxx is so good we have to remind ourselves that it isn't really him performing them live.
The ending feels a bit raffled, as if they were saying Hey the movie is 2 and a halve hours long now, lets put an end to it. But yet the movie covers that needed to be covered, so I tend to forgive them makers for that.

A good biopic movie. You don't have to be a fan of Ray Charles or his music to like this movie.

My Rating - 8/10

Thankyou for Smoking (2005)

Aaron Eckhart made his first big-screen impression in Neil LaBute's 1997 flick "In the Company of Men". Since then, he not been given good enough leading man roles, but luckily, this time was not the case as he stars as Nick Naylor, tobacco industry lobbyist extraordinaire, in first-time director/writer Jason Reitman's (later directed  Juno and Up in the Air) wonderfully acerbic comedy about the power of media spin around the availability of cigarettes despite inescapable evidence that smoking kills. Nick's two lobbyist buddies are played with barbed precision by David Koechner as the Bush-sound-alike firearms specialist and the wonderful Maria Bello as the sharp-tongued alcohol representative. The film's perspective is ruthlessly cynical and most of the characters are morally ambiguous, but those are the primary reasons why this movie sizzles full of shrewd insights about political gamesmanship in both the public and private sectors.

Aaron Eckhart is used to great measure to portray a character who has a moral black hole and an eager disposition to show just how black it is.Nick's lobbying powers make him a god in his world. He cannot do wrong, he flies coach and mingles with the people (and induces them to smoke), and he's become the favorite of the tobacco czar (Robert Duvall) who is using his own money to bribe a former Marlboro man dying of cancer, played by Sam Neill, not to talk against the industry and to use the money for a charity. He's also trying to negotiate a smart move (against his bosses’ wishes) with a Hollywood super-agent (Rob Lowe) to re-introduce smoking in films because nowadays, only Europeans and psycho-villains smoke -- it's deglamorized Hollywood. They suggest bringing Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a movie about smoking in space. (Listen to them talk, and listen to how they would resolve the "minor" issue that smoking cannot be done in space.)

Beginning with the inventive artwork of the opening credits, the plot goes in unexpected directions, and while the ending is a bit soft, overall the movie satisfies. The smart, provocative characters really make you think about the persistent hypocrisy of big business and government in refreshing ways that are not remotely disdainful. . Don’t miss the scenes involving MOD Squad and how Katie Holmes exploits Nick. Even the comparatively soft-centered scenes of Nick with his son have a nice edge, and with his translucent blue eyes, Cameron Bright strikes the right, non-judgmental notes as Joey. Reitman seems fully capable of bringing an acidic flavor to the most Capra-esquire situation.

Reitman has recruited a first-class cast to bring his brittle satire to life starting with a superb turn by Eckhart, who alternates easily between unapologetically smug and begrudgingly likable..

My Rating- 9/10

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Director : Rob Reiner

Starcast : Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan
Highlight : Went on to be a Trend Setter among Romantic Comedies

"When Harry Met Sally..." is one of those rare, one in a million motion pictures that becomes a cultural icon. It's been needlessly ripped off, and endlessly spoofed since its release in 1989.
There have been romantic comedies that don't quite appeal to me, but When Harry Met Sally is just wonderful. It is for me everything a romantic comedy should be, funny, witty and charming. The screenplay from Nora Ephron got nominated for an Oscar, and so it should have done. There were times when I laughed out loud (I'll have what she's having), and other times when I was like "that's really sweet". The direction is wonderfully astute and detailed, as is often the case with Rob Reiner ( Director of The Bucket List and A Few Good Men). It’s a wonderful romantic comedy about a man and a woman who struggles to keep their relationship afloat after the threat of sex endangers it. Two perfectly cast stars benefit from a sharp script that deeply explores friendship, romance, and the differences between men and women.

The New York locations are really beautiful, and the soundtrack is awesome. The lovely story argues the question of whether men and women can ever have a friendship without sex, and there are so many funny and charming scenes, particularly the fake-orgasm set piece. And of course the acting is outstanding. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan(at her prettiest I think, though she was stunning in Sleepless in Seattle as well) are perfect together, while Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby give a real sense of edge to their supporting performances.
Overall, a delightful romantic comedy. Highly Recommended!!
My Rating - 9/10

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Director: Gus Van Sant

Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Robin Williams

Highlight: Nominated for 9 Oscars and won two Oscars that includes Oscar for  Best Supporting Actor (Robin Williams) and Best Screenplay (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck)

Good Will Hunting proved to be a rise to Stardom for Matt Damon

This is an intelligent film about Will Hunting (Matt Damon) a young genius, who because of his disadvantaged and abusive childhood, ends up as a janitor at MIT where he could easily be the head of the Mathematics department. Though the story is a bit far stretched (it is hard to believe a kid this bright wouldn't have been noticed by someone who would have guided him towards higher education), once you put that aside, it is a fascinating character study of a very complex and dynamic young man.

Will is discovered after solving a math challenge left on a blackboard by the head of the math department at MIT. This throws his life into turmoil, as the mathematicians want to make him into a prodigy. He also begins seeing a therapist (Robin Williams) who forces him to confront many deep emotions and experiences he had been repressing. The effect this has on him, and his relationship with his friends is powerful and makes for an engrossing tale.

The cast is well-assembled with Matt Damon delivering a fine performance which snagged him his only Oscar nomination till date. Minnie Driver, as Will's love interest, also landed out with an Oscar nomination. Robin Williams won his first Oscar for his role after three previous nominations. The rest of the cast is solid, particularly the under-appreciated Stellan Skarsgård

The story is interesting and quite entertaining .The comedy is done well and placed well throughout the film. I do have a complaint about the film that is the absurd amount of swearing in the film. I agree that sometimes it is necessary, but there is a truly unnecessary amount of language in the film. But please, don't let that discourage you from seeing the film; it is a great film to watch.

Overall, "Good Will Hunting", despite the incredibly precious title, is worthwhile a film. Fine performances and a compelling (Oscar-winning) script combine to produce a memorable film that should be fondly remembered for years to come.

My Rating - 8/10

Rescue Dawn (2006)

Director:  Werner Herzog

Star Cast:  Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies

Highlight: Based on the True story of U.S. Navy Pilot Dieter Dengler , who escaped  after being  taken as hostage during Vietnam War

Adapted from a documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly , starring Dengler himself

One of the best movies of last decade and possibly the best survival-drama with theme of war ever made, that's exactly what 'Rescue Dawn' is, 2 hours of pure "tour de force" covered by terrifying acting and characteristic landscape of Vietnam. Even if this movie's story and plot isn't the same as the plot of movies like 'Cast Away' and 'Robinson Crusoe' , still it is great to watch the  "survival" aspect, it's so much more realistic, after all this is based on a true story which just makes this movie more exciting, amazing and definitely inspiring. Christian Bale shows up his star acting capabilities while his acting and impression just glows throughout the movie.

This movie also shows incapability and ignorance of U.S. army towards their soldiers that have been made hostages, and a man's will and power to keep hope, make a plan and escape from hopeless situation. Many movies I saw and I’m sure many movies that still are to be made will try to compete with this story and this film, those movies that came before 'Rescue Dawn' failed to deliver what this movie did, and those movies that are still to come will have to offer something amazing to even get in a same sentence with this film. Wherever you are, whatever you do, whatever your opinion on war may be and whether you're pacifist or no, you should watch this movie as soon as possible, because it's been made for absolutely everyone!

My Rating -  8/10

In regards to the efforts of Director Werner Herzog, there has been much discrimination against his treatment with the movie,

For More Info visit

http://rescuedawnthetruth.com/

The Cider House Rules (1999)

Director: Lasse Hallstrom (Director of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape)

Star cast: Tobey Maguire (Spider man fame) , Charlize Theron (Hancock, Italian job) , Michael Caine

 

Highlight: Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture; Won Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay (John Irving) and Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine)

Based on John Irving’s novel “The Cider House Rules”

The Cider house Rules is an engrossing and heartfelt drama that will have you crying and at the same time making you feel so good about life, and yourself. Tobey Maguire plays Homer Wells an orphan nobody wants. Homer has spent most of his life in an orphanage, under the care of the kind but strict Dr. Larch. Homer learns everything about brig a doctor form Larch, and Larch one day hopes that Homer will take over for him when he's gone, but Homer has other plans he doesn't want to stay in the orphanage he wants to go see the world experience new things, and his dreams of seeing a world outside the orphanage come true when he meets a man and his girlfriend looking to abort her pregnancy. Homer takes a leap of faith and asks to come along with them, and that's when one man’s journey begins to see the world for what it is. The cider house rules will have you wanting to see it again as soon as it's over, it's an inspiring movie that shows you if you even stay away from your old way of life you will always have a place to come home to.

Tobey Maguire was perfectly casted for this movie, they couldn't have found someone more suitable for the job than him. Michael Caine, brilliant as always, won't disappoint either. The always very beautiful Charlize Theron is very lovable and sweet. Maybe less famous is Paul Rudd (maybe you saw him as Phoebe's boyfriend in "Friends"), but he's always very enjoyable; a fine actor!

You can do whatever you like in life; there are no rules at the point of action. The kicker is that you must accept two downstream effects: You must not only accept the foreseen consequences of your actions, but you must equally accept the unforeseen consequences.

My Rating - 8/10