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

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

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

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

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

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

21 grams (2003)

The title might mislead the casual non-viewer. One might be led to believe the title is in reference to drugs. In fact, it is a reference to what is purported to be the amount of weight that a person loses when they die. Fitting enough, because this movie seems to be all about death, both literal and spiritual.

Snapshots of tragedy: the lives of three people--a wife and mother of two, a dying man in need of a new heart, and an ex-con turned counselor at a religious center-intersect after a tragic car accident. The film consists of episodes in their lives (before and after the accident) which are shuffled about, with scene after dramatic scene served up-one may assume-in random order; yet there's a method to this editing madness, and the film's narrative actually feels much more linear in retrospect.

In masterpiece movies like Once Upon a Time in America, Reservoir Dogs, and even Memento, the scrambled story structure had a purpose, adding appropriate twists and turns for the audience. 21 Grams has that non-linear basis to it too, and sometimes it works for the audience to react. But I think there would be a lot more power to how these characters' fates and tragedies unfold if it was told linearly from start to finish. In many moments in the film I found myself knowing a little too much before a particular scene unfolded, or I found myself guessing about something that I didn't need to as one of the points of non-linear storytelling is answers first, questions later. It wasn't an aspect that made the film bad, yet the stock that writer and director put into this structure over interlocking the stories in order, or perhaps telling each story separately, is the film's only drawback.

The acting by Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Naomi Watts was over the top. All three put in first-class performances to tell a story that was intense from start to finish. I do recommend the movie, but I should warn you: don't expect anything light and fluffy.

My Rating - 8/10

The Town (2010)

I must admit that I hate Ben Affleck and don’t watch his movies usually because I personally think he is not a good actor, but I watched this movie just because of his good show as a debutant director in Gone Baby Gone. And I must say he did a wonderful job here continuing from where he left in 2007 and if you ask me he could possibly be the next Clint Eastwood in the making if he keeps growing from here in the field of Direction. Adding to that, I think his effort out here will definitely earn him the Oscar nomination this year.

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) was born and raised in Charlestown, a blue-collar neighborhood in Boston, where crime is a part of life. Charlestown is the world's capital for carjacking, kidnappings, and armed robberies. The tricks of the criminal trade are passed down from father to son. Doug is the brains and ruthless leader of a gang of bank robbers who have been able to get out clean after each bank robbery. But Doug knows that his luck will not last forever, and he is looking for one last big heist that will give him the chance to leave the town in his rear-view mirror. But no one will let him, especially, his right-hand man Jeremy (James Coughlin); because he believes that it would be a personal betrayal to him, and he is not going to allow that. In a recent bank job, Doug forced the bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) to open the safe, and then took her hostage as leverage for the getaway, eventually setting her free unharmed. Doug knows that he should leave Claire alone, but she only lives four blocks from him, and he can handle it, but he begins to fall for her. Their romantic involvement is about to take them down a perilous path.

The film also has a terrific pace to it. It does have very little action scenes in it and they are not really needed to make this film more exciting. I say this because the lives of these characters become so involving to us that we really want to see what happens between them and what decisions they make and we do get in a sense to even care for them. It is so involving and fascinating that the over two hour running time is rarely felt because everything is so captivating. I would not single out a single performance as being the best because I think the whole cast does good work here. The direction is tight and focused and really brings the film together and makes for a really entertaining and thrilling watch.

I personally liked The Town better because I really felt we got to know these characters better and the on screen chemistry was great. This film also successfully blends different genres including drama, action and even romance and all were pulled off terrifically and it felt more human to me. The Town is one of the best films of 2010 and I am glad it is doing so well with audiences and at the box office.

My Rating-  8/10

Gran Torino(2008)

Few films have been able to translate an aspect that war can have on surviving veterans - that aspect being the embedded hate for 'the enemy' that dominates the world view of those who have had to fight in the battlefields, a hate that too easily translates into generalized racism that persists throughout the life of the veteran. GRAN TORINO takes on this ugly issue and works it with such compelling force that just when the audience feels is cannot tolerate any more racial slurs a transformation takes place, opening a window to understanding and perhaps altering the poison of racism's effects on American Family
While at first it may look to be another episode of Dirty Harry or "What would a retired Dirty Harry do?", this is a much complex movie. Yes the character depicted here by Clint Eastwood, has some similarities with his "Dirty Harry" character, but in the end, he's very different from him (you will get what I mean, if you watch the movie).I wouldn't call this a masterpiece yet it is a great movie, a little slow paced but entertaining enough.
Eastwood here suffers from the abandon of his family and the death of his wife. For an old man, it could mean a depression and neurosis but he's capable of teaching a young boy what life is about. He also demonstrates he's a kind man and with an exquisite sense of humor.
The movie is about Eastwood learning tolerance and befriended with Hmong neighbors. He befriends the young girl there, Sue and her brother, Thao. Thao has a cousin in a gang that keeps trying to get him to join and Walt becomes involved.
The racist jokes and commentaries suit the movie's tone. Those dialogs are filled with black humor and tongue in cheek humor. Although Bee Vang delivers a great, emotional performance as Thao "Toad" Vang Lor, he is eclipsed by Eastwood's performance as Walt Kowalski. Some sad moments will even make the viewer feel mad and hate the gang members. But Walt Kowalski is an old matured guy and knows exactly what life and it's burdens mean.

So through his experience, fierce attitude, badass behavior, and unique sense of humor, he teaches Thao a lesson of  life. The way the plot unfolds is awesome to watch. From an unapproachable and unpleasant old guy to a friend you can rely on in times of need is a pretty amazing transformation, and the film excels in detailing this change. The film spends almost 25 odd-minutes to prepare the viewer for climax, which left me engaged, worrying about the calamity that might happen. This sort of suspense and engagement is almost unprecedented. And when the inevitable climax finally happens, I felt overwhelmingly sad within myself. Yes, "Gran Torino" is profoundly moving and must watch for any EASTWOOD fan……

My Rating - 8/10

Jackie Brown (1997)

Jackie Brown is a 44 year old air hostess who also acts as a money carrier for her boss, gun dealer Ordell Robbie. When one of Ordell's other employee's is caught he is forced to kill him, however, before he can get to him the employee tells the police about Jackie and they pick her up. With Jackie facing jail or being killed by Ordell she strikes a deal with both the police and him to bring in a large stash of money. However to help her retirement she plans to play the game to her own ends.

The film is still full of Tarantinoisms for the fans - the heavy soundtrack, the pop culture references, the witty, slick dialogue. It is in Jackie and Max where Tarantino has grown up a bit - although in fairness this was an adaptation rather than his own script, but he still manages them better than some of his own thin characters. Tarantino takes a breather between Pulp and the Kill Bill movies here with a nonviolent drama. It's slow, but it's refreshing.

The characters are all well conceived and all of them sustain and give an extra strength to the plot. I appreciate especially two acting jobs: The one by Samuel Jackson, which does one more time the role he does best; Pam Grier, who plays the main role (JACKIE BROWN), and does a magnificent work playing a strong and intelligent woman that can deceive everyone and ends fulfilling her goal. About DeNiro’s role, LOUIS GARA, which is not a very important to this movie, I think he does a character with a personality from what I'm used to watch in other movies. Here, he's silent and nervous and almost seems like a "poor little devil" thief.

I think Tarantino did a great job one more time. It's not a masterpiece like PULP FICTION or Kill Bill but it's a great film and must watch for any movie buff

Overall I enjoy this film and can understand why it will never be loved to the extent that Pulp was and is. However to me this is a satisfying film with an enjoyable plot and a more traditional delivery. The development of actual good characters beyond snappy dialogue is what impressed me the most.

My Rating- 8/10

In the Line of Fire

Here's another entertaining Clint Eastwood action-suspense film. Being a huge fan of him because he knows how to make entertaining movies and make his audience sit on the edge of their seats throughout the movie. Now there is an intense actor! In this story, Malkovich plays an assassin, and he is awesome to watch, thanks to his different disguises and the terrific dialogues he was given. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson (Director of Troy) it is one of those movies of 90s that would remind you of Eastwood’s trademark role Dirty Harry

          Eastwood stars as a veteran Secret Service Agent who was on the job in Dallas as a young man when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He's had his doubts ever since and been given to drink and his life at one time was a real shambles. He's gotten back on the White House detail now and when a potential assassin's landlady rats on her tenant to the Secret Service, it's Eastwood and partner Dylan McDermott who draw the case.

But the assassin is no ordinary crank case. He's a professional at his job, trained by and used by the Central Intelligence Agency. John Malkovich earned a well deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor but sadly he lost that year to Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive.

 Malkovich might have been better off, but he saw Eastwood as the agent in charge breaking into his apartment while on the job and he insisted on making the whole thing personal. He calls and taunts Eastwood throughout the film. And after a while what Malkovich says does causes Eastwood to get real personal. John Malkovich is also magnificent in perhaps his most famous and celebrated psycho role.

Screen chemistry of these two incredible actors is enjoyable to watch- especially in the phone call scenes. "In the line of fire" has huge amount of splendid moments. Scene where Eastwood is hanging on the edge of the roof and points his gun at Malkovich's mouth who's only trying to help him is a classic and so is the elevator scene in the end of the film. If you ask me personally the best part was the climax involving Malkovich and Eastwood

My Rating - 8/10

Dead Man : Tricky trip to Demise

"Dead Man" is not like any western that you've seen before. It's not a glorification of pioneers traveling out west, and it's not a direct indictment of the people’s treatment of Indians. Granted, it portrays the Old West as a pretty ugly place, but the movie almost seems to treat it as a parallel universe. Johnny Depp plays William Blake, who gets hired to be an accountant for a metal company in a town called Machine in 1876. When he arrives in town - after using up all his money - he learns from the corporate CEO (Robert Mitchum) that they've hired someone else. With nowhere to go, Blake hooks up with a woman, only to have her hubby walk in on them and kill her and wound him. Blake kills the guy and has to flee, since it turns out that this guy is the corporate CEO's son (and the CEO is more concerned that Blake stole a horse than that his son got murdered). Out in the open, Blake meets up with an Indian named Nobody (Gary Farmer), who calls him "stupid white man". That's when the movie really starts to seem metaphysical.

I thought that this movie was quite good, although it's definitely not for everyone. All I can say is good filmmakers make mistakes, because otherwise they wouldn't be taking risks. Jarmusch tries to grow here but misses. Still, despite some patches which don't work, especially Lance Henrikson's character being a cannibal, this does achieve a poetic quality (as it should, since the main character is named William Blake) not unfamiliar to the genre. Of course, it helps to have actors like Depp and Gary Farmer, who takes the "noble savage" stereotype and makes it real. The very idea of an American film star Johnny Depp travelling in a steam locomotive to far west is amazing as it allows us to believe that leading players in Hollywood are always willing to contribute to innovative ideas. If you see it and don't love it, I say see it again.

I would have gone with 7/10 rating , but I think movie surely has independent cinema feel and must watch for any Johnny Depp fan, So I am going with  humble  8/10

L.A. Confidential

                                 

People seem to feel the need to compare this remarkable film with the film noir genre as well as with the time honored classic Chinatown. Although they are not wrong in their comparisons, LA Confidential should be taken as a great film in its own right.

A movie like this has a plot so well woven, with acting to support, and a cast that will blow you away, that it can't help but stand out. Everything from the great acting to the fantastic direction to the remarkable screenplay (which contains some truly great lines... "Go back to Jersey..."), is so perfectly executed that I find it amazing how studios consistently release such mediocre junk these days when they could elect to finance films like this.

Gritty homage to film noir about three detectives, Spacey, a big hotshot T.V. police advisor, Crowe, a defender of women against abusers and Pearce, an ambitious yet naive detective are involved in a complex case of sex, scandal, and murder. Strange, fascinating mystery in the best Hammett/Chandler tradition is vivid and atmospheric, all thanks to the superb cast including Bassinger, who richly won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as the Veronica Lake-ish fem me fatale who's surrounded by her Oscar-worthy costars including Cromwell as the police captain who's more important than you think. Directed by Hanson, who with Brian Helgeland won a well deserving Best Adapted Screeplay Oscar. A modern masterpiece of film-making based on James Ellroy’s novel. The movie plays out like a series of events that seem to be separate but is eerily connected, and a plot like that holds the most commendment I can award a film with. 

This movie totally kicks Titanic's butt! This should have won best picture (just my personal view). It had an excellent story, acting, and set design. All in all it has something for everybody, action, romance, comedy, suspense, mystery, crime, drama and anything you name it.
My Rating 9/10