fatehsmann Reviews

Kill the Messenger (2014)

Intense second half that avoids clichés makes film worth watching.

[7/10 · 19 October 2014]

'Kill the Messenger' is the true story of journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Rener) who experiences a bitter smear campaign after he writes the biggest story of his career- a shocking expose about a U.S security agency. Now, the intentions behind the movie are laudable. The story definitely deserves the reach Hollywood has and the filmmakers resist the temptations of hyperbole and clichés. It is also, for the most part, engaging, especially the second half.

However, the more I think about it, the more it seems to be an opportunity lost. This is the kind of film that the Academy loves, but I'll be extremely surprised if it is even considered for the big awards at the Oscars.

For me, the flaws were obvious-the first half of the film. Now, I'm not quite sure what the filmmakers were trying to do there. Was it a conspirancy thriller? Was it about the journalistic process or the information? It just went through everything a little too quickly and superficially for either to be effective, but not quickly or superficially enough to provide just the backstory. It's too long and not good enough (to be fair- not good enough doesn't mean bad.)

Perhaps the intention was the same as it was during the second half- to tell us the account of Gary Webb. Even so, it wasn't as effective- Jeremy Renner didn't do a great job and there were too many distractions for the viewer.

In the second half, once the sh** hits the fan, both Renner and the movie come alive. Now, the focus is singular- as someone said during the movie, 'It's about you, not your story'. And Renner revels in that focus- playing the part of a harassed, threatened and accused father with an intensity that pervades into the film.

There was also a distinct authenticity and realism about the film, especially about the ending- it was refreshing to see the director resisting the temptation to end on a high note. But overall, this is a film that will probably fall through the cracks- too serious for many and probably not good enough for the serious.

But hey, the truth is finally being told- on a huge scale. And that's all Gary Webb seemed to care about.

The Brothers Karamazov (2008 Video)

73 minutes of the same purple screen

[1/10 · 14 April 2014]

Maybe this is supposed to mean something to some people. But really, how are we supposed to connect a purple screen to Dostoevsky?

I would be interested in Nigel Tomm and finding out what was he smoking while making this film.

The laughable part is that I'm only writing this now because you have too write a minimum of 10 lines of text for each review. I have absolutely nothing to write. I was somewhat intrigued by the description, and seeing that the entire movie is available on IMDb, decided to sift through. The first one and a half minutes- the same purple screen. Fast forward to 5 minutes- the same. Wondering what was wrong, I read the description again and saw that it actually says that '73 minutes of pure magenta screen'. And he's not kidding. It is that. The worst part is, you go through his videos and it seems all his movies are just the same coloured screen.

Rubbing your eyes in disbelief? Fast forward through the video and see

Her (2013)

Refreshingly original, breathtakingly moving, non-demanding, and amazingly profound at the same time

[9/10 · 30 March 2014]

I'm not an average movie watcher. I don't go for the usual Hollywood and try and avoid clichés at all costs.

Then again, some of my favorite movies are ones you can't really see every time. Ingmar Bergman's Persona, Shutter Island are demanding, and some of the extreme ones like Primer and Andrei Tarkovsky's The Mirror need every ounce of your attention. These are amazing experiences, but not really movies you can relax with.

Occasionally though, there are some movies which combine the best of a romantic comedy/thriller, with beautiful cinema; a movie you can come home and relax to without making any effort- into beautiful art.

'Her' falls in that category. The premise is so simple, and then the filmmakers explore it to piercing depth with stunning direction, backed by actors that became the actual person, so that you really feel that look, that sharp intake of breath, that hesitant reply, and that exultant expression.

I've seen Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective, and I'm a huge fan of Matthew McConaughey. IMO, Jaoquin Phoenix has only been competent in his previous movies, but this time he owned it. He was on screen for most of this two-hour long movie, and not a second was wasted. In my eyes, he should have comfortably won the Oscar this year (though I haven't seen 12 Years a Slave yet).

Another mention for Scarlett Johansson. We don't ever seen her, and again, she isn't been outstanding in anything I have seen. Here, her disembodied voice becomes a separate entity, one that connects with us all. Fantastic stuff

Every other member of the cost did an excellent job as well. The conversations, the music, the sets, and the locations, without being complicated or expensive, fit in seamlessly for an evocative and a thought-provoking whole. There are profound thoughts and keen philosophical insights on AI, what makes us human, and other stuff, and I think the ending was really well-rounded.

We all have our tastes, and preferences, and this one should be decent for almost all, wonderful for many, and extraordinary for some. It was extraordinary for me.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

A waste of time

[1/10 · 21 December 2010]

With every movie I watch, the importance of a director becomes more and more apparent to me. Here was a concept, which, despite not being terribly original, could have been really worked upon, especially with the next big thing in Hollywood, Megan Fox in it- that at least guarantees a few guys giving it a shot just to see her (like me)

The scare factor could have been increased, the suspense and the mystery could have been highlighted more, maybe the relationship between the two best friends could also have been exploited. But whatever, the director's intentions were, it become an extremely unscary cheesy horror movie.

I'm still not convinced Megan Fox can act. While her performance wasn't bad, she didn't exactly blow the world apart either. In fairness, i think she did okay according to the script, which didn't really demand a lot of acting skills so the verdict is still out

Don't waste your time on it.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

The magic of the bard lives on

[8/10 · 21 December 2010]

I confess to perhaps giving the film a rating which it didn't quite deserve, but that's because I have a weakness for literature in general and Shakespeare in particular, and the wonderful sonnets, couplets and other verses that this film is full off probably meant that this film gets an 8 when it would have gotten a 6 or a 7.

This movie was the surprise hit of 1998, even going as far to win an Oscar nomination for the director John Madden. The movie depicts a young Shakespeare lacking inspiration and suffering from writers block, who's told that love will restore his gift. He then meets Viola De Lesseps, a lady of much higher social standings, who has a love for poetry and a disdain for the so-called nobility. The two are instantly attracted to each other and a love affair blossoms. Shakespeare meanwhile, get's inspiration and begins writing Romeo and Juliet. However, the conservative society of Britain in the 15th century is such that much like the play, Romeo and Juliet have little hope of being together.

The best part about the movie are the performances. Joseph Fiennes shows that the gift of acting is not just bestowed upon his more illustrious brother Ralph, he too has a significant share . His passion and energy seem to transmit to the entire screen. Gwyneth Paltrow was nominated for an Oscar for breathing life into Viola De Lesseps. She beautifully portrays the lovestruck lady's passions and emotions. The chemistry between the two leads is intense. The other cast members do an admirable job of supporting them, particularly Geoffery Rush whose screen presence, as usual, adds to the allure of the movie, even if he has little to do. The dialogues are worthy of a movie on a Shakespeare. Add to all this a fine storyline and you have a fine mix.

Definitely worth a watch

8/10

Goodfellas (1990)

Overrated, but still a good watch

[7/10 · 20 December 2010]

Such is the reputation of Goodfellas, that when I finally set about watching it a few months ago, I was sure of an unforgettable movie experience.

But I was bitterly disappointed. While by no means a bad movie, Goodfellas never touched the heights of The Godfather and The departed, two other movies about 'wiseguys'.

Goodfellas is a true story about Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), who, since childhood was charmed by gangsters. He set about doing odd jobs for the mob as kid, and after being arrested ones and not ratting out, he earns the mob's respect. He then starts to enter the big time, befriending by Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci)

The movie never really took off for me, and never had me sucked into it, as I would expect all so-called classics to.Despite that, there are a few seminal scenes in it. The 'you're funny' scene is one of them, which probably was the main reason for Joe Pesci's Oscar as best supporting actor.

Credit has to be given to Scorese though, for sticking true to Henry Hill's story and not overtly dramatizing it.

The three central characters are in good form. Liotta does a great job of portraying the level-headed (compared to Conway and Tommy) gangster, while DeNiro's charisma is there for all to see as the flamboyant Jimmy Conway. However, Pesci is the star of the show, delivering a top performance as the hare-brained, hot tempered gangster Tommy DeVito.

While for me it wasn't good enough to be considered a classic, it's good enough to warrant a watch.

7/10

Easy A (2010)

A breath of fresh air

[7/10 · 20 December 2010]

Though primarily targeted for girls, this is a movie that will appeal to both the genders. This is a story of Olive, a girl who inadvertently lied to a friend about losing virginity, and the news traveled faster than wildfire among the gossip obsessed teens. Suddenly, she's the school slut. However, she realizes that she doesn't really mind the attention.

Easy A slightly different take on the teen genre with the obscene jokes and the ridiculous situations (I'm actually a fan of them too, if done well, like American Pie did) replaced with witty one-liners. The plot is good and the pace is just right. Will Gluck also does a commendable job as director, and makes sure that the viewer doesn't lose interest anytime during the movie. The cast and the dialogues are the best part about the movie though. Emma Stone does an excellent job, and puts in a performance sparkling with energy and vivacity. Also notable are Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, who formed an excellent chemistry with Olive and gave many light moments during the movie. The other cast members also did a fine job. The dialogues are intelligent and witty, as already mentioned.

Where it lost out maybe was having too much of a feel good atmosphere, as a result you don't feel down even when Olive is crying in the movie.

It's however, definitely worth a watch. Catch it!

A solid 7/10

Shortkut - The Con Is On (2009)

Awful

[1/10 · 18 December 2010]

I will never forgive my mother for making me see this.

The script is stupid. There are glaring loopholes in it. Well, I don't really mind there being loopholes in the film if they director can deflect our attention from it but this movie fails entirely in that.

The ending is ridiculous and makes no sense at all. The filmmakers tried to make a satire-comedy with a message that shortcuts don't work, but failed on all three counts.

The comedy can be best described as a totally unfunny concoction of intentional stupidity, un-subtle and in-your-face, wanna-be witty one- liners that are not witty at all with ridiculous exaggeration.

The satire is too exaggerated to carry any real weight.

Such is the script that performances lose all weight. Akshay Khanna's serious role is weak and made more so by the silly feel the movie has. Arshad Warsi to be fair does what the script tells him too, which might excuse his performance but not the fact that he agreed to do this movie in the first place.

Must-not-watch

Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)

Awful

[1/10 · 18 December 2010]

It was so stupid that I couldn't complete it. After a while I just starting forwarding it, saw that it doesn't get better and eventually shut it.

It's almost like a Disney cartoon mixed with a teen movie. Sean William Scott and Ashton Kutcher, like in the cartoons, are always like "Oh, let's do this. And after this, we'll do that! And then we'll have sex!"

The whole idea is really stupid and not at all funny.

The makers have tried to make a teen movie in the American pie mould but have also tried to include cartoonish innocence in the characters, which totally doesn't work.

And the jokes are lame. None of them work it's not funny at all.

This is an awful movie. A must not watch. Don't waste your time.

2/10

Buddha Mar Gaya (2007)

The worst movie I have ever seen

[1/10 · 18 December 2010]

I have an eclectic taste in movies. I like all different genres and even when I don't particularly enjoy a movie, I can usually (if grudgingly) accept that it wasn't a bad one. But Budha Mar Gaya has nothing to say in its defence. I have watched my share of bad movies but this one takes the cake by far.

There is now a trend in bollywood for making weird type of comedys. It can be best described as a combination of in-your-face, intentionally- stupid, and ridiculous exaggeration making a very, very unfunny concoction. And the sad part is that these films are doing well, which unfortunately shows the intelligence of the average Indian.

Buddha Mar gaya is the epitome of the comedy described above. There is no storyline and the movie is expected to float on its on using the comedy as a life jacket. The performances are terrible, including the (in)famous Rakhi Sawant. However, to be fair, one can't really blame them as it is probably the way the scrip forced them to act. It's a wonder why fine actors of Bollywood like Anupam Kher accept such scripts in the first place.

A malaise has struck bollywood, and the result is that trashy movies are being made, best characterized by Buddhu Mar Gaya.

Must not watch. 0/10

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

The smallest choice could change your life in ways unforeseen

[8/10 · 18 December 2010]

I saw my friend watching this movie on his laptop and when I saw Ashton Kutcher in it, I assumed it would be a teen flick. Then one day, in the mood for a comedy, I put this on.

And boy, was I surprised. Not only was Ashton Kutcher acting in a serious movie, but he did a good job!

Ashton Kutcher plays Evan, who in his childhood used to suffer from blackouts, similar to his dad. Taking the advice of his doctor, he starts maintaining a dairy of his blackouts. Eventually these blackouts reduce in frequency until they completely stop. Then after a few years, as a college student, he chances upon the notebooks and goes through them. A powerful flashback then hits him. He later realizes he can go and change his past. But changing the smallest possible detail can have the greatest consequences, as he finds out eventually.

Ever since the start, the movie grips you unrelentingly until the credits are rolling, and it leaves you something to chew on other than your popcorn. The plot is smart and intriguing with its essence (How the smallest choice could completely change your future) driven home in a convincing manner by the end of the movie.

As already mentioned, Ashton Kutcher puts in a surprisingly good performance as a lead backed up ably by his cast. In fact, the entire crew did a great job on this one. The camera-work, editing and sound mixing combined to give the movie a continuity and intensity that must have been hard given the storyline of alternate realities, besides creating an atmosphere of suspense and desperation. At its heart is a beautiful love story between two very endearing characters. And the ending is beautiful, though it could have been even better.

A must-watch. 8/10

District 9 (2009)

Greek tragedy meets sci-fi

[9/10 · 17 December 2010]

Neill Bloomkamp, at the tender age of 30, which is, in directorial terms, infancy, has come up with a masterpiece. A sci-fi movie and a tragedy so moving it could have been crafted by Shakespeare blend together seamlessly to give us one of the most under-rated, and brilliant movies of the decade.

It's initial (and final) segment is made like a documentary, which is a clever ploy to illustrate the present situation in the alternate reality and how it transpired, and what happened after the events of the movie. In a nutshell, an alien ship landed, came to the earth, hovering motionless above Johannesburg. A team then enters the ship to find a group of sick and malnourished aliens, who then are given shelter on earth. After the initial excitement died down, the government realizes there's a problem. The aliens are living in a slum-like crime-infested area called district 9, hardly someplace where we would want the first visitors from space to be staying. So Multi-national United, a private- military company is given the task of relocating them to a new,better location with Wikus van de Merwe heading it.

That's the base. The story takes off from here. Okay, it's not terribly original but what makes it brilliant is the completely different context it was put in, and the different direction it takes from there. It's a powerful story not only of betrayal, greed and violence, but also of morality and love, which can move you to tears. Your heart bleeds for the prawns (as the aliens are derogatorily called) when it's shown what a miserable existence they now lead. You weep for the alien's son when you see hopelessness and fright on his face as the soldiers come to take him. And most of all, you cry for Wan der Merwe and his fate.

The cast, lacking a major celebrity, do an excellent job. Wikus van de Merwe was recently voted in the top 100 fictional characters by Entertainment Weekly despite not terribly handsome, or strong, or cool, or funny. He's always slightly confused and very desperate, all of which Sharlto Copley (now embarking on a promising career that has already seen him play Murdoch in the A-team) portrays brilliantly. The two main prawns, Christopher and his son are splendid and their sad eyes and slouching shoulders touch your heart.

The cinematography is different from mainstream, and is brilliant. There is no air of conspiracy or the 'hero-will-fix' everything in this movie, instead there is an air of hopelessness and despair all over the movie.

While it is as moving, it is not very similar to the Greek tragedies. There are no invincible warriors, nor noble kings, nor any particularly memorable dialogues or quotes. Yet the characters are no less endearing. They are not above reproach themselves, initially putting self-interest first. The ending then vindicates them. You get the feeling this is exactly how a tragedy would pan out in the real world(if well, you overlook the tiny fact that there is no alien ship over Johannesburg, and not likely to be in the near future. But if this does happen, what follows might closely resemble the movie). The movie literally has no style, but is oozing with substance. Make no mistake about it, this movie is a piece of art whose true value not many will appreciate as they will ask for the action sequences, the heros, the jokes and the happy endings. However for me, this represents the zenith of cinema

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

A shadow of the great series

[5/10 · 16 December 2010]

The Twilight Zone is perhaps the most loved and critically acclaimed television series of all time. It was naturally going to attract movies and so in 1983, 4 directors got together to direct four different segments.

The first one was made by John Landis, and it was an original story that unfortunately got the movie off to an awful start. I wasn't terribly impressed with the concept to begin with, and the execution was also pretty poor. A racist, arrogant man holds minorities as responsible for everything that's wrong in his life and in order to be taught a lesson, spends some time as different minorities. This segment lacked the drama and the suspense that catapulted the show to legendary status, and it seemed a bit stretched. (4/10)

Now, Stephen Spielberg,fresh off the success of E.T, directed the second segment, a remake of the episode-'Kicking the can'. While the lead here preformed admirably, the rest of the cast failed miserably and that really brought the overall quality down. (4/10)

The third segment, based on 'It's a wonderful Life', things started to look better though once again I wasn't convinced by the performances or the execution. The concept was brilliant, but they choose to go with something to similar to the original, when it could have been really really scary had he really experimented with the story.(5/10)

Based on 'Nightmare at 20,000 feet', it's the only segment which could be called worthy of the Twilight Zone good. It stuck true to the essence and gave it a slight makeover for too account for the two decades that had passed since the original air date. It salvaged some pride for the movie. (7/10)

Overall, as i said,a shadow of the great series. 5/10

The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

Great Story and direction overcomes awful effects

[7/10 · 16 December 2010]

I was born in the era of CGI so watching a black and white, silent movie with awful special effects is rare. I only watched this because I'm a budding Lovecraft fan and an admirer of cosmicism. The fact that it's a silent movie actually aids it,I think. It was a better ploy than going for dialogue , which, I think, would have made it too long drawn and complex. The fact that it's length is really short also means that the punch is greater than it would have been otherwise. The direction is good, the performances are good. The movie is made very well, but this is where the small budget hinders it. The effects are almost comical, and they do lower the punch. The scare factor would have been much more, for example, if the cyclopean cities would have been shown as something other than just props and Cthullu looking, well, less kiddish. But other than that, it was a very well made film.

A solid 7.5 out of 10

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

No substance, and not too much style either

[6/10 · 16 December 2010]

For all the hype, the marketing, and the trailers and Tom Cruise, this movie fell flat on its face. Nothing in this movie is bad though. The effects and the action sequences are okay, though nowhere near to the level expected. The performances are okay, though Tom Cruise fails to bring about the kind of performance that would have catapulted him among the legends. This was the kind of role that would have shown,(as Thandie Newton said during the movie), that he's not just a pretty face, similar to what Brad Pitt did with his mind-blowing portrayal of Tyler Durdan. But it's not Cruise's fault.The plot and everything is average and the movie tends to drag and it has a lackluster feel in it. Forget substance, even the special effects and the action sequences are no where near the level you would expect. Ethan Hunt never really looks like a super spy. And you're never really at the edge of your seat. There are far far better movies out there..go for something else.

Taken (I) (2008)

A good old adrenaline pumping action flick

[7/10 · 14 December 2010]

Taken uses a a tried-and-tested formula of blending good action sequences with a good enough lead, decent performances to back, and good direction and cinematography. This formula guarantees you a hit. True, it's not going to win you any awards or critical acclaim, but if you do those things well enough, it can't wrong. And Taken was among the most downloaded movies of 2008.

That was all down to Liam Nesson,who plays an ex-CIA agent who's daughter (Maggie Grace) has been kidnapped while in France. Liam Nesson puts in a sterling performance brimming with intensity and a desperation to find his daughter. The rest of the cast puts in an okay performance. In truth, they didn't really have much to do. Another thing that set this movie apart was its sheer pace. The 93 minutes went in a whirlwind. Liam Nesson did everything directly and quickly and it went perfectly with the short duration of the movie and the entire feel of it. The action sequences were good.

Overall, it was solid entertainment. An ideal movie for watching with your guy friends. Worth Watching. 7/10

South Park (1997– )

Creative and Intelligent, the best satire out there

[9/10 · 14 December 2010]

How creative are the makers of this show,making over 200 episodes, with each one (except the famous episode-Scott Tenorman must die) featuring at least two plots, each plot being somehow inexplicably and bizarrely linked to the other? Whether it was More Crap (the episode in which Bono got ripped) or Insheeption (the parody on Inception), the makers have an amazing talent of starting a story in one direction, completely veering it on its head and then proceeding, while adding further, random elements to it, all adding to the chaotic but somehow congruous final product. Southpark isn't about the witty one-liners or sarcasm that Friends was built on. It's a delightful mix of completely unsubtle and in-your-face profanity and vulgarity with satirical humor dispensed both openly and cryptically. It's bottom line is to rip on everything and everyone,from businessmen to environmentalists,from politicians to activists, no one is spared. It routinely blows normal situations to ridiculous and comical proportions and the makers set no boundaries for in this show, absolutely anything can happen. And its funny. It brings up normal everyday things, and shows us the funny side. It hardly ever takes one side, but rips on both of them. This is one of the most intelligent shows out there. It's a slap in the face of the overtly-sensitive, the conservative and the insensitive and the liberal at the same time. It's a satire. It's gross and graphic. It has no boundaries. It's racist and insensitive, but in a light manner. It's controversial and contemporary. Bottom line-It's one of the best TV shows of all time.

Hope Springs (2003)

A cute comedy

[5/10 · 3 December 2010]

Okay, before I go on I must confess, the movie doesn't deserve a 7 star rating. Maximum I would have given it is a 6.5. But then I saw it's IMDb rating, and I thought hey, the movie isn't that bad. And I kind of wanted to raise it's rating a little bit.

And it isn't. Yes, the plot isn't terribly original. Yes, the romance doesn't melt your heart. Yes, the comedy doesn't make you roll on the floor laughing. But it does make your smile. The little game that Heather Graham and Colin Firth play, beating about the bush is cute and the chemistry between them is pretty good. The plot is pretty predictable but Heather's portrayal of the vivacious and bubbly Mandy does liven it up. In the end, it's not a terrible waste of time. You won't regret having seen it.

Fight Club (1999)

One of the seminal films of the 90's

[10/10 · 29 September 2010]

David Fincher is one of the best directors in Hollywood today. This is his finest film.

Based on the best selling book of the same name, the movie starts with the narrator,Edward Norton initially a nameless, boring drone leading a shallow, meaningless life as just another cog in the great corporate wheel. He spends his time buying sofa-sets and basically indulging in the huge facade that is today's materialistic and fake society. As he puts it: "We used to read pornography, now it's the 'Horchow Collection'."But he isn't satisfied with his life. There's always this nagging feeling, deep-down, a hint of discontent. This manifests into his psyche and he becomes an insomniac. Seeking medication, he discovers therapy groups, and there, on the pretext of a terminal disease or an addiction, he cries. He doesn't really know why he crying. Maybe its about the hollowness, and the utter futility of it all. This daily discharge helps him sleep. Until, that is, chain-smoking, messed-up Marla Singer starts coming to his therapy sessions for a similar purpose. Seeing another 'tourist' there bursts the happy he finds himself in and insomnia creeps back into his life. Then he meets Tyler Durdan and he's drawn, like everyone else, to his magnetic personality. One night, on a whim, Tyler asks the narrator to hit him. He complies, and thus begins fight club. Fight club transformed into a nocturnal activity in a basement where men shed the inhibitions laid down by society, and release themselves. That's all that I'm going to reveal here.

But let's talk about Tyler Durdan. For it's not possible to talk about fight club and not talk about Tyler Durdan, a character who was recently named the greatest movie character of all time by a magazine, beating out competition from the likes of Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter, The Joker, John Rambo etc. Brad Pitt outdoes himself in portraying just about the best example of an alpha-male you'll ever see. Tyler epitomises the saying about Bond ("Man want to be him, Women want to sleep with him") more than any Bond. The rugged Daniel Craig, the cool suave and sophisticated Brosnan and Connery all fall flat in front of his sheer charisma. His laid-back, casual attitude tells of a man who has not a care in his life. The conviction with which speaks tells of a man who's got it all figured out. His radical thoughts and ideas tell of a fearless man, not afraid to go against society. And the small, condescending smile he occasionally afforded the narrator tells of a man who knows just how superior he is to everyone. Tyler Durdan acts the saviour of the society's repressed men and frees them from its clutches. Edward Norton too, does a brilliant job as the narrator, and his boring drawl as a narrative paradoxically draws you further in the movie. The narrator the quintessential modern man trying to find meaning who is swayed by forceful personality. The dialogues are smart and some of the lines have now achieved cult status and are often quoted to each other by today's hippys. The cinematography is completely in sync with the somewhat non-linear storyline and is so good that it somehow distracts most watching it for the first time (including me) from a very obvious truth which makes you feel really stupid afterwards. Because of this, Fight Club, has, for most of the stupid audience (which constitutes an incredibly large number of us) and also the ones who think they're too smart (the rest of us), a huge twist that leaves you gasping, adding to its excellent plot.

In addition to the twist, the plot aptly puts a mirror to society. While the anti-consumerism propagated has been aptly covered by most reviewers, something that they missed was the movie showing how fickle and susceptible to propaganda the human population is, and who easily they get swayed in search of meaning.

The film does tickle the fancies of many, despite the film's anarchistic messages being tempered down with wry humour. Fight club preaches about evolving beyond the endless pursuit of perfection by today's superficial society. Fight Club is about showing on your face what other people hide in their closets. Fight Club is about exposing the dirty underbelly that every household inevitably has. But it also preaches against taking its own ideas too extremely. But above all, it entertains. It is more than two hours of intense entertainment. For all those who haven't seen Fight Club, go watch it right now! 9/10

Prison Break (2005–2017)

Compelling, Intense, and addictive.

[9/10 · 16 August 2010]

"Well begun is half done" says the now clichéd adage. Well, Prison Break certainly takes this to heart. If Season 1 was a stand-alone, I would give it 9.9/10. It was brilliant,intelligent and engaging. The plot was excellent, and it kept you hooked. I watched the entire season on my PC and I couldn't stop watching it. The seconds season starts off really well with a chase but loses some of its intensity later-on, despite the introduction of William Fichtner's character Alexander Mahone. The third season is slightly better overall, though it benefits from being shorter. I actually found the fourth season,the one most derided by prison break fans,better than the 2nd and the third, though by now the plot gets stretched and m any loopholes start to appear. A special mention for Wentworth Miller, Robert Knepper and William Fichtner who play their characters Scofield,T-bag, and Mahone to brilliantly. Scofield is the brilliant and conscientious engineer and Miller deserves an Emmy. You see the panic,the intelligence,the guilt,the smugness, and in the end, the contentness which is portrayed to perfection by Miller. T-bag is everyone's favourite character, and Knepper brings the role of this obnoxious, wily and cunning surviver to life. Willian Fichtner also gives a brilliant rendition of Mahone, the brilliant FBI agent blackmailed by the company and forced to terrible things, which he later repents. The rest of the cast too performed a commendable job, though I felt Dominic Purcell and Sarah Wayne Callies could have done more. To be frank, TV shows get a better rating than movies because of a sense of loyalty that you develop as you go forward in the series. Prison Break, too a large extent, was carried forward by the momentum it's first season generated, though the rest of the seasons were also really good, they don't really compare to the 1st, which was just about perfect. Overall, a great show, and one that you should definitely catch, at least the 1st season. A solid 8.8/10

Insomnia (2002)

One of the better film's out there, but not up to Nolan's incredibly high standards

[7/10 · 16 August 2010]

I'm one of Christopher Nolan's biggest fans. I think he was best filmmaker in the past decade, and if he continues making highly innovative,different,engrossing and intense films like memento,Batman Begins,TDK and now Inception, he's going to have a claim to be one of the greatest directors of all time. He's certainly on his way there. This film is by no means lacking in creativity, but when you look at Nolan's other works, this is no doubt the odd one out, there is genre subversion with the classic dark noir scenes replaced by omnipresent sunlight. The plot is good,but not great. What really draws you in is Al Pacino showing his greatness as an actor with a brilliant rendition of William Dommer,the title character .A cat-and-mouse game between hero-cop-with- skeletons-in-his-closet-suffering-from-insomnia-and-guilt and criminal- with-ace-up-his-sleeve is intriguing and engaging. But so,Robin William's appearance somehow hurts the movie, who,despite his talent,gives an unusually lackluster performance. The movie then loses its pace and intensity,and I found my attention wandering,something I thought impossible during a Nolan Movie. The 24-day concept is new and refreshing,Hillary Swank also gives a solid performance. The first 1 hour was very promising.

Yet, somewhere in between, the movie loses its intensity, and already lacking Nolan's characteristic incredibly out-of-the-box-theme, it also loses its chance at greatness. Despite that,it's not a bad movie by any stretch. It's definitely worth a watch. Catch it for another stellar performance from one of Hollywood's stalwarts and Nolan's clever cinematography.