Monday, May 9, 2011

Limitless




Imagine, if someone were to offer you a pill, which promises to help utilise ur brain to its fullest capacity? 100% capacity? Would u really bother about the side effects, let alone question if it's tested & approved? This is what happens to Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper)an uninspired writer, just been dumped by his girlfriend, when he bumps into his ex-brother-in-law, who hands him the pill. Within 30 seconds of taking the pill, the brain gets activated. All the information that has been lying idle in the subconscious comes to the fore and is categorised for easy access. The novel that Eddie has been struggling for 3 months, is finished in 4 days! He can now learn a language in 45 mins, not only this, he learns the piano in an hour, martial arts by just watching a video! Addicted to the pill Eddie decides to enter the share market and makes millions in a couple of days. All this while u r left wondering at the absurdity of the concept!

Everything has a flip side and so does this pill. The supply is limited, the gruesome murder of the brother-in-law does not help matters. Giving up the pill is not an option as this would mean not just losing his professional standing but also his life! So what now??

Here's the thing with short-cuts, u get the results fast but over a period of time their permanence seems dubious and they seem to disappear before u can realise. Then how do we make sure that success stays and profit does not wither away? Maybe, take the longer route of hard work and perseverance? Harness that mind to its full potential without the aid of artificial stimulation? Coming back to the movie...Eddie soon realises that fatality of the drug...and works on some long term measures...u need to see the movie to realise what that is!!!

Bradley Cooper does a good job playing Eddie Morra, that movie also stars Robert De Niro, who is completely wasted in the role.

Good one-time watch movie!

Chalo Dilli



It is always a pleasure to see Vinay Pathak light up the big screen with his brilliant acting skills. He is back with "Chalo Dilli" where he plays Mannu Gupta, a happy-go-lucky resident of Chandni Chowk, with a ladie's saree & dress materials shop in Karol Bagh. And then there is Mihika Mukherjee, polished, suave career woman, who is the head honcho of a finance company. Two very different people who happily exist in different parts of the world. Their worlds are not supposed to collide, but what happens when they do? Cheese meets chalk and "Chalo Dilli" happens.

Both of them are travelling from Mumbai to Delhi. Due to a technical snag at the Delhi airport, the flight is diverted to Jaipur. And so the journey begins...from travelling in the general compartment of a train, to finding themselves in the middle of feuds between local gangs of Haryana (or is it Rajasthan?)to finding themselves in a dingy hotel called the "Tomato Palace" (yes, really). Vinay Pathak endears himself with his brilliant performance and superb comic timming (can't wait for Bhaja Fry 2), Lara Datta (Mihika Mukherjee)plays her part well, and then there is Akshay Kumar in a guest appearance.

On the music front another mutilated version of a classic; this time its Laila Mein Laila. Terrible performace by Yana Gupta, and completely useless. Movie could have done without it. Again, at the cost of being repetitive I have to say an original is an original, & copy is a copy. Lets steer clear of them!

Must watch movie!

Dum Maaro Dum




This movie reminds me of the 70s bollywood. With the perennial theme of drugs & gold smuggling...remember the eternal dialogue; "boss aaj raat versova beach pe maal utarne wala hai"?!! Dum Maaro Dum talks about the drugs racket in the hippie haven of Goa. Corrupt cop turned honest, after the accidental death of his family, Abhishek Bachchan is given the task of eradication of the drug mafia.

The movie is shot in low lights and sepia tones, with brilliant performaces by Govind Namdev and Aditya Pancholi (who seems to be back from his hibernation!). Abhishek Bachchan plays the cop with his characteristic attitude (it suits his personality really well, does'nt it?). Vidya Balan plays the role of AB's dead wife and then there is also Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar and Rana Daggubati...no great performaces here and these characters could have been played by just about anyone.

The movie has been in the news for the remix version of the classic Dum Maaro Dum by the great R D Burman. We have seen many mutilated versions of classics and this one is by far the worst. We know Deepik Padukone can't act (she has proved it time and again)and now she proves that she can't dance either. The ridiculous lyrics don't help the cause either. Note to all film-makers and music directors: Please don't touch the classics.

Stricly ok movie, for when u have nothing better to do.