WEEKLY MOVIE GUIDE (what to watch and what to miss in Cinema)

YEH SAALI ZINDAGI

Genre               Thriller                   
Release Date     4/02/11    
Director            Sudhir Mishra          
Duration           122 minutes

Cast               Irffan Khan, Chitrangada Singh, Arunoday Singh, Sushant Singh, Aditi Rao, Saurabh Shukla

Pluses      Irffan & Chitrangada are very good,writing by Manurishi and Sudhir Mishra is impeccable and direction is bang on,climax is refreshing

Minuses   Music as well as performances by Prashant, Saurabh and Sushant are repetitive,treatment is too dark

Verdict     3/5 (if you love 'twisted storytelling' you will like it)

UTT PATAANG

Genre       Comedy/Thriller      
Release Date   4/02/11     

Director    Srikanth Velagaleti   
Duration  110 minutes

Cast         Vinay Pathak,Mahie Gill,Mona Singh,Saurabh Shukla,Sanjay Mishra,Govind Namdev,Murli Sharma

Pluses     Vinay Pathak in role of 'Ram',Editing & direction is tight,climax is different

Minuses   Background score by Sanjoy Chaudhary is too loud(irritating),Mahie Gill  and Saurabh Shukla overact,Mona Singh,Sanjay Mishra & Murli Sharma are repetitive

Verdict   2.5/5 (want to support new wave cinema only then watch it)

UNITED SIX

Genre       Suspense/Thriller                 

Release Date   4/02/11              

Director    Vishal Aryan Singh   

Cast         Parvathy Omanakuttam,Daisy Bopanna, Mahi, Pooja Sharma, Isha Batwe and Luna Lakhar

Pluses       I failed to find one!(except you see six girls in skimpy clothes)

Minuses    Everything 

Verdict      0.5/5 (if you want to sleep well in multiplex,go for it)

SANCTUM

Genre       Thriller                            

Release Date   4/02/11                       

Director    Alister Grierson

Cast         Rhys Wakefield, Allison Cratchley, Christopher Baker

Pluses       3D viewing,good idea

Minuses    Everything else from acting to writing to direction is diappointing

Verdict     1/5 (if you want to see how a good story idea can be turned into nightmare even in 3D,watch it)

OSCAR NOMINATED MOVIES

THE FIGHTER

Genre       Drama/Biography   
Release Date      10/12/10 (USA)    
Director    David O Russell      
Duration             115 minutes

Cast         Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo

Pluses      Brilliant direction and writing (based on true story of boxers),Christian Bale gives best performance of his lifetime and so do Melissa and Amy

Minuses    Hardly any (Editing could had been better)

Verdict      4.5/5 (don't miss it and climax will make you cry for sure)

TRUE GRIT

Genre      Drama/Adventure           
Release Date  22/12/10(USA) 

Director   John and Ethan Coen          
Duration 110 minutes

Cast        Jeff Bridges,Matt Damon,Josh Brolin,Hailee Steinfeld

Pluses      Great layered writing,smart direction,impactful performances by Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Brolin

Minuses   Unnecessary slow at places,predictable climax

Verdict    3.5/5 (if you like Coen Brothers' style,i endorse them,you will like it but nowhere near their past efforts i.e. 'No Country For Old Men','Fargo','Burn After Reading' and 'The Man Who Was Not There')

Note        Must watch for all who keep crying that Indian Film Industry is copycat and Hollywood is original as this is a 'photocopy' of our very own timeless classic 'Sholay'

(will review new colour version of 'Hum Dono' in couple of days in a separate column as it deserves a better space)