Movie Review: Skyfall

As someone who isn’t a big Bond fan, who mildly liked, and not loved Casino Royale and was utterly frustrated with Quantum of Solace, I had just one question while walking into the new Bond film. Just how much of an improvement would Skyfall be? The answer, luckily, is that Skyfall is stunning, and a hell of a blast.

Taking over reigns from the much maligned Quantum of Solace’s Marc Forster, director Sam Mendes handily wipes the floor with all of the previous Bond movies to date. This is a new kind of Bond, neither the uber gritty Bourne-esque action star nor the gizmo pumping compulsive humping cocky hair gel model. Mendes sort of creates a hybrid of both the personalities and brings his own special flavor into the whole thing. The result is a sophisticated, surprisingly playful, yet surprisingly emotional story that makes you care for Bond when he is hit by a bullet, rather than simply expecting him to be a bullet sponge baddie killer like Big B in Agneepath.

Much like the previous few entries in the fifty year franchise, Skyfall opens with a slam bang action set piece, and straight into Adele’s magnificent song juxtaposed to some groovy CGI fused credits. Going too much into the story would ruin most of the fun, because the only major flaw of Skyfall is the lack of a big doomsday conspiracy for Bond to fight against. Bond (Daniel Craig, once again in his element), is hot on the trail of a mysterious man who has gotten hold of some Wikileaks style information that would cripple MI6. It isn’t a cake walk for Bond because to get to the Mystery Man, he has to sleep with his girlfriend like Kareena Kapoor in Kurbaan, and in an epoch busting screenwriting twist, this time things get personal. The computer hacking bad guy’s big plan isn’t much different from that of the villain in Die Hard 4, but Javier Bardem absolutely annihilates the acting competition this year. Bardem doles out a Joker-Chigurh cocktail and he's gleefully awesome – one of the best, if not the best Bond villain to date. Bardem arrives sinfully late in the film but immediately sucks you in with his brilliant Oscar-snagging opening monologue.

There is plenty of action, but it isn’t slapped on just for the sake of it. Roger Deakins’ camera stays still and lets you in on the action instead of jerking the lens around. And when there’s no gunplay you’re invited to soak in the gorgeous Scottish, Chinese, Turkish locales. There’s even the abandoned Hashima Island as Bardem's lair, but sadly we don’t get to experience the scale of a lone villain residing on a whole island. What works, however, is the band of supporting cast, where Judi Dench finally gets a much meatier role as M, with Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes joining in for further franchise duties. Mendes knows the amount of ridicule the latter Pierce Brosnan movies received, and cheekily parodies them with Ben Whishaw’s gadget guru Q. Chris Nolan has expressed interest in doing a Bond film, but Skyfall is probably the most Nolan-esque Bond movie you’ll get. Watch it to know why.

(First published in MiD Day)

Movie Review: Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas is an ambitious, grand feature that more than anything, proves that an unfilmable book can indeed be filmed in the hands of some very capable people. The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer deserve an award or two for the same.

There’s no point in explaining the plot, because that would suck away all the fun from the movie. Cloud Atlas is based on the epic book of the same name by David Mitchell and sort of follows the novel beat by beat. Those familiar with the book are bound to find the film a fascinating watch just for fact that the source material seemed impossible to put together on screen. Those not familiar with the book are in for two hours twenty minutes of mind bending, genre bending, pure and intelligent entertainment. It’s one of those rare Hollywood entertainers that frequently challenges the viewers’ concentration and attention levels, and delivers on the humongous expectations. Even better, it guarantees a post film dissection with your fellow film nuts.

There’s a vast array of actors here, including Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent and Jim Sturgess who have multiple roles each, spanning through various timezones and intricate vignettes. There’s a slave in the 19^th century, a music composer in the 1930’s, an investigative reporter in the 1970’s, a publisher in the 21^st century, a woman from the future and a post apocalyptic man. The antagonist in each vignette is played by the amazing Hugo Weaving, and although not too dense in its treatment, the film superbly balances popcorn fun and philosophical allegories.

Apart from the big action and chase scenes there’s the incredible visual design (John Toll) and music (Reinhold Heil) that just blows you away. There’s not a second of space to breathe here - the editing is the brutal as the Could Atlas burns through the six interconnected stories. The Wachowskis and Tykwer leave subtle clues peppered through the movie and it’s great fun to spot them. The only large flaw is perhaps the tame, slightly sappy ending that ends on a quieter note instead of a big, thumping crescendo. Regardless, it makes for a deadly and explosive watch, the best movie out in theaters this week and one of the best things to have arrived this year. 

(First published in MiD Day)

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 4

When the hundredth sequence of eerily-quiet-furniture-room arrives, you know you’re watching a tired and slipshod milking of a large horror movie franchise. That is precisely what happens in Paranormal Activity 4 – a fourth entry that clumsily overstays its welcome.

The first Paranormal Activity had its own problems but it was a fresh and innovative (and genuinely creepy) version of found footage horror. Naturally greedy hands who saw the Saw franchise and the hundred-plus million box office returns decided to churn out factory-like sequels. The second and third films worked to an extent as they tried to expand on the story, Paranormal Activity 4 tries to go further and tie up some of the loose ends but mostly fails. The lack of story would’ve been ok had the scares at least been decent, sadly they are as tacky as they come.

Roving fans of the first three movies expecting a fun or grand mythology in the paranormal universe will be disappointed. Not only is there no explanation of why the spooky stuff went on in the first three films, but there is also a lame plot device of a back story that has been done in countless other horror films.

The film is set in Nevada and chronicles a new family this time, but we get more of the same – a silent house at night seen through various cameras, computer webcams, Skype windows, phone camcorders etc. There are other kids, and a template teenager, but the same old bump in the dark noises that occur over and over again. One would imagine that all the cloying repetition would lead to a satisfying explanation, but directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman merely pull the rug under your feet before the end credits roll. Not to mention the presence of two of the dumbest characters to be seen on screens this year – the protagonist’s parents, who pay absolutely no attention to ghostly activity going on around them, even if they experience it themselves. 

(First published in MiD Day)

Movie Review: Ted

Family Guy’s Seth McFarlane writers, directs, stars and potty mouths as the most profane and disgusting teddy bear of all time in Ted. And if you’re familiar with the much loved cartoon series of his, you should expect a heck of a lot of laughs.

Unlike Family Guy, Ted is given an adults only rating and it almost seems like McFarlane let fly at the opportunity and decided to dole up the most objectionable and vulgar jokes that he could muster. He does it, but fortunately he does it classily. It’s quite an achievement when a poop joke doesn’t make you roll your eyes, or a volley of F-bombs from a stuffed bear are placed for comedy sake instead of inane profanity. Though not as side splittingly hilarious as this year’s The Dictator, satirical and political wisecracks are bound to cause a cramp or two in your stomach out of all the giggling.

Starring a deliberately awkward Mark Wahleberg as John Benett, a man-child attached to his childhood pal – a talking teddy bear, Ted is awash with the typical McFarlane dosage of pop-culture references, non-sequitur cutaway gags and unabashed celebrity bashing. We have a cute little teddy bear who smokes pot, picks up hookers, swears at anything that moves, and loves his best friend John. Trouble begins when the fiancé (Mila Kunis) gets tired of Ted constantly hanging around them and ruining John’s career. What follows is a fun parable of whether bros before hoes is indeed the right thing to do, especially when you’re dating someone who looks like Mila Kunis. Surprisingly, Ted takes a sweet and sentimental turn in the final third which may frustrate viewers looking for a big, brash showdown of a finale. Not so surprising, however, is the obvious nod to Family Guy, because Ted and John may well be the grown up versions of Stewie and his beloved bear.

(First published in MiD Day)