No prizes for guessing that Dostana is about Friendship and Love. Director Tarun Mansukhani take on what inspired Dostana,

Having studied in boarding school, friends have always been an integral part of my life. So, when I ventured into the mortifying territory of writing a script of my first film, I felt no other story was closer to me than that of friendship. Having achieved that clarity, it hit me that friendship is just like love. Unexplainable, Complicated and Unpredictable.

Synopsis:
When Sameer (Abhishek Bachchan) and Kunal (John Abraham) are turned down for an apartment because the land lady doesn’t want 2 strapping young men to corrupt her young sexy niece Neha (Priyanka Chopra), they go to plan “G” – they pretend to be “Gay” to secure the apartment.

All is well till they meet the sexy siren Neha and thus begins a journey of fun, frolic and a test of friendship like never before.

Vishal & Shekhar’s music is climbing the charts already and I couldn’t resist setting Jaane Kyu as my ringtone A young fresh and happening look, Dostana seems to have all the right ingredients for a box office hit.

See the pretty-pretty Dostana Official Site.

Khalid Mohamed | Hindustan Times Most Pakistani films are synonymous with loud acting, garish sets and blood-n-gore. But Khuda Kay Liye earlier and Ramchand Pakistani now signify the changing times, the changing outlook, the changing mindset. Ramchand Pakistani is a simple story, a true story in fact, of a kid and his father crossing the LOC and being held captive in an Indian prison.

Taran Adarsh | Bollywood Hungama via Oneindia ‘Ramchand Pakistani’,based on a true story, tells it like it is, without embroidery or excess. And that is debutant director Mehreen Jabbar’s film’s real strength. The village in which Ramchand (Syed Fazal Hussain) lives with his father Shankar (Rashid Farooqui) and mother Champa (Nandita) is all mud huts and abject poverty.

Shubhra Gupta | Indian Express After Khuda Kay Liye, comes Ramchand Pakistani. What’s heartening is the fact that this film too tells a compelling story culled from today’s headlines and proves that change is indeed the cornerstone of Pakistani cinema currently. The film deals with the topical issue of cross-border prisoners who are languishing in jails, both in India and Pakistani, often, for no reason at all.

Nikhat Kazmi | Times of India

Awesome is the word! I am all admiration. And this is after reading a negative review just before I left for the multiplex.

Action starts right from the word go. Ok, the very first one is some leg-shaking action (which is not at all bad), but kidnap comes soon after, and without much ado. Imran very well created the image of a young man who was victimized when he was a kid, and of an intelligent, determined kidnapper. Nothing chocolaty about him here.

The photography, the outdoors, the indoors are great. Suspense is binding, and events are not at all predictable. Action, particularly of Sanjay chasing Imran is nail biting. Sanjay is fatter than his stories of weight loss had us believe. Music and dance numbers are very good and should be here to stay. Story is convincing, though the ‘clues’ left me clueless. But the story telling made up for the loss and filled in the gaps. The message is loud and clear — don’t be unjust to kids, even if one’s own kid is involved. Marital problems (which get sorted out) are also thrown in.

The critic had criticized Imran for his accent. But to me it appeared well suited to his role. His expressions are awe inspiring. He had also objected to dressing of the women. But I think the heroine had a right to show off her flat, muscular stomach. What a fit body! It can be interpreted as rightful display of feminine beauty, don’t see what was wrong with that. And critic has no business to demand how the kidnapped girl got her wardrobe all the dresses there. Film, stupid!

The critic had given me an impression that the story would be disjointed, patchy as bad movies have. But nothing like that. All and all, it was a very engaging movie. I enjoyed it a lot.

Drona is a superhero. A clichéd story, his powers unknown to him, one secret carefully camouflaged by the universe, blah blah. Until she enters the scene. Baujee’s very own Priyanka Chopra. Whats with Baujee? The only entertaining part was when Priyanka is persistent at saying, “Baujee kaha karte the..”. After every frame whenever she is wants to speak anything, she’d start as, “Baujee kaha karte the..”. Later it became so funny that the audience would start as, “Baujee…” before Priyanka’s every dialogue!

The superhero is a dimwit first, so we think, “now he’ll realize his powers”. After an hour we think again “now…”, by the end of the first half he declares, “guys, I’ve realized all that jazz”. After the interval, he still hasn’t realized his powers. By the end of the movie, I guess Goldie didn’t have a choice. But still, I don’t know how, the villain (KK Menon) wins! This is preposterous!

The special effects are so corny, reminds you the superhero movies of the 70s. At least there used to some originality in those times despite the limitations.

The only scene that could be still called ‘not bad’ - The train chase. Very nicely done, Goldie Behl should focus on movies devoted to action. Rather than making Dronas with scenes in the middle that take away your patience.

Priyanka is beautiful, but you will want to see her in better, more meaningful roles. Same goes for KK’s adroit expressiveness. I really have no comments for Abhishek and Jaya Bachchan. I think I’ve thrashed this movie enough, please don’t feel its due to any grudges, probably because the tickets were priced at 200..

Still, you can -

Yes..! Here’s the inescapable bunch of flicks for the coming week!

Drona

Cast:
Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan

Synopsis:
From the times, when time itself was a newborn babe, the universe has kept one secret carefully camouflaged within its folds. A secret, which if unraveled, could unlock the destruction of mankind and the entire cosmos. Today, only one man can protect the universe’s precious secret and thus, save the human race from absolute annihilation.

[ Book your tickets for Drona ]

Kidnap

Cast:
Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Minissha Lamba, Vidya Malvade, Rahul Dev, Reema Lagoo

Synopsis:
From Sanjay Gadhvi, the master directors of mega blockbusters like Dhoom and Dhoom: 2, Kidnap is a high octane edge of the seat drama about a power tussle between a young boy and the father of the girl he kidnaps.
Sonia (Minissha Lamba - Bachna Ae Haseeno) lives with her mother, Mallika (Vidya Malvade - Chak Dey India) and grandmother because her parents divorced when she was ten. A week before her eighteenth birthday celebration, she gets kidnapped.
The abductor, Kabir (Imran Khan - Jaane… Tu Ya Jaane Na) is interested in speaking only to her father, Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt), an affluent New York based Indian businessman, with whom he has an old score to settle.
Vikrant returns to India to retrieve his daughter from Kabir’s clutches but has to carry out a series of daunting tasks set out by Kabir as a condition to rescue her. At the end of each task is a clue that helps Vikrant in coming closer to Sonia.
Is his mission as easy as it seems? How far will a father go to save his daughter? What redemption is there for Kabir at the end?
Sanjay Dutt’s first release of 2008, co starring the latest teen sensation, Imran Khan, Kidnap makes for compelling viewing as the big festival release on Eid. It features music by Pritam.

[ Book your tickets for Kidnap ]

Ramchand Pakistani

Cast:
Nandita Das, Noman Ijaz, Navaid Jabbar, Syed Fazal Hussain, Adarsh Ayaz

Synopsis:
Ramchand Pakistani is derived from a true story concerning the accidental crossing of the Pakistan-Indian border during a period (June 2002) of extreme, war-like tension between the two countries by two members of a Pakistani Hindu family belonging to the ‘untouchable’ (Dalit) caste, and the extraordinary consequences of this unintended action upon the lives of a woman, a man, and their son.
The singular theme of the film is how a child from Pakistan aged eight years learns to cope with the trauma of forced separation from his mother while being held prisoner, along with his father in the jail of a country i.e. India, which is hostile to his own, while on the other side of the border, the wife-mother, devastated by their sudden disappearance builds a new chapter of her life, by her solitary struggle for sheer survival.
The film portrays the lives of a family that is at the bottom of a discriminatory religious ladder and an insensitive social system, which is nevertheless tolerant, inclusive and pluralist. The irony is compounded by the fact that such a family becomes hostage to the acrimonious political relationship between two neighbor-states poised on the brink of war.

[ Book your tickets for Ramchand Pakistani ]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Cast:
Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Doug Jones, Luke Goss

Synopsis:
After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it’s up to the planet’s toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it’s time to call in Hellboy. Along with his expanding team in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense–pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz, aquatic empath Abe and protoplasmic mystic Johann–the BPRD will travel between the surface strata and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become corporeal. And Hellboy, a creature of two worlds who’s accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons him.

[ Book your tickets for Hellboy II: The Golden Army ]

Flashbacks of a Fool

Cast:
Daniel Craig, Helen McCrory, Olivia Williams, Emilia Fox, Harry Eden, Angie Ruiz

Synopsis:
A hedonistic British actor’s Hollywood career is starting to nosedive as he hits his 40s. The death of his best friend from his English seaside childhood causes him to journey back home for the funeral, and prompts flashbacks to the tragedy that forced him to flee for a new life.

…If you’re one of those who is long done with cheap imitations of super hit Hollywood blockbusters, then you better stay away as this one’s certainly not for you! The only thing that will come to your mind if you chance upon to catch this one would be - for how long will we be subject to stupid remakes and rehashes of Hollywood diasporas. … Spicezee Bureau [ Zee News ]
… The set-up is contrived. Even though approximately thirty percent of the film is a direct lift, the directors still manage to mess up every scene. To make it seem like its different, instead of a single child being left behind, a boy and a girl are left behind. It is beyond comprehension as to how in a family of ten children, the littlest, the ones most doted on, can be forgotten at home. If the Home Alone series managed to make everything believable, this film makes even the plausible look impossible… Sanskriti Media [ Aol.com ]
…The directors of this show could not put the entertainment element aptly in this movie, which was required to make it a big entertaining kiddie film. Result: A mammoth lackluster at the box office…a poor upshot in every sense of the word. Wonder…what happened to the directors when they passed this script to make the movie on..? Did they not know that today’s kid is much smarter to figure out what is good or what is bad..? … Iqbal Goher [ Radio Sargam ]
…Movie studios are big on protecting their intellectual property, which is certainly understandable — but sometimes they come down too hard. Take this new case. Warner Bros. is suing to stop the Indian release of a domestic film called Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors. Why? Because Hari Puttar is close to Harry Potter… Eugene Novikov [ Cinematical ]
… Hari Puttar is getting released this week after much controversy because of its name similarity with .. yes you guessed it right Harry Potter . Based on the promos Hari Puttar scripts looks to be a bad copy of Home Alone , earlier Bollywood werer copying scripts but showing some creatvitiy in name and tagline now they are copying everything. Creativity is going down the drain day by day… Veresh [ Crux of Bollywood ]

So don’t wait anymore.

Here is what Sanjay Gadhvi has to say about the cast:

In the search to cast this film appropriately, Sanjay Dutt was the only actor that Shibani and I could think of to play the part of Vikrant Raina. Had he refused the film, there would be no Kidnap.
For the role of Kabir I was clear in my mind that I wanted a very young looking actor … almost a boy.
It took me 3 seconds to decide on Imran Khan for the part, when I saw him for the first time. And as I see Kidnap take its final shape, I see that I was not wrong at all.

“Does committing a crime make you a criminal?” forms the theme of the film.

Synopsis:

Vikrant Raina’s only child, Sonia has been kidnapped. The kidnapper(Kabir) does not demand a ransom; instead he wants to play a game.
The game requires Raina to be on the run and complete a series of tasks. If Raina completes every task successfully his daughter lives, but if he leaves even one task incomplete …
What will Raina do in a world where all his money and power mean nothing

Unlike the non-violent, cho-chweet character that Imran played in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Kidnap showcases his “violent streak” Playing a negative role in his second movie, Imran shows us that the new generation of Bollywood dares to be different.
Going by the trailers, I think he is going to woo the audiences yet again.

Visit the Official website of Kidnap.

Produced by Abhishek Bachchan’s childhood friend Goldie Behl, it was bound to have Abhishek Bachchan as the lead actor, thanks to a childhood pact they had made! Drona stars Priyanka Chopra opposite Abhishek, with Kay Kay Menon in the villainous role. Jaya Bachchan will play Abhishek’s onscreen mother for the first time.

This semi-fantasy, partly realistic movie joins the league of the Hollywood movies such as Indiana Jones, Bullet proof Monk and others, as the characters display their supernatural powers. Abhishek plays Drona aka Aditya who is brought up by Foster parents due to security concerns. While Priyanka is the warrior Sonia, Drona’s closest aide and the one responsible for making him aware of his true identity.

As Drona is all set to join the league of ’special effects’ movies, the entire Drona team is geared up to promote this venture. Goldie Behl along with Abhishek Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, is going all out to promote it. Some comments made by Jaya Bachchan though have not gone down well with some communities. Drona too, like many other films is surrounded by controversies.

It is set to release in the 1st week of October. Hope Abhishek rocks the box office yet again.

Direction:
Jaideep Varma

Synopsis:
Raj an aggressive sub-broker in a prosperous broking firm and Abha a marketing professional are a couple in their early-thirties. They move into a new 2-bedroom flat in a Mumbai suburb expecting peace and quiet. Life is sweet as their promising careers now seem to be nicely complemented by domestic stability.

Synopsis:
With her mother suddenly divorcing her father and leaving their comfortable home in Kolkata, Nitya finds herself in the new environs of Navi (new) Mumbai.
Finding her bearings, in a new city, letting go of her ambition to study in the USA for her MBA, and to begin work at a call centre is tough.

Synopsis:

Mahadev is one of the few educated young men from Sajjanpur. His ambition is to be a novelist but finds it easier to make a living by writing letters sitting next to the post office. His ability to write persuasive letters makes him popular with the largely non-literate population of the town. Aware of this power, he soon uses his talent to manipulate people with amusing and sometimes not such amusing results.

Synopsis:

A woman tries to discover the truth behind her husband’s alleged death in a plane crash in Mexico.

Synopsis:

Zohan, a top Israeli commando, fakes his own death in order to pursue his dream: becoming a hairstylist in New York. Though he wants to put his life of counter-terrorism behind him, he quickly finds that it is not so easy to escape one’s roots. As enemies old and new try to take him out, they will all come to learn the same thing: you don’t mess with the Zohan.

Iced lands, massive caves, stalagmites, magma, volcanoes etc are known to us through our preconceived, broken geological knowledge. The best part is when you enter a world within our world. A different reality, a planet unknown, reflecting the writer’s imagination on a super-storyboard.

Brendan Fraser, Anita Briem, and Josh Hutcherson have done full justice. Brenden is awesome, Anita even though doesn’t look like an explorer, but sure resembles hot magma.

Don’t expect a pure science fiction flick. Journey to the center of the earth is more of bollywood-style exaggeration galore. The reason you should watch it is that its certified entertainment. There is not even a single moment which will be irksome.

Best scenes:

1) Their trek to the volcanic mountain in Iceland.

2) The roller coaster effect with the ancient rail trucks. Very exciting.

3) Crazy VFX when they fall into the warp zone.

4) When they reach below the earth’s crust, above the core and discover a land which was mentioned only in a book.

5) The underground ocean!

6) The underground T-Rex!!

7) Their return back.

The movie is too exciting, a must watch on the big screen. Don’t postpone it expecting the DVD to come out, watch it today for the real experience.

Harry(Amitabh) is a veteran Shakespearean actor who is so passionate about theatre and Shakespeare both(can’t decide which one he is more crazy about) that he scorns at motion picture cinema. Shakespeare and theatre are in his heart, his soul, his breath, his mind and practically in his very existence. He meets a a young filmmaker Siddharth(Arjun Rampal) who is as passionate and crazy as Harry himself is, though about motion picture. Therein begins a journey of the two men in understanding each other, oneself and the discovery of a medium they’re both dispassionate about(Sid for theatre and Harry for films). Preity Zinta plays a young model turned actress Shabnam, who bonds with Harry through a very different bond that the one he has with Siddharth.

It is erroneous to judge actors based on the script since they are simply puppets in the hand of a director. And this is where we have the master of Hindi motion picture cinema and the undisputed king of the film….Amitabh Bachchan. He rises above the script and hence judging him to be much more talented than most other actors today is damn easy. I won’t say this is Amitabh’s best performance since I loved him equally in many other films….. Trishul,Shakti,Sarkar,Cheeni Kum,Khakee to name a few. But his voice, body language, passion for cinema(in reality) and passion for theatre(in the film) are so convincing….just like the bell Arjun has conviction about(see the film…you’ll know what I mean). Arjun Rampal was alright….always found him wooden….still do….haven’t seen Rock On so won’t comment on that. Pitted against Amitabh he looks ‘ok’ at best. No comparisons…but honestly in the scenes they have together he’s barely visible. Preity Zinta does a much better job…..she’s very believable as the oppressed woman and the actress who is trying to get her foothold in cinema. Shefali Shah……never fails to impress me….love her since her days in ‘Hasraatein’(a TV soap directed by Ajai Sinha who also made Justajoo and Astitva). She’s got extremely expressive eyes and modulates her voice to suit the scene like none other. By and large the best actor after Amitabh in the film. Jisshu Sengupta was damn good too….he doesn’t have many dialogues but his body language conveys a lot. Divya Dutta excels in a small role.

Characterisation in The Last Lear is wonderful. Amitabh’s constant recitals of Shakespeare, the robes he wears at home, the eccentric, obstinate passion for being a perfectionist….it really shows that his character was very well sketched. Arjun’s character is equally well done….though Arjun doesn’t quite live upto it….the entire bearded look, the constant ‘clicking’ with the camera, the investment of time into Harry for getting him to act in the film, the passion for the film’s climax to be perfect…its all wonderful. Preity Zinta’s character is brilliant….she’s got a dual role in the film…one of an oppressed woman and an actress….both are well weaved….her compassion towards human beings, her concern for Harry, her support to Shefali and Divya are all indicative of her basic nature. Shefali’s character was good too….but seemed half baked in places…why would she go to stay with a man after seeing him on stage once? No explanations in the film.

Background score and cinematography are of utmost importance in this film. The background score changes each time Harry gets into his ‘Shakespeare mode’ accentuating his act and also in the emotional sequences, it brings out the flavour of the character’s body language. Cinematography has been thought over really carefully….there are many close shots and mid shots with a blurred background, and a single person in the frame indicative of how alone that person is in his/her mental space. Wonderfully subtle!

This review has stretched beyond what i’d though of writing….can’t help the flow of words after scrutinizing a wonderful piece of art. The Last Lear is a brilliant tale of passion and grief with fantastic dialogues, an able cast, wonderful background score, imaginative cinematography and a talented director….Rituparno Ghosh. Not to be missed for anything. I usually set monetary limits(personally) for judging the worth of films……as regards The Last Lear….spend even your last rupee…to watch a masterpiece.

Mamma Mia!

1920, Rubaru, The Last Lear, Parunthu, Mamma Mia!, Righteous Kill, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Indian Cinema depends on all of you.

1920 Cast : Rajneesh Duggal, Barkha Bhist, Dilip Thadeshwar, Amita Bishnoi Directed by: Vikram Bhatt Synopsis: The year is 1920 and the house is isolated in the wilderness has a secret. It is waiting for the curse to come true. For years everyone who has bought the house and tried to pull it down has died under strange circumstances. It is like the house has a will and a life of its own. Arjun (Rajneesh Duggal) and his wife Lisa (Adah Sharma) move into the house and he has been given the task of pulling it down and making a hotel there. The haunting begins. Strange and inexplicable events start taking place. The curse says they will not survive. The only thing they have that is true is the love they once shared, which is now under the shadow of doubt. They will have to depend on the love and faith if they are to come out of this alive

Rubaru Cast: Randeep Hooda, Shahana Goswami, Jayant Kriplani, Rati Agnihotri Directed by: Arjun Bali Synopsis: Ru-Ba-Ru is a modern day story of two ambitious individuals finding there destiny through the greatest human manifestation love, but of course with a twist! The film revolves around a modern couple Tara (Shahana Goswami) and Nikhil (Randeep Hooda) though are in love; Tara wants to cement the relationship by seeking commitment in marriage. But Nikhil, a workaholic, is always pre-occupied with his clients and work and he is happy with the way things are between the two of them. The trouble in paradise starts off with Nikhil constantly forgetting small little things that make a relationship. He starts taking his girlfriend, her family and friends for granted. And the day comes when Tara cannot take it anymore. As she decides to take matters in her own hand, a strange magical, mystical force intervenes, and the drama unfolds!

The Last Lear Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Shefali Shah, Jishu Sengupta, Divya Dutta Directed by: Rituparno Ghosh Synopsis: Harry - 65. Recluse, Eccentric. Passionate. Besides being a Shakespearean stage actor and an ardent fan of The Master, his life seems like a play after he meets Siddharth. A play replete with action, drama, love, emotions, tension and an expected friendship. Siddharth is a new-age film director his cool clothes and casual persona well disguise his eccentricities. He is a visionary, a visionary who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. As opposites attract, may be likeminded people get along well too. How else would one explain the fast blossoming friendship between these two eccentrically creative minds? When the cinema-ignorant Harry is offered a magnificent role in Siddharths’ next film, he is apprehensive at first, reluctant later and finally acceptable to the idea.

Parunthu Cast: Mammooty, Lakshmi Rai, Roma, Sreela Directed by: M Padmakumar Synopsis: Produced under the banner of Dream Team Productions, Parunthu, directed by M. Padmakumar (who had earlier directed Ammakkilikoodu, Vargam and Vasthavam) has Mammootty playing the role of Purushottaman, called by everyone as ‘Blade’ Purushottaman or even ‘Parunthu’ (Eagle). Purushottaman is a financier who lends money on interest. But he is a heartless kind of financier who is bothered only about his interest and business and never cares for relationships, humanity or other things sublime. His ways are almost like that of an eagle, thus earning him the nickname ‘Parunthu’. The only people close to Purushottaman are Mahendran and Kunjachchan. Mahendran, who had worked with financiers of all kinds, had finally lands up with Purushottaman and is now his right-hand man. But his problem is that he is always after money and whenever there is the prospect of getting some profit, he does a bit of financing himself. Kunjachchan, who earlier worked for Purushottaman’s rivals, is now his most trusted associate. Purushottaman has a rival in Azeez, with whom he is always in competition. It’s rather ironical that Purushottaman and Azeez were close friends in their childhood. But now they are bitter rivals ready to tear each other apart. Purushottaman doesn’t believe in emotions like love and compassion, and holds on to the doctrine that no one is to be trusted in this world. (Of course Purushottaman hadn’t always wanted to be like this, but society never gave him a chance to reform himself). Anyway Purushottaman, at a stage in life, comes face-to-face with something tragic that changes the course of his life as a whole. It’s after a long time that Mammootty plays a character with some negative traits, and scenarist T.A. Razack, who had mostly penned Mammootty’s do-gooder kind of roles, is pinning much hope on Parunthu. Suraaj Venjaramoodu is Mahendran while Cochin Haneefa becomes Kunjachchan. Jayan, who is a popular television actress and who has of course acted in some movies too, does the role of Azeez. Lakshana, Kalyani and Lakshmi Rai are the leading ladies in this film, which is getting ready for release, and will be brought to the theatres by Dream Team Release.

Mamma Mia! Cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd Synopsis: Donna, an independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited daughter she’s raised alone. For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends–practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tonya–from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Righteous Kill Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Benjamin Burtt, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy Directed by: Jon Avnet Synopsis: A serial murderer walks the streets of Manhattan, targeting violent felons who have fallen through the cracks of the judicial system. All the victims are suspected criminals whose bodies are found accompanied by a four line poem justifying the killing. The killer’s mission is to do what the cops can’t do on their own–take the bad guys off the streets for good. When a notorious pimp becomes one of the killer’s victims, highly decorated detectives Turk and Rooster are called in to investigate. This case could easily be the biggest one in their 30 years on the force. With the unwitting help of a local drug dealer the detectives follow what few clues they have, but their search soon turns inward, eventually leading them full circle as they realize the killer may be one of their own.

Journey to the Center of the Earth Cast: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem, Seth Meyers Directed by: Eric Brevig Synopsis: No one believes that Trevor Anderson is on to something. The science professor’s unconventional hypotheses have put him on the fringe of the academic community. But during an expedition in Iceland, Trevor and his teenage nephew, Sean, accompanied by their beautiful local guide, Hannah, make a breakthrough discovery that launches them on a thrilling adventure into the unknown. As their journey takes them deep beneath the Earth’s surface, they travel through never-before-seen worlds that bring them face-to-face with surreal and unimaginable creatures, stretching the bounds of the visionary scientist’s own imagination.

Rating: ****1/2.
Amount to be spent : The maximum.

With this movie I can say that bollywood is coming of age! An explicit feature film which has all the factors to make it one of the best films ever made. It is a critics’ delight!

Young Neeraj Pandey has actually struck the chord by fascinating you with his exclusive screeplay, script and direction. The best part of the film is that it never lets you down. You just can’t predict the next scene or move, it leaves you guessing and then exults you with its turn out.

Bollywood greats like Naseruddin Shah, Anupam Kher have delivered the appropriate amount, and which has always been the best. On the other hand Jimmy Shergill, I feel, has actually understood what kind of roles he is best suited for. He has actually turned his career around with this movie. Jimmy has acted to his potential for the first time.

This is not a box office warmer but i hope it could make a really good grossing!

All in all a MUST WATCH!!!!!

Some other website previews:

Filmikhabar says…

It’s a hat-trick now. The third Friday in succession witnesses the release of A WEDNESDAY. And marks my words, it’s the most powerful film to come out of Bollywood in 2008.
A Wednesday !
Most promos mislead the viewer no end. They promise the moon, the viewer is hooked and very often, they fail to meet the expectations. In this case, the promos are just the tip of the iceberg. This movie has so much to offer than a few vital glimpses highlighted in the promos.

iloveindia says…

The plot of ‘A Wednesday’ basically revolves around the protagonist - a policeman and one Wednesday of his life. The policeman - Prakash Rathod (Anupam Kher) lives in the Mumbai city and on a particular Wednesday, receives call from an anonymous person (Naseerudin Shah). The caller informs Prakash that bombs have been planted across the city and if he wants to save the lives of innocent Mumbaikars, he has to release four militants. At the spur of the moment, he agrees to the exchange offer. Soon, he realizes that this would cost him, and the people at large, heavily in future.

webindia123 says…

A city of beauty but also a city that got scarred! A city whose foundation is slowly crumbling beneath its facade of invincibility! ‘A Wednesday’, tells the story of certain events that unfold between 2 and 6 pm on a particular Wednesday in this city. Events which do not exist in any record but which deeply affect the lives of those invoved.

Glamsham says…

UTV’s long time awaited movie WEDNESDAY starring Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergil, Aamir Bashir and Deepal Shaw is slated to release on 5th Sept 2008… Suddenly, everything becomes a huge question mark. Who is this man? What is his identity? What are his intentions and what is the motive behind them? The caller (played by Mr Naseeruddin Shah) then reveals his true identity and answers these questions, raising some more in the process…

After watching Rock On, I wanted to watch another movie that was probably more mindless, an action flick, kick-ass, with an amazing chase sequence, fighting, gun battles, just a few dialogues here and there, so that the action is not monotonous. The answer was ‘Wanted’.

More than James McAvoy, the introduction to his life of being regular accountant was a nice start, for the speed caught up later in the movie. Immediately there was a brilliant chase sequence.

Angelina Jolie and her tattooed body was breath taking, but her action sequence reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Smith as well as Lara Croft.

The director or the story writers seem a little confused about what that they ‘wanted’: real action or imaginary action (Matrix type). It was a combination of both, great combination, lot of confusion. An earth shattering glass scene, while the actors jumped into these windows and the broken glasses to take the shape of the face and body! You have to see it to believe what I am saying.

The other action sequence that I loved was and reminded me of the game - GunZ that i used to play with my brother and he’d beat me. The only thing missing would be the long overcoat in the movie to be similar to the game. But the sequence was like killing, shooting, aiming, somersaults, … and continues till you get hit and loose XP!

One question that I have, everyone else’s name after the main lead Morgan Freeman has been mentioned, also Angelina’s name in the credits as well as other posters. But every single poster that is being promoted all over is the one with Angeline Jolie, and not the main protagonist, surprised here too?

Wall·E seems to be inspired by iRobot and Idiocracy but still is in a different genre. One of humanised Robots but nothing related to the movie ‘Robots’. Wall·E(our hero) is a machine built by mankind for waste management on Earth. His full name is Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class. He spends his time compacting thrash on the planet and heaping it systematically. Until one day a futuristic machine lands on Earth and out pops EVE….another Robot. What happens next? Watch Wall·E to find out.

Andrew Stanton who gave us the brilliant Finding Nemo, is the writer and director of Wall·E. The film has other characters like Eve, Captain and Hal (the cockroach) but largely it focuses on the hero….Wall·E. A few robotic voices are used once in a while for personification. But since the central character is a robot most of the film has no dialogue…..it relies instead on visual communication via body language and movements. I’d say precision in animation becomes all the more difficult due to large focus on movements. Pixar and who else but Pixar could put up a such a fantastic show.Wall·E is convincing right down to the smallest leg of his E. The disciplined, frightened, humanised robot whose best friend is Hal, a cockroach. EVE’s gradual change from a disciplined, work oriented robot to a robot who discovers herself is well graphed. Brilliant characterisation by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter who jointly wrote the story.

Possibly the only glitch is in parts where the show Wall·E playing a VHS tape and watching humans on a screen. How does a 700 year old(or even older considering VHS tapes are pretty old even today) VHS tape work in the first place? Come to think of it, the tape and what Wall·E sees on screen is of importance in the screenplay ahead. So on grounds of cinematic liberty that can be excused.

I would recommend Wall·E to everyone who loves animated films or people who adore Pixar(like me) or who are interested in seeing fantastic non-verbal communication weaved to make us believe that love needs no language.