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Ferrari (2023)
Ferrari: Rev Up or Sputter Out?
Considering the film was like a puzzle missing a few key pieces, I struggled to see why investing my time was worth it.
Sure, Adam Driver as the towering Ferrari was a bright spot, but the film itself failed to lay down a clear plot. Is it about his tumultuous relationship with his wife? Is it delving into his affair? Or is it supposed to be all about the heart-pounding world of auto-racing?
I get it; it's a peek into the life of one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. Yet, if the film had just picked one aspect of Ferrari's life to focus on, it could've been a more riveting tale.
Maybe, like a speedy Ferrari on the racetrack, the film needed a more defined direction to truly accelerate into cinematic greatness. Here's hoping for a tighter narrative from Mr Mann next time!
Eraserhead (1977)
This film's potty
Those calling it art are high on opium. No matter what Lynch was going through at the time in his life. It's not an excuse to bore the viewer to death by nothingness.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Me to critics: Seriously... what the hell is wrong with you people? Critics: We are the bad guys.... its what we do.
Since the comic-con trailer leak last year, well everybody has been going nuts (no question there) over SS. BvS turned out to be an okay fare and would've stayed that way until that 'Martha thingy' which just ruined all the fun for me.
This is a Will Smith movie and boy he is solid as Deadshot! Surprisingly JK's Rick Flagg does a marvelous job as well and both Deadshot/Flagg chemistry is something to look for on-screen.
Many say Margot Robbie was born to play Harley. Yup, right! Her love or I'd like to call madness for Mr. J and subsequent descend into crazy is portrayed compellingly. To those complaining "no screen time for Joker", to them uhh.. I say "get a life" cos The Joker is not integral to the movie plot, he's more here as a treat to the fans and reference to Harley Quinn's story arc. In no way, NO WAY, does JL ever comes close to the Ledger's version (no one can surpass that).. not in this lifetime!!
The real show stealer for me was El Diablo. Firstly, he's super cool with his pyro power and secondly he's just.. super cool. Other characters were fab too; Katana (ass-kicker), Croc and Boomerang (not much to do tho).
The new hottie Cara Delevigne as Enchantress was a delight. Been on her trail after having watched PAPER TOWNS (don't judge). Overall a complete entertainer, good 3D, action, humor, & soundtrack.
Special praise for Viola Davis's character as Amanda Waller -- one cold hearted bitch she turned out to be. David Ayer kudos! DC/WB still a long way to go (8.5/10)
Kapoor & Sons (2016)
"Yahan Koi Bhi Doodh Ka Dhula Nhe.. Sab Jhoot Bolte Hai..."
Was so amped ever since the trailer hit the social media and riding on that excitement I went in.
This is a Fawad Khan movie, without a shadow of a doubt. He's carried this effortlessly and the drama is all in his eyes, man!
Siddarth Malhotra, I felt, couldn't deliver what was expected of him and his character is underplayed.
Alia Bhatt, respect to this girl with her sheer brilliance in acting.
Ratna Pathak and Rajat Kapoor are always a treat to watch -- their acting chops, experience & mastery are all oozing out of their roles.
Rishi Kapoor -- the make up man did a hell of a job on him and his are the most comical one liners. The legend is still pretty much in the game.
Overall the script has been penned down plainly on the basis of observation and a darn good work at that! Although things were added to make it a film, an entertainer but at the crux of it its simple OBSERVATION, in my opinion.
Shakun Batra and team, you guys are the future, you guys are love, & you're the real deal. Thank you for this cinematic gem !!
Spy (2015)
Deeply Undercover, My Arse !!
Absolute bore-fest, I know people have already vented out their anger of how ridiculous this movie is with apparently no or very slim laughters.
I'm just compelled to write this review and have got nothing new to add about this terrible terrible film. Honestly, it has made it in my top 5 films I loathe.
Having said that, I think I've rated it a bit higher. Trust me 5 is way higher but then I realized and maybe I enjoyed Jason Statham in his new act. Being his fan and all, 5 stars for your role on breaking the stereotype. Hell, I may want to come back some time later & probably change the rating because I'm fresh of watching Jason in his funny guy persona. When this wears off & I'd open up to the nightmare I just witnessed spanning over almost two hours, idk what I'm going to do, rate it a 1, no even that would be blasphemous!
Like many debated how this film got a 7.2 rating on IMDb is beyond my comprehension and by every logic know to man. Filmmakers perhaps rigged and bribed their way to the top. Wait, did I just used the word 'perhaps'? Isn't this obvious that they most definitely employed such underhanded tactics to make this washed up piece of trash stay afloat and fool audiences in to watching annoying Melissa McCarthy or that fat lady from Bridesmaids.
OMG! a 7.2, tell me that wasn't real? O Gosh, faith lost. It needs restoration. I better sign off and put on Nargis Fakhri's (you guessed it, that hot chick who can fight) starrer Madras Cafe, instead.
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015)
"What is a cookar with gun in its hand called? Bang-Cock"
Just like last year on Eid-ul-Adha, we were treated by Na Maloom Afraad. This year on that same occasion comes another comedy with all the A-listers & boy, Is it a treat? So read on...
Definitely not a movie to enjoy with family but instead with "yaar dooston". The male leads were all great in their roles as for the lead ladies, they were kind of there, with the exception of Mehwish Hayat and Sohai Ali Abro. Man that Sohai girl can dance!
Those who are aware of the 'Rubber Band'sitcom back in the day, knows just how funny Wasy Choudhry & Ahmed Ali Butt can be. Go in expecting the same. The Facebook sensation, Hamza Abbasi, not only looks but acts pretty darn good too. The trio reminded me of the men from Indian movie 'Aamdani, Athani, Kharcha, Rupaya' with latter actor portraying as the more mature of the lot.
The devil here is Humayun Saeed, who is btw way past his prime since his age shows, still manages to entertain. Yes there are those semi- clad women, below the belt humor & cultural innuendos packed with hangover references, some decent songs especially "Khul Jai Botal", "Fair & Lovely" & sound technical aspects.
The similarities with 'Masti' end with their trip to Bangkok, rest is, well..different and extremely hilarious. Finally, is the film embodiment of Pakistani culture? No. Did the film exceed expectations? It certainly did for me, in a good way. Can we call it the post- revival of cinema phase? Pretty much.
The Last Samurai (2003)
Captain Nathan Algren-sen
Over the years I heard my friends say how great THE LAST SAMURAI is. Guess what? I gave it a go. Apart from the usual "white guy saves the day"...
I found it annoying.. the use of the word samurai. Samurai way, samurai sword, samurai this, samurai that.. it has to be a million times as if to constantly remind the viewer of the title. We get it, it's the THE LAST SAMURAI.
During the battle scene our Tom boy is only hit twice, once in the leg and other in the shoulder. Not to mention, he's spearheaded towards an enemy firing canons, rifles & gattling guns (25 rounds p/m). He survives while the entire samurai (here's that word again) scum (I meant that to be squad) is eradicated from this earth, only to reinforce that he's THE LAST SAMURAI. #EvenSupermanGetsTakenOutOnceInAWhile
That Asian chick was looking to bang Tom boy the minute she laid eyes on him. Despite the fact that he killed her husband, later is responsible for the death of her nephew, her brother & literally every single able bodied men of her village. Further reiterates that he's the man, THE LAST SAMURAI.
I find Ken Watanabe's acting to be funny. Instead Chow Yun-Fat would've done justice to the character IMO (I don't care if he's Chinese). But who cares, it was always meant to be, Tom Cruise as THE LAST SAMURAI. #JustCruising
It's just not a film, it's THE LAST SAMURAI. Would rate it purely out of the love for war violence depicted..
Na Maloom Afraad (2014)
Hilarious!
From the trailer it seemed like this one's gonna be a hit n a miss. I said to myself "Our guys trying to pull of a Hera Pheri or a Delhi Belly..heck.. I want to check it out on Eid"
As opposed to O21 which appeared another one of those covert op films(which I am definitely going to see later) did not appeal me.. I am glad I chose Na Maloom Afraad. It is not just the title but it is the crux of the film around which it revolves throughout. People thinking of it as Hera Pheri or Delhi Belly(myself included initially) are correct about three individuals stricken with financial crises but that is where the similarities end.
Director Nabeel Qureshi is the kind of the guy who knows what he's doing. If you have seen his short films starring the BNN guys or previously the 4 Man team, u know what I'm talking about. If u find them funny u have seen nothing yet. NMA will make u burst with laughs and mind you there's no stopping them.
Mohsan Abbas Haider is the real star here.. he steals every scene he's in (remember that guy playing Bhagat Sing who used to roam around the Republic in a yellow van). Fahad Mustafa's comic timing is perfect as well whilst Javed Shaikh is the veteran here but I find nothing exceptional about his character, & that's just me..
Salman Shahid reprises his role as the bad guy from the movie Ishqiya. Mehwish Hayat is ur Mahnoor Baloch in NMA and her smoking item no., though out of place, is a feast for eyes. All in all NMA delivers what it promises without a single dull moment in its entire run time.
On the technical side, the film is one to marvel at. From the production value to the film's music to its shots of Karachi are all well handled. The end is passable and possibly the only flaw if felt in the movie which restricts me from rating it a 10 on 10. Btw I am being fair when I rate it a 9.
So.. watch this one, particularly Karachiites as they could relate more with this city's violent history and lawlessness that has engulfed its inhabitants.. Oh and having said dat keep an eye out for the interesting cameos from some of the familiar faces of TV. Hum Network.. hats off for this entertainer!!
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
The X Franchise Comes Full Circle
I am compelled to write this review, that is how good this film was. X-Men DoFP, in my opinion, builds upon its predecessor i.e. First Class and man does it deliver? It is everything one can expect from a sequel-prequel-hybrid. The Sentinels were brutal & ruthless killing machines, the way they should be and honestly I was a bit skeptical going in.
Bryan Singer proves that he is a force to be reckoned with. Call it his comeback, rebirth or his love for the franchise but he didn't disappoint one bit in the director's chair. The cameos were a welcome sight with just the right amount of humor at every turn. Not to mention, it was superbly written with attention to most tiny details (or what the film could manage, considering two simultaneous time lines).
A must watch. Love it or hate it, with this latest entry, the franchise has come full circle. Countdown until Apocalypse = T-2yrs.
My rating: 8.5/10
Waar (2013)
WAAR - the review
Waar, the much awaited Pakistan's big budget ass kicker is finally here. I won't disagree with the fan boys because as Pakistanis we have the tendency to get carried away with sentiments portraying patriotism. It's not a bad thing per say, every nation does that. Us going in will surely help the revival of cinema, in turn generating the much awaited revenue.
As an avid cine goer I was compelled to write this review. Bilal Lashari is a master of his work but only when it comes to directing music videos. The overall movie just didn't gel for me. The individual scenes are a treat, however the major issue was the poor editing of the film. The characters were cookie cutters & I couldn't at any point relate with them. Starts off well, though is downhill from then on. Multiple canvases were adopted & as with any first timer, Mr. Lashari was unable to handle the same. The lame this film contains or the level of it would require an essay length review.
Cut short, decent effort despite not up to the bar set by "Khuda Kay Liye". Shamoon Abbasi deserves special praise, not only he looked great but acted well too. Rest of the cast, passable. Seriously, If it weren't for my family I would not have sat through the entire movie. Such a drag similar to "Bol" though the latter was preachy in every possible way. My advice, feed on trailers alone.
PS: What was with the bilingual approach, heck, Urdu was hardly there. I am not sure whether the audience were meant to be Pakistanis since language is the integral part of any culture which ought to be marketed and when that is absent, well
. I don't know. In some scenes English could have been used as a medium where required. Half of the time my mind was distracted by Urdu subtitles.
Taking Lives (2004)
Hard 8?
Now this film is based on a very predictable premise at least for me, others well may be able to appreciate the surprise factor.
This film is one of those movies where the opening scenes are a treat to watch. Watching Paul Dano(There Will Be Blood) and Justin Chatwin(Invisible) on screen together is bound to make you sit through the whole running time as they possibly are the best duo of upcoming and rising stars but again that's just me.
Calling upon Jolie in the film right away makes you wonder if the Canadian police that incompetent? & it is only one thing I am talking about here. The director seems to be in a rush, in a hurry to execute the sex scene I believe, speaking of which it is quite frankly the most steamiest scenes ever. I am not a very big fan of Jolie and couldn't understand what's the big deal until now. Not only she acted well, she looked gorgeous as a cop as well as stunningly courageous. Ethan Hawke is likable as Costa. Rest of the cast, i guess is OK. Not much to do anyways.
The major drawback I felt was the film lacked depth behind the concept of " Taking Lives " - killer taking on the identity of the murder victims. I mean it is immensely underdeveloped. If they had focused more on killings rather than soulless investigations it had been gruesome, gritty and dark. Let us be honest, not everyone can pull off a Se7en.
Having said the aforementioned points I'd rate it an 8, not a hard 8. The plot opens up with a surge of adrenaline but with the same adrenaline plummets.