Slumdog millionaire

This is the perfect epitome of how to make a movie (Makers of those dumb Indian flicks:Take a cue from this one) : Good direction,Awesome music,Excellent casting,Great storyline,Simply superb-overall

The movie really needs no introduction because it has been the talk of the world,ever since its release(and probably I'm the one who's running a li'l late to review it)!

If you haven't heard the story,already ,then this is it:The film is a romantic melodrama that follows the mysterious case of an Indian street orphan,Jamal Malik(Dev Patel), who wins the grand prize on "Who Wants to be A Millionaire" in order to reconnect with his lost love, Latika (Freida Pinto) - but was it all blind luck, or was he cheating?

The laudable contrivance in the movie is the nature of the very last question and what happens when it's asked, but by then the movie had me in its grasp and the ploy totally worked.

As for the movie's sound track,this is what I've got to say:

---------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------

I'm speechless (literally)- A.R.Rahman rocks !! No stopping him! There's this particular track-Dreams on fire (the song isn't played in the movie ) - the sound track's played  every time Jamal and Latika happen to bump into each other and my oh my - Its the best music I've come across so far in 2009.When I hear this track I literally go someplace else and zap back to reality only after hearing it for atleast 5 times straight! :)

Above : One of my favourite scenes from the movie.

(I'm not a pro when it comes to reviewing...and this one definitely deserves more praise than what I've given!!! Hope it bags the Oscar)If you haven't watched it yet-"you have wasted half your lifetime"-Go to the movies!!!

5 stars and a biggggggggggggg thumbs up from my lounger !!!

the pursuit of happyness

This is a realistic portraiture of the life of an ordinary person,struggling to meet both ends meet.Why wouldn't it be realistic - its based on the true story about a man named Christopher Gardner who wasted his life's savings in some crap medical tool that he finds hard to sell..Welcome to the story where : Bad things happen to good people ,over and over again - Christopher Gardner(Will Smith) is the man - stuck in every plausible sitch : wife leaving him,business failing,non-paying job, son to be taken care of,no shelter,debts..But Chris is determined to make it ! And how he does is beautifully depicted.Its is not even slightly boring..conversely it keeps you hooked to know what is gonna happen next!Eventually Gardner's dreams are fulfilled beyond his wildest expectations, and he becomes a multimillionaire - but the journey from the street to the boardroom took 10 years.The man in the final scene that walks by is actually Chris Gardner.

If you thought the 'y' in happyness is human glitch,you are mistaken.Watch the movie and understand:)

Yea..and one more thing.. The title defence is awesome - why is it called pursuit of happyness ?Chris' thinking pattern reveals some philosphy of life :why is it called pursuing happiness,because we can never get it??and only pursue??? Watch this awesome movie!

 4 stars from mylounger :)

Chetan Bhagat 's threesome

I've been looking forward to writing this for weeks...I 've read Chetan's works in chronologically reverse order..(not a good practice for a good reviewer-wannabe)Well well well.. Where can I begin??? Ok ..so here goes.. there is a certain nexus that is followed in the order of the review.Try figuring that out.

Three mistakes of my life.. Probably because I began with this book of his, that sums up for the time gap between reading this one and the rest of his works..In any case that doesn't mean it was a bad piece of work..I  for one, was impressed with the style of writing - that had the right amount of Indian touch in it... but there was a certain charisma that I felt was missing(strictly personal)...This one's just another installment in showcasing the everyday life of some of the most inconspicuous people of India.Business,cricket and religion -all blended in an unhealthy proportion..  After reading the book, I kind of felt that it had just one major objective:Making the Indian youth vigilant and aware of some of the biggest problems that plague its society.And..Job well done indeed !The title in itself is a terrific head turner.

Five Point Someone-What not to do in an IIT (the debut book)was another great piece of writing, not from the literary dimension but from the normal not so brainy types dimension(me included in that club).Even though I'm non-IIT ian, this book is closer to the heart of the 3..there was so much I could identify  myself with in the book.Totally loved the way he criticized the mugger-friendly education system in India..And yea..The way he managed to put the un-phrased thoughts sitting in the minds of many of us is something that puts me in awe..:O  I'm a downright lover of one-liners..(My gtalk statuses speak volumes about that,in any case) and this one's sprawled with a handsome amount of it making my read all the more fun !! :)

One night @ the call center - This 289 pager is a tale of six people working in a call center called “Connexions” in Gurgaon. A story of screwed-up love life ,pain, sorrows, ambitions, personal trauma and the happiness  - you name it !!This is the best of them all...I read this on my return journey from Chennai.. Man Was it fun!...Struck chords again !! ;).Management jargons, quasi Managers, Bosses who are real pain in the neck, how the society sees a call center guy…all these covered…I believe One Night@ the Call Center is fab!

One thing I noticed is that,Chetan always compares girls to something.. :O In 5ps ,"girls and icecreams are good to have..and esp together..." it went something like that..In ON@CC it was "Girls and automobiles are so much fun at night" !!!

There are lofty many things that make Chetan Bhagat a wonderful writer targeting Indian youth. His writing isn’t the same as JKR, where you apparated into a totally different world, isn’t the same as fantasy writers, who spend a large portion of their publications just explaining the jargon and commodities that they imagined, and neither is it like those philosophical  It just feels almost, but not quite, entirely unlike Me, and many others who are a part of the growing India. I would be waiting to read more from him… I wish he updated his 'once a year updated' blog more often!

Somehow,of all the reviews I've typed,this one seems incomplete.. :( Maybe adding a few one liners I enjoyed should do the trick..?!?Shall write a separate post for that) For reasons such as exceeding the word limit, imposed personally,I'd like to quit here !

Had it been priced @ 300, I would have picked a pirated 70 bucks copy…smart guys they are… making cheapo books,which make it fast moving!!As for the nexus ,any guesses anybody??

Hollow Man

This is one damn movie,portraying the evil life of a mad scientist who has just discovered how to make beasts invisible and undo it,as part of a military project for the pentagon.Evil,as he is,he tests it on himself and using this unique ability of invisiblity ,he stalks people...Until.... a certain point in which he looses whats left of   him in a spectacular battle on top of a lift.

Things I learnt from the movie:

If you are stuck in a cooler,with temperature dropping down real fast, you should look around and find something to make an electromagnet and using it, unlock the door(which is bolted using iron bar on the outside)Pretty interesting way haan.??

overall its a okay movie... 2.89 stars from my lounger

Eagle Eye

Am writing this review long after I watched the movie...So here's how much I remember of it :PIts a story about two complete strangers hooked together by a mystery phone call from a Woman they've never heard of..The calls make these guys do dangerous stuff,at the gun-end(figuratively).Using everyday technology the mystery woman(lets just call her MW) tracks down their every move(imagine someone breathing down your neck)..The MW's careful planning of disaster is stunning(especially the bomb triggering when a certain F note on the trumpet is played..Ingenious,though Not existing...Who knows??!!?!) MW turns out to be AI(Oopsys...did i spill too many beans?? ;)) and its a gr8t tech/sci-fi movie you shouldn't miss!
4 stars to it from my lounger.