The Vatican Tapes

Young Angela's (Dudley) life is turned upside down when she's possessed by an evil entity. As her condition goes from bad to worse, her father Roger (Scott) and boyfriend Pete (Amedori) allow an exorcism to be performed on her.
Cast: Michael Peña, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Dougray Scott, Djimon Hounsou, John Patrick Amedori, Peter Andersson, Kathleen Robertson
Direction: Mark Neveldine
Duration: 1 hour 31 minutes

 
The Vatican Tapes Review: Loving, cheerful and full of pep, Angela seems the unlikeliest target for demonic possession. Given her normal existence prior to possession, her transformation from mellow to malevolent is all the more disturbing to witness.

In the Vatican, a few priests are aware about various evil forces at play all over the world - forces that result in an increased number of demonic possessions (depicted via found-footage format) and events that could pave way for the Antichrist.

Angela's strange behavior starts manifesting just before she gets into a car accident. It takes months for her to wake up from a coma. She does so, strangely enough, when Father Lozano (Pena, suitably somber) blesses her with holy water. But all is far from well. Angela can speak in ancient tongues (Aramaic included), summon ravens (considered a symbol of death) and cause people to temporarily lose their minds and fatally injure themselves.

Vatican Tapes now treads down a somewhat familiar exorcism-horror film path. After a disastrous stint in a psychiatric ward, where head shrink Dr Richards (Robertson) is unable to help her, all hopes are pinned on the hard-headed Cardinal Bruun (Andersson, fairly intense), down from the Vatican, to try and perform the said exorcism. But can Angela really be cured? And does Bruun know the magnitude of evil that he is dealing with?

While Hounsou is somewhat underplayed - seen in only a smattering of scenes - Scott and Amedori's roles are fairly run-of-the-mill. Dudley however, injects her performance with the right shade of eeriness. Neveldine's effective use of light combined with Joseph Bishara's creepy score (he's also scored Insidious and The Conjuring) is also noteworthy. But while there are a few appropriately scary scenes, the overall feeling is that Neveldine could have served up far more terrifying film if he'd pushed the envelope more, given the intense subject matter.

 

Read more »

Horror ,

{[['']]}

Southpaw

 The famous boxer Billy Hope loses his wife, his property and his daughter after an accident. The film traces the story of how he gets back on his feet against all adversities.
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams
Direction: Antoine Fuqua
Genre: Action
Duration: 2 hours 4 minutes

 
Southpaw Review: Southpaw is a lethal concoction of drama and pugilistic action. The film's bland scripting put its lead character through a circle of physical and emotional suffering. Jake Gyllenhaal skillfully moulds himself into the character of Billy Hope whose dwindling career in boxing is revived after life forces him to stand up for his daughter. Billy's character is quite that of a man child, who runs by the decisions taken either by his wife Maurie or his manager.
After a bloody match, Maurie is the first to sense that Billy is losing his edge. But, as fate would have it, an accident kills her leaving Billy emotionally derailed, in debt and left to re-build his life from scratch. It's a predictable story which relies solely on the performance of its lead man.

Director Antoine Fuqua extracts a dazzling act from Jake who is supported by a neatly-scripted story which might miss the streak of genius but is earnestly heart-felt. There is no melodrama which drives home the film's punches swifter. The thing with these sport movies is that impact works better than nuances. Not that it is any less fun watching Jake's Billy master his defense strokes, but it is the film's sentimentality that scores over its well-choreographed punches.

Jake is winsome in the physically demanding role. He has the perfectly-sculpted abs, the correct postures, seething with anger in his brawls and filled with love as he carefully caresses his daughter's tresses. With his flawed diction and pitch-perfect demeanour, Southpaw is a Jake-show all along as he takes us through the agonizing discipline of boxer's routine.

With a heartening story in tow, the film transforms a regular tale of suffering, loss and redemption extraordinarily. Though laden with cliches, it is consistently hard-hitting and never loses plot. The right blend of heart and skill works in suffusing an operatic feel to the movie which is an absolute knockout.

 

Read more »

Action ,

{[['']]}

Mr. Holmes

Story: Sherlock Homes is 93 - as his memory fades, will Holmes find his last case quite so elementary?

Cast: Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hattie Morahan, Patrick Kennedy
Direction: Bill Condon
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 4 minutes

Review: An aged Sherlock Holmes (McKellen) has retired to a country cottage where, instead of criminals, bee-keeping occupies his time. His housekeeper, Mrs. Monroe (Laura), wants to leave but her young son Roger (Milo) is a huge Sherlock fan. What happens when Holmes teaches Roger about keeping bees - while losing his memories?
Mr. Holmes is an ironic new spin on iconic Sherlock Holmes which, instead of a deerstalker, raises a wry old eyebrow at the best-selling brand of Baker Street. Ian McKellen's creaking antique Holmes, a direct contrast to Robert Downey Jr's sexily pouting, super-athletic Sherlock, underlines a real man, as wheezy as an old harmonium. The veteran McKellen is superb as Sherlock, trailing his own memory, luminescent when he remembers, growling when he can't. Laura Linney puts on a lovely, lemony Mrs. Monroe, softly sweet but troubled by her own memories. As young Roger, who lives in the bright sunshine of now, Milo walks a dramatic tightrope with flawless, natural ease, fascinated by a legend, then appreciating a fragile old man.

Alongside wonderful acting, the cinematography captures an enchantingly pretty country, lush green gardens, busy London streets, towering white cliffs, winding steamy trains. The editing, cutting from 1947 to 1917, is swift, but the narrative is actually too rich - a Japan track detracts from Holmes' last case, involving a mysterious Mrs. Kelmot (Hattie) and her suspicious husband (Patrick). Holmes' time travelling is excellent - McKellen presents a crisp, dapper Sherlock, from whose body 30 years fall neatly away, donning tails and top hat to stalk London with elegant determination. Had the narrative only moved across time, not continents, the impact of such acting would be far greater.

However, the philosophy of this tale, inspired by the novel A Slight Trick of the Mind, charms. At the end of his career, his powers fading, Holmes faces his greatest challenge. Having always dismissed emotions while underlining "Logic is rare", Holmes now needs love to crack his last case.

Why? Elementary, really.

Read more »

Drama ,

{[['']]}

Ant-Man

Scott Lang (Rudd), a petty thief, is trained to wear and operate a super-strong, size-modifying suit by tech genius Dr Pym (Douglas). Lang needs to save humanity from destruction by thwarting the plans of the evil Darren Cross (Stoll), Pym's nemesis.
Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Anthony Mackie, Judy Greer
Direction: Peyton Reed
Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes


Review: To start with, the idea of a superhero character that can shrink down to infinitesimal size, become stronger the tinier he gets and command an infinite army of ants, sounds extremely interesting. Reed and team have crafted a superhero film that is not only action-packed (not excessively so), but also funny and thankfully devoid of bluster. At its heart though, this is a heist movie.
Cross was Pym's protege but went renegade and tried to crack Pym's human-shrinking formula to create his own kind of 'ant man' suit - Yellowjacket. Pym knows that Cross will sell this deadly tech to the wrong people - something that can only bode ill for humanity. Lang is trained to infiltrate Cross's HQ and destroy Yellowjacket along with the entire facility. Pym's daughter Hope (Lilly) doubts Lang's competence for the task. That aside though, it's easy to discern the crackling chemistry between Lang and her from the outset.
Ant-Man's effects are often astounding - for one, flawlessly recreating a younger-looking Michael Douglas early on in the movie. Then of course, the plethora of ant scene renderings as well as other sequences, like Lang's journey into the sub-atomic realm.

But this isn't just a VFX flex-fest. Douglas' Pym could have had more of an edge (think Gordon Gekko) and Lilly is a bit ho-hum. However, Rudd's Lang is refreshingly self-effacing and charming. Pena is flat-out hilarious; apart from getting the last line of the film, he absolutely owns the scenes he's in. If he had a bigger part, doubtless he'd have stolen the show.

Guardians of the Galaxy ushered in a new flavor of superhero films - of fairly 'ordinary' people who learn to do extraordinary things - and this brings a more human angle to the film. Ant-Man continues the trend. Oh, and don't miss Marvel legend Stan Lee's cameo too!

Read more »

Action ,

{[['']]}

The Gallows

4 teenagers find themselves trapped in their school at night. Three of the four had attempted to vandalize the sets of their school play called 'The Gallows'. A mysterious being - either real or supernatural - tries to prevent them from escaping alive.

Cast: Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos, Cassidy Gifford, Price T. Morgan, Jesse Cross
Direction: Travis Cluff, Chris Lofing
Genre: Horror
Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes
 
The Gallows Review: The found footage horror sub-genre came into its own back when we saw the Blair Witch Project. There has been a clutch of film since then that serve up cinematic variations of found footage fare. Some work, some don't. The Gallows lies somewhere in between.
It starts off with a perfectly good premise, with a minimum of jump scares and a location (trapped in a nightmarish high school at night) that sets the scene for an eventful time, to say the least. Ryan (Shoos) is the archetypical school bully-cum-jock who was seemingly born with a camera strapped to his hand and a gift for verbal diarrhea. Neither his girlfriend, cheerleader Cassidy (Gifford) nor his best buddy Reese (Mishler) seems to mind Ryan's motor-mouth though.

An accident during a staging of the play in 1993 resulted in the death of Charlie (Cross), a student at that time. His then-girlfriend was devastated and the blame was placed on some students rather than a mechanical malfunction. Many years later in 2013, Charlie's ghost it seems (Or perhaps a flesh-and-blood murderer?) seeks revenge.

There are a few unexplained elements. Given that the camera work is all point-of-view - shot by the students - there are scenes where it appears that some other person is holding the camera. Also, why would the grudge vendetta be passed on to poor Reese? And why doesn't Ryan keep his mouth shut for a few moments at least, thereby allowing his admittedly more intelligent buddies and girlfriend to get a word in edgeways, even as they are running for their lives? Furthermore, since when are spirits captured on ordinary handheld cameras? That said however, the sound mixing as well as the use of light and shadow in deliberately claustrophobic conditions is effective and serves up a decent amount of scares.

Read more »

Horror ,

{[['']]}

Minions

After accidentally killing past bosses from the Tyrannosaurus to Napoleon, the minions alienate themselves and set up a desolate colony in Antarctica. The mirth of living independently wears out and the tribe slips into collective depression due to the lack of a leader. A minion, Kevin swears to bring life back to his clan by finding them a new boss. Along with two others, Stuart and Bob, he embarks on the cumbersome journey that will finally make them meet Gru.

Cast: Pierre Coffin, Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan
Direction: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda
Duration: 1 hour 31 minutes


Review: Minions made their way into our hearts with the unabashedly hilarious Despicable Me in 2010. Five years on, these goggle-eyed yellow creatures take on the centre-stage in this origin-story flick with their gibberish blabber and their stock pratfall frolics to amuse us.
Taking the plot away from humans was a bold move on the part of its writers but the skill with which the story holds its ground is laudable. Though the minion antics become repetitive 30 minutes into the film, they are so endearing that it never gets boring. Of course, the bravado of the earlier parts is missing from this tale that relies solely on its non-humans to pull off the impenitent gags. But, it still comes off as a breezy, fuzzy watch.

Tracking their evolution chronologically, the minions take us through their tainted history of losing bosses to strange mishaps. With fewer humans in the film, it is left to Sandra, who lends her voice to super villain Scarlet Overkill, who thrives in bringing forth the desired wickedness. But Overkill is loud and feebly-plotted, lacking Gru's subtlety and panache.

Yet, the writing is nuanced in places as the gags are thoughtfully orchestrated. There is a fleeting President Nixon joke, a Beatles reference (imagery referencing the 60s), props like the inclusion of a 'villain-con' are all put together with verve. The sequence where the minions break into the Beatles' song Revolution is incredible.

At 91 minutes, these tiny yellow blobs steal the show from their human counterparts. With charming elements galore, adorable gibberish talk and winsome screen presence, the film is cuteness overload.

Read more »

Cartoon ,

{[['']]}

AMY

This is an unflinching, warts-and-all portrayal of the rise, decline and death due to overdose, of one of the best British soul singers in modern times.

Direction: Asif Kapadia
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 2 hours 9 minutes


Review: Although her vocal range embraced many styles, Winehouse was most in her element when she slipped into jazz mode. We hear her smoky, silky voice, often generously seasoned with scotch, singing with great emotion all throughout the film. Early on, a fresh-faced, street-smart Amy Winehouse wins over everybody she sings for, with her refreshing vocal style. She is helped along by her faithful friend and manager Nick Shymansky, who has her best interests at heart. It seemed almost inevitable that someone of Amy's prodigious talent would become a big, Grammy award-winning star someday.
The footage also depicts the demons that haunted Amy. She had a soft spot for hard drugs and this was only compounded by her husband and heroin junkie Blake, who fed her various addictions. We also see how she was let down by some of the very people she loved - such as her father Mitch who is shown as having the best intentions for Amy (who incidentally, adored him) but is also somewhat fame-hungry himself.

The archival footage is of a mixed variety - cellphone clips, vignettes, audience videos of concerts and a few sit-down interviews too. Hip hop artiste Yasiin Bey's observations about Amy shows that he not only understood her as a person but had immense respect for her talent. So too did musician and producer Mark Ronson, even as he'd disapprovingly look on as she'd lubricate recording takes with slugs of bourbon.

Amy's last years are depicted respectfully. Even during the most unflattering moments, like her last, disastrous gig in Belgrade, there is no hint of cinematic suggestion. The most touching sequence however, has got to be her recording session with jazz legend Tony Bennett at Abbey Road, which reveals what a vulnerable and sensitive soul she really was. If you're a fan of her music, you wouldn't want to miss this. The singer may be gone but the songs thankfully, live on.

Read more »

Documentary ,

{[['']]}

Child 44

Leo Demidov (Hardy) is a reputed and respected member of the MGB, the Soviet military police. He falls from grace when he tries to protect the woman he loves, Raisa Demidova (Rapace), from being persecuted. He gets a second chance at restoring his career and reputation when he later investigates and tries to nab the person behind a series of gory killings.
Cast: Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Naomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, Vincent Cassel
Direction: Daniel Espinosa
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 2 hours 17 minutes

Chilld 44 Review: At the beginning of the film, we see Leo flirt with the sublimely attractive Raisa at a dinner table while in the company of friends during one post war party. He doesn't mince words about how fine he thinks she looks. He is confident on the verge of being blustery. But she brings his feet back on the ground when she corrects him when he calls her by another woman's name, by mistake. He has no idea about what a pivotal role Raisa will play in his life in the years to come, by which time the two are deeply in love and almost inseparable.
But Leo isn't just a lover boy; when his friend's son is murdered, he takes it upon himself to uncover the identity of the criminal who goes about his grisly task with surgical precision. Cinematographer Philippe Rousselot gives Child 44 an authentically bleak and cold look, replete with shades of grey, brown and cloudy blues. The period detailing too is superb.However, Gary Oldman makes a curious choice a Soviet general and the film can drag at times due to its runtime. But that aside, what we do get is a revealing and no-holds-barred look at life behind the Iron Curtain. It busts the myth that the Russians, during the Cold war era, were emotionless propaganda machines.

Tom Hardy has clearly carved a niche for himself as an actor with versatility as his middle name. Right from his breakthrough performance in Inception to Mad Max: Fury Road and now this, if you do decide to watch this film, it will be to check out the kind of realism that Hardy brings to his character.

Read more »

Thriller ,

{[['']]}

Terminator Genisys

Story: It is 2029 and Resistance leader John Connor (Jason) sends Kyle Reese (Courtney) back to 1984 to safeguard Sarah Connor (Emilia), so that she can give birth to John one day. Skynet, long since self-aware, is now even more powerful. And of course, Skynet will do everything to foil the Resistance. It boils down to a race against time to prevent Judgment Day.

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi, Gregory Alan Williams, Nolan Gross, Byung-hun Lee
Direction: Alan Taylor
Genre: Action
Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes


Review: James Cameron's Terminator became an instant action/sci-fi classic when it hit screens in 1984, with its chillingly bleak, dystopian vision depicting merciless machines wiping out humanity. John Connor was a beacon of hope then.
Genisys now depicts Skynet as a massively evolved cybernetic entity that is almost omnipresent in its own self-created reality as well as the real world. It can not only attack from the future, but from the past too. It can infiltrate the real world at will.

The Resistance is successful in a major offensive aimed at Skynet's HQ and they capture its time machine. But a Terminator (a pincer-armed T-1000) has already been sent back to kill Sarah Connor. However, another well-aged and very powerful T-800 (Schwarzenegger) who Sarah affectionately calls 'Pops' will stop at nothing to protect her from anything Skynet throws at them.

Whether Courtney and Emilia make as much of an impact as Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton did, respectively, isn't a fair comparison to make; T1 and T2 are on another level. This film occupies a niche of its own - a carefully balanced bit of the old with plenty of spanking new elements. There is a plethora of cross references made to Cameron's work by way of homage, that any fan who has loved the first two parts, will be able to spot. Oh, and this time, we get to see Byung-hun Lee step into Robert Patrick's liquid metal shoes as T-1000. It goes without saying that the effects are top-notch. Terminator Genisys overhauls the franchise that made the phrase 'I'll be back' a part of pop culture. More than anything, you'll watch it for Arnold. For as once promised, he's indeed, back.

Read more »

Action ,

{[['']]}

Max

After the death of  handler Kyle in Afghanistan, war dog Max is adopted by Kyle's family. Though suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following Kyle's death, he brings together the grieving family.

Cast: Thomas Haden Church, Josh Wiggins, Lauren Graham, Mia Xitali
Direction: Boaz Yakin
Genre: Family
Duration: 1 hour 51 minutes


Max Review: If you have had enough of sugary pooch lovin' in films, Max will be a refreshing watch that attempts to break away from the syrupy vein of its beat. Though laden with cliches and lacking suspense, the film thrives because of its stirring moments. The titular character of the hunky Belgian Malinois is sketched with subtlety, never getting overtly melodramatic. The story with its share of drama and action, at its core it remains a heartwarming tale about overcoming loss.

Max's striking bond with Kyle's brother Justin is palpable. Justin, who is battling the overbearing pressure of matching up to his elder brother in terms of valour, stature and nobility, seeks solace in the bereaved canine. The warm intent of the story is never lost, which emerges as the film's stronghold.

The screenplay, however, is over plotted and runs down the script's mettle. Though the titular character is of a war dog, his vocational life is hardly ever the focus. It rather prefers jabbering about Justin's bootlegging activities which is needless for the plot. The climax takes off from an Enid Blyton story as three kids and their dog bring down an illegal arms nexus. The story was capable of so much more but the potential never sees the light of the theatres due to sketchy writing.

Fortunately, there is plenty to enjoy as well in the film. The complex friction between Justin and his father and the terse bond with his deceased elder brother Kyle, is beautifully translated on screen. Expect your share of heartbreaks too, especially in the scene where Max breaks down at Kyle's funeral. It's an absolutely heartwrenching moment. For clap-traps, the film offers the Belgian Malinois taking on two Rottweilers , who bite the dust when pitted against our skilled hero Max.

Tugging at the heartstrings, this movie has enough innocence to get you misty-eyed.

Read more »

Family ,

{[['']]}

Pitch Perfect 2

The Bellas' performance at the Lincoln Center on the occasion of President Obama's birthday is nothing short of disastrous. Amy's (Wilson) pants split wide open mid-air and the audience is left aghast. Soon after, the group is barred from performing in singing events. They find a loophole, however and can get back their credibility by winning an international competition that no American vocal group has ever won.

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfield, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Hanna Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Chrissie Fit, Snoop Dogg, Skylar Astin, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Flula Borg
Direction: Elizabeth Banks
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1 hour 54 minutes
Review: The Bellas' reputation is in shambles thanks to Amy's out-of-control solo and mid-air wardrobe malfunction but from the ashes of their tattered reputation, Beca (Kendrick, in a decidedly endearing performance) makes a deal with their Barden College principal. The Bellas will be allowed to perform again in the country if they achieve the impossible - winning a singing championship in Copenhagen.
It's a very tall order for Beca, Amy, Chloe (Snow), Stacie (Knapp), Lilly (Lee), Cynthia (Dean), Flo (Fit) and Ashley (Regner) but they have no choice but to sing like they've never sung before. The Bellas realize they need to step up their game when they come up against their towering Teutonic rivals, called Das Sound Machine, helmed by Kommissar (Sorensen) and Kramer (Borg) who perform songs like 'Insane In Ze Membrane'. Beca's romance with Jesse (Austin) also keeps things interesting, as do the bits where we see her interning at Residual Heat, a recording studio. The humour (the gags are mostly on point) is delightfully irreverent and while the supporting Bellas do their bit, it is Beca, Chloe and Amy who stand out.

The most enjoyable aspect about Pitch Perfect 2 is the singing. The vocals are polished, joyful and the interplay between the trained voices is seamless, forming a delightful musical tapestry. This more than makes up for some of the negatives, such as the uneven script and the sometimes jerky transitions between set pieces. But then again, if you watch this film, you're not going to do so for scintillating dialogues. By and large, PP2 is a fun film with its best moments being of the musical variety.

Read more »

Comedy ,

{[['']]}