sumita_sinha

I was curious to see this film and understand why this film would have a good rating on rotten tomatoes and poor one on IMDb. The storyline, supposedly based on childhood, cultural and colonial trauma, tries hard to convince you that because of all that, it is okay to murder two people, be unfaithful to your pregnant wife, abuse other women including an old woman on a sick bed in hospital- and even your own toddler. The lead actor, Michael Greyeyes' acting is wooden and he looks too old for his wife, played by Kate Bosworth. Jesse Eisenberg is hardly convincing as the boss. The music and scenes are contrived and ghastly. True to its name and following on the footsteps of Columbus, it even uses an Indian-American to play a Native American (of course, relies on the fact that people of US can't tell!). Truly ghastly movie- no idea why it has got an award. It is an insult to the First Nations people. If I could give it zero stars I would- don't waste your time on this!

Lesson- always go with the audience review!

This is an action movie first of all, not a documentary. So while I wasn't expecting historical accuracy, I expected some complexity as in the serious nature of the subject. The filming, the set, the stunts/action, acting of Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell are exemplary. But it is a very simple plot- you know straightaway who the good guys are and who are the baddies- e.g. John Malkovich with usual sneering looks and snarky comments. Again, not surprising BP are made to be the total villains (typical of many US movies where the British are villains) while forgetting that Transocean, Halliburton and regulatory bodies were also to be faulted as well for this disaster. That only 11 people of the 126 present died despite the terrible conditions, is a testimony to the fast thinking bravery of the land based rescue teams- again underplayed due to the overemphasis on Wahlberg's character. That an actor of Kate Hudson's calibre is reduced to a pouting housewife seen from time to time (she even manages to change her nail colour in those 36 hours despite everything), is a big shame. But the biggest shame of all is that the movie barely touches on the huge environmental impact of the disaster- the only thing we see is one oil soaked bird. People's livelihood were affected- from fishermen to tourism- and the world changed. That a huge disaster on environmental and personal levels has been reduced to an big action movie, is itself a tragedy.

Middle-class kid with nice liberal parents, living in Oslo, takes drugs and gets free help to overcome addiction that but doesn't succeed- that really is the story. The only problem it would seem is an ex-girlfriend, if only she would talk to him, all would be well (because of course, you are so wrapped in yourself, the rest of the world doesn't matter). If you like that sort of thing and like peering into the screen (because it is so dark most of the time) to decipher what is going on, that is great. I was having hard time figuring out the continuity- it seemed morning then suddenly evening, then night then evening again- poor lighting and bad editing combined. Poor little rich kid also doesn't need to eat or even pee! There are much better Norwegian movies to watch- don't waste your time on this.

A young woman who 'terrible' at work (not sexist of course because this movie is set in the 1950's) falls for an older boss. For some strange reason, the man only admires her typing skills and pushes her on the win typing 'championships' but she has to stay in his house. Lovely clothes, make-up and sets do not make up for a pointless story. It is not even funny, the hero's face is funny and you expect some funny turns which never arrive. The problem with the heroine's father is never described or resolved. The man doesn't even give up his cigarettes after he wins the woman, although she hates his smoking. Another pointless addition is the graphic sex scene. I was so bored, couldn't wait for this drivel to finish so that I could get out.

I went to see this movie because I am a fan of Vera Brittain, who was way ahead of her times. The cinematography is great, so are the costumes, sets and locations. However, the main character played by a Swedish actress, talking in a cut glass accent with wooden tones, fails to move. Alicia Vikander's performance consists of a series of repetitive actions- clenching jaws, swallowing, staring grumpily, taking deep breaths, trembling and crying. I had seen Vikander in the Royal Affair and this kind of 'acting' was what she did there too. It is only in the last scene that the passion of Vera Brittain comes alive somewhat. The other characters are better acted. There are many goofs in the movie- including a scene of torrential rain lashing down with bright sunlight at the same time. The movie could have been shorter with more attention given to Brittain's pacifist nature and why she chose to be that. Instead much of the movie is taken up by shots of Vikander caressing anything- flowers, branches, clothes, mud, grass, etc. Many people walked out of the hall where this was screened. At least I didn't pay to see this movie- it would have been a waste of money! Read Brittain's great book, don't waste your money on this.

The movie started with some promise with the older ladies, the mother and the neighbour, with some credible acting. But the main character spent most of the time with her mouth open, strutting awkwardly in heels and showing no acting skills what so ever. The plot involving fashion culture in Pakistan is not really believable, the main actor's context in the city of her birth and in her home is also so far fetched. The only believable thing is the death of Benazir Bhutto- a piece of history woven into the story- and this could have been such a powerful event to focus the storyline along with woman's emancipation but fails to do so. In the end, can't understand the story at all! Better to read the novel perhaps.

A short film about a boy's time in a new school. A film about learning about life and who your true friends are in a materialistic world. The story is integrated with the child's concept of fantasy and heroism. A delight to watch with my son, who coincidentally wants to move to the school featured in the movie. Aspects of culture/ethnicity, adjustment to new environments, bullying and teaching- all integrated effortlessly in 15 minutes! No preachy stuff. The only problem with some aspects that parents might notice- the uniforms being too new/clean, the acting a little bit contrived and stereotypical. However, these are small problems. The basic story is refreshingly and simply put through. Watch with your children.