The Green Mile – Worth the 3 hrs Spent travelling along this mile!!

Have you ever seen a movie which runs for as long as three hours?? And if at all you’ve seen one, did you feel that some scenes could’ve been cut down?? Well, with this movie one will never feel so!! We haven’t seen a movie so fascinating with just ten characters in it!!
The movie actually takes place during the period of recession/ regression in the U.S. Those who are being sentenced to death are sent to the Green Mile. The ‘E’ block is where they are kept and it is run by Tom Hanks and his colleagues. The floors of the Mile are fluorescent green in colour, and the moment you notice it you realize that you are in for a master piece!! The story is quite simple and yet complicated to explain. (We do know that this is a clichéd sentence but couldn’t restrain ourselves from using it, simply because the movie is really so!!)
The inmates of the Mile are a faith Healer, a psychotic child molester and two other people who are about to be hanged!! The other two guys to be hanged are portrayed well and the director creates sympathy in the viewers mind for them!! The entire movie is about the huge faith healer and the reason why he’s in jail. His story is well connected and well enacted out. Macdonald’s role is a surprise as the story moves on. One of Tom’s juniors' is an arrogant miscreant who learns his lesson. Tom’s boss and his family also come in and go. The most joyous and enthralling character in this movie is a sneaky little RAT!! All the others express themselves by speaking and acting, whereas this one just says nothing but plays a role of his life. The faith healer- well your heart will feel heavy for him, at the end!! The rat and Tom go on to become best buddies!! They kinda live forever.

After reading this you might even think that what’s there in this movie to be shot for 3 hours?? But then please do watch it for yourself and find the answer. Never ever has a movie, so lengthy, travels at such a pace. You will never feel that it really took 3 hours for watching this. Can’t call it a master piece, simply because this is not about art or an aspect of direction. This movie in plain words is all about life and the bad things in it happening for the good ones on earth. This movie is all about what you actually believe in and what you actually want to believe in!! Appearances do mislead us!! What we tend to presume is not what actually happens!!
This is based on Stephen King’s book. His other books that have been made as motion pictures are the Shawshank Redemption and The Shining.
We haven’t said anything about the artists at all, because it is the characters which you can remember after watching this epic tale of life and death!! Sit back and watch yourself the two extremities of living beings on earth- Life & Death!!
And please don’t think that this movie or we are preaching about life. Neither of us are!!
In a line, Green Mile is a piece of on screen Literature work well crafted and well served!!
Scores are- 4/5
Story and screenplay-1. Cinematography & art-1. Characters-1. Direction-1.

The Negotiator- Terms Well Served

By Gowtham and Arunan

Hey there!! Glad to be back!!!It’s been a while since we wrote a review. Well, exams and other boring stuff gobbled up sometime. It is not that we dint watch any movie (we can never stop doing it), we just couldn’t muster up enough time to write some. Sorry for keeping you all in the dark so far. And so now, Lights on!!

We saw this movie without any expectation. You know..the lazy weekend afternoon movie..But just for the fact that Kevin Spacey was involved in the movie we showed some interest for watching it. The screenplay, dialogues, Direction and the way the characters performed in this movie left us dumbstruck!! We were like “How did we miss this movie for so long!!”

Well the movie starts off with a bang!! Samuel.L.jackson is portrayed as the protagonist and he deals a hostage situation in his own ways of doing things. The next 5 mins we are just given a sneak preview of his family and friends. And then people hold your breath because this is an excellent roller coaster ride on which you are on board!! The movie moves at a frenetic pace!! Sam’s friend is murdered in front of his own eyes. And the reason is because Sam’s friend knows certain details regarding a conspiracy. And then as usual it is as usual the protagonist who gets caught and is produced in the court. And now Sam himself takes an office bearer along with his assistants as hostage!! And then some scenes of wit and excitement ensue. In comes Kevin Spacey and the movie takes a turn. Kevin is handled the task of negotiating with Sam and bringing back the hostages. Now, how does the latter convince the former?? How does the former convince the latter that he is really not the one to be punished?? Who killed Sam’s best buddy? Who are the one’s involved in the conspiracy? How does Sam expose the conspiracy? These are some of the questions which will be answered in style as the movie unfolds itself.

The dialogues are etched out neatly and sweetly. Sam-Kevin duel is one of the best ones to be seen!! Every time one scores over the other. Who wins at the end- is the real surprise!! Thrillers like this have to be crisply edited. And that is achieved perfectly in this movie. You can never complain of a single moment when the screen story lags. Credit goes to the editor. The screenplay is original and authentic. Casting is perfect. Bringing out thoughts on the screen is very difficult and the director somehow nails it with ease and grace!! It is not that everything is so good in this movie; it’s just that things are definitely not at all bad in this one!!

On the flip side, as Danny Roman, the ease with which Jackson moves through and gets the people hostage is far fetched. The typical clichéd climax with the culprit being outwitted is a let down to an engrossing thriller like this one. Still the excellent duos, Jackson and Spacey steal the show in this work.

Sometimes movies made in Hollywood are so silent with the promotion but then they are the ones that leave the audience awestruck. This is one such movie according to us. We, for sure, liked it.

Rating : 3.75/5!!

Casting-1. On screen performance-1. Dialogues-1. Technical aspects- 0.75.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa- It Really Makes you Move it, Move it!

By Gowtham and Arunan

WE almost died laughing folks. Rarely have we seen sequels at par or even better than it’s original. Madagascar part two delivers, & does it with its inimitable style. The movie is a total scream. Right from the production credits, where the penguins dethrone the boy fishing from the moon (logo of DreamWorks, made us sit upright n take notice of it), you’ll laugh your wits out. So Alex gets to unite with his family. Marty finds his herd, Gloria and Melmann find each other as their partners (o my, what a pair!!).

The movie takes off from the first part, where Skipper (what a voice this pingu has!!!!) and co, promises the four mates to take them back to New York Central Zoo. But things go, well very funnily haywire when they crash land in Central Africa after they run outta fuel. From the quote on the plane (New York or Bust!!) to the adult jokes and the fights between the nanny and the penguins, the sequences has been fit in superbly by writers. The movie takes you on a fun ride. Yet again, the penguins and Sacha Baron Cohen steal every scene they are in, no matter how mediocre the previous scene was. Cohen (as Julien) has an obvious knack for comedy, and delivers every line perfectly for two movies in a row; not bad at all. Ben Stiller (Alex) had fewer chances at being funny, as they had to handle all the major slower moments. Chris Rock's role (Marty) was surprisingly limited, especially for someone who did so well in the original.

The animation was brilliant, in fact much better than the original. Though not comparable to Wall-E standards, it was smooth and fluid. New villain is Makunga (wow!! Wat a name) who is very jealous that he is not named the king, the position occupied by Alex’s dad. Though we get to see the same family values, bonding and plundering of relationships, this movie delivers on multiple fronts. The comedy which got piled up here managed to work through the punch lines, leading to a number of characters like the monkeys and even the tough-cookie granny to steal some limelight from the lovable penguins. If you liked the original, then you're likely to fall in love with this one. In a thoroughly comic adventure the director somehow manages to showcase his ability to make a “pun” on Human ideas about the environment. Every scene of the movie is well thought of and is substantiated extremely well!!

Once again the IMDB is not with us on this one too.

It does resemble a bit of the anytime watch,”The Lion King”, but still resorts to originality in its screenplay and story. It's a great family film and is fun for both the kids and the adults as well. It will surely change your mood if you are depressed.

I like to move it movie it!! We both love it, love it!! Hope you all will like it, like it!!

Madagascar: 2 Escape to Africa-4/5

The International – Exquisitely Shot But Unpredictable.

I did not have lotta expectations about this movie. The reviews said the movie was not that great and I was beginning to think half way in to the movie that it’s a simple case of whodunnit, a.k.a who is the assassin. Yeah yeah, now we let out a big yawn. But movie surprisingly took a new turn but faltered in the climax. Come on, can’t watch a movie with an anti climax every now and then??? So when Clive Owen (Agent Salinger) takes a shot and the villain, you expect something else to happen. But something else happens. Aww, I can’t explain (cz u guys have to see it!!!!!!). But I found the picture intense and gripping right through. It helps that Clive Owen is believable as the protagonist and is highly watchable. A lesser actor in the role would have made the film much less effective. No further proof is needed beyond this film to show Clive Owen would've been a superior James Bond. But Naomi Watts (read The Ring), as agent Eleanor Whitman, whats she doing in the movie? Makes you wonder why she took up such a useless role. She just keeps on following Clive in the movie (wherever he travels,…I mean).

But something in the movie really made me look up and take notice. In a modern movie world where thrillers are currently regulated to the pulse-pounding non-stop movement or the gruesome thrillers, it's refreshing to see a film of this ilk built in such a classical way. "The International" begins "in medias res" with one of those clichéd secret meetings gone wrong, then delves into a series of expository scenes that lead to a masterfully staged assassination attempt in Milan that leads to rising action culminating in the Guggenheim museum’s shoot-em-up that leads to falling action that ends with a roof-top chase over the lively markets of Istanbul.

The highest point of the movie is its cinematography. The movie is told via camera more than dialogues. There are a lot of scenes wherein the director speaks through the lens. No kinetic hand-held camera action, but smooth visually appealing cinematic exposition the way Hitchcock did it in his prime. Here Tykwer's (Director) vistas are architectural landmarks from around the world that serve as picture-perfect set-pieces and back-drops for the carefully stacked plot and action.

The plot, as we come to conclude at half time, doesn’t seem to lighten you up, mostly cz we have seen the stalemate stuff stereotyped over and over again in Bond movies. An international bank, IBBC (whta's the expansion??), funding for low grade weapons in third world countries, they in turn causing mayhem. But surprisingly the movie isn’t bout one man saving the world and stops the bomb exactly one second before it’s gonna explode. Instead it is the hunt for a source to take the corporation, i.e. the bank’s president. It is about seeking retribution for humans who sacrificed their lives for what they thought was morally right; and those my friend are stakes I can get behind. A movie not to miss despite its minor flaws. The movie’s releasing this Friday in Satyam Cinemas. Ahh, at last a review of a holly movie that’s releasing in India 

The International – Very Intense. 3.5/5

The Interpreter – Keeps you guessing till the end!!

By Arunan & Gowtham


Well here i am after a break reviewing a movie with a friend of mine, Gowtham. This is about The Interpreter, that was released in 2005, a vastly underrated movie. We actually saw this movie recently, and the storyline was so down to earth yet explosive, demanded us to review it. We decided to review this movie and we never had an idea where to begin with!! This is Sidney Pollack’s masterpiece- according to us.

This movie is all about an UN Interpreter (Nicole Kidman) overhearing a Motoban (An African country) conversation taking place in the UN assembly, which deals with a ploy to kill the Motoban President Zuwanie. She passes on the information to the UN Security Council members, who passes the investigation to Secret Service and that is exactly where Sean Penn comes into the picture of events. Can the Interpreter be relied upon what she says?? What is her background?? What about her history?? How is she involved in this?? Is she really involved in this?? If she isn’t then who is running the ht on the President?? Nobody has ever dared to enter into the UN with ammo except the security personnel; does that mean that it involves someone from the security providers itself?? Why is Nicole Kidman maintaining a Low Profile?? What is she actually hiding or rather trying to hide from Sean Penn?? Who would want the president to be killed even after the death of the president’s two most important rivals?? These are a just few questions which will rise in your minds when you watch the movie carefully!! And every 5 minutes one question is answered and the other is asked!! The screenplay is taut and keeps you Interpreting the entire Mystery till the end!! A special mention about the dialogues has to be made. The director has made use of the dialogues only when the situation demands it. And even when used they convey a lot of meaning than the screen space which the dialogues occupy!! The dialogues serve two purposes: they help in moving the scenes cohesively & teach us what Living life is all about when most of us simply EXIST rather than LIVING!! The climax is surprising and is one of the best.




The BGM is appropriate. The man behind the music department, James Newton Howard (read the sixth sense, blood diamond) has put in excellent efforts. It’s slow, gripping and most of all absorbing. Silence is often the best tune which we never listen to!!
It’s exactly a 118 minutes Drama/Thriller which is a must watch for every movie fan. This movie happens to be the first to be filmed in the UN assembly!!

Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman along with the director should have at least got an OSCAR nomination for their roles but then some where the Motion Picture Committee over looked them. Well who is perfect on earth (our take on the OSCARS)!!
This is a highly under rated movie in the IMDB website, but then please do not always rely on IMDB alone. We liked it, and are sure that you also will!!

This movie has to be watched, experienced and feels satisfied at the end of the day, rather being content with just knowing the story.

Scores are Nicole Kidman- 1, Sean Penn- 1, Sidney Pollack- 1, entire Unit work- 1, Bonus- 0.5 (cos we were so IMPRESSED) & a Negative 0.25 for keeping Nicole Kidman undercover for nearly 110 minutes in the movie..
The Interpreter - 4.25/5

Bolt – Thunderous Animation!

Ever an animation movie made you feel that you are watching a slam bang action movie? That is what you get in this Walt Disney production. The opening scenes, the highway chase, will take you through what you saw in The Matrix. Solid stuff we’ve got here people. The story is about a dog, Bolt (voice-John Travolta), who believes that he has supernatural powers, like head-butting a fast moving car for example. But it’s all doctored, as he is the hero in a popular TV series, named Bolt.

He has to save his owner, Penny (Voice- Miley Cyrus), every time she gets into trouble or kidnapped by the Green Eyed man. So as this routine unfolds, one day Bolt gets accidentally separated from the studio in cargo while enacting one scene and gets shipped to New York. Now he gets to see the real outer world and gets to meet a cat, Mittens (cute!!), whom he thinks knows where the Green-Eyed man is, as he too has a similar cat. So he asks her to take him to the Green-Eyed man, but she doesn’t know what to do. He threatens to kill her as she loves his owner too much. So she agrees to take him to Hollywood.

Thus, they embark on the journey to Hollywood to find her. It is beautifully told. The realization that he is not a super hero, the bonding they make on the journey along with Rhino (the animal is smaller than its name), who believes Bolt, is really a super hero. Sometimes you will laugh; some times you will have wet eyes as his disbelief of his abilities being non existent fuels a lot of different emotional changes, in him, and equally in us, and eventually comes to a reality of who he really is. This all culminates when he finds his owner and reunites with her in the action packed climax of the movie. The graphic design is awesome and well thought out, making Bolt as one of the best animation movies in recent times. New generation 3-D stuff is great. You really get into the movie after first ten minutes and the reason is the extraordinary special effects. No wonder Bolt was nominated for the Oscars.

Bolt won’t be released in India, unless the distributors know how to make profit. (LOL)

Get the DVD folks. Not a movie to miss. This is a movie for all ages.

Bolt-4/5

Taken – A Rollercoaster Ride

The Transporter story writer, Luc Besson sure knows how to produce an edge of the seat thriller with a run off the mill story. We admired the Transporter series for the sheer pace of the movie and the seriously funny dialogues. But the writer’s capabilities came into the picture and together with a macho Jason Statham we got to see the Transporter. Taken is a more serious story in Luc’s standards. And the writer, who is French, does not leave out the beautiful Marseille and the awesome chase sequences that have always been the hallmark of his movies. He is one of my favorite writers (Taxi, Transporter, Lyon).
Taken is about an ex CIA spy, Bryan Mills, played by Liam Neeson(WOW!!), wants to be with her estranged daughter, Kim, (Maggie Grace), who is an aspiring singer and is living with her mother and a rich step father. She wants to go to Paris with her friend for a vacation but Bryan is very circumspect about her leaving. But she goes, only after he approves for it. Bryan’s fears about Kim going alone come to life as she’s kidnapped there for ransom. But, his CIA skills still intact, he records the conversation with the kidnapper and sends it to his friend who identifies them. The story does seem to be a ‘heard before one’, but the screenplay is so fast that you feel it is all new.



Bryan goes to Paris to save his daughter and there begins the one-man up against the big mob. The rest of the movie is about how Bryan finds about the underworld activities and how he saves his daughter. The chase sequences, especially the one involving near the airport are awesome. The tactics used by Bryan, are both instinctive and explosive. The fighting art, which impressed me so much, is Shinsai Goshin Kai, and you won’t believe, he is 54 years old and makes you wonder why he has not acted more movies of this genre. Only Liam could have done this. The movie moves so fast that you want to watch it again just in case if you have missed out some of the extraordinary scenes.


The camera work is top quality(Michel Abramowicz) and editing is professional, especially in the stunt and chase sequences. It is hard to believe that the movie’s run time is only 93 minutes, but those 93 minutes will surely be the fastest of your lives.


Go get the DVD and grab a Popcorn. Settle in your couch with a 5.1 around you.


Taken-4/5

!3 B - Where haunting takes a new turn.

What happens when you know what lies beneath? 13 B or (Yaavarum Nalam) is a giant step forward in the horror genre in Indian film industry. It has got India’s best cinematographer, P.C.Sreeram, who instills every drop of fear in you and leaves you spell bound. Be it the door step shots or the long eerie shots of the bungalow, the maverick proves why he is the best even though this is the first time he is handling the camera for a horror movie.

Director Vikram Kumar’s new approach to horror is laudable. None of us can ever think of our own TV sets being possessed by spirits. There are just enough twists in the screenplay that makes you actually get involved with the family around which the movie revolves. The flashback which shows the reason for the unfortunate events is well told. So are the incidents that happen in the house 13 B. the climax is stunning and no horror movie has produced such an interesting ending. Even films like The Grudge and The Ring have not concluded this well.

Madhavan, as the family guy who has his own responsibilities to shoulder and as the haunted who hides to himself all the happenings is wonderful. We feel for him when he could not bring himself out with his family members or in the case where he gets so irritated when the nail does not penetrate the wall. After ayutha ezhuthu, this is another face of Madhavan unknown to us. The supporting cast does justice to their roles.

Though one may get the feeling the movie is bit too long for a horror genre, director Vikram Kumar explains all the questions that circles around in our mind while we watch the movie for answers. Shankar Ehsan Loy’s re-recording and background score are top notch. The troop strikes the right chord required for a horror movie. The lift and the phone camera scenes are new and are creepy. I did let out a whew! when the movie was over..(LOL). Sexy mama…song in the end credits is sure is sexy!!

Watch the movie for the technical brilliance and the new dimension it gives to horror.

13 B – 4/5

To get haunted visit www.13b.in