Film

So, a Bond film directed by the chap who helmed American Beauty. It would be reasonable for us to expect a different approach, and there certainly is one. Unfortunately, there are way too many contrivances in the plot that are used to bring this about with the end result seeming haphazard and dreary. One minute we are busy in the heart of London and the next we are in the Scottish moors exploring Bond's childhood as part of an insipid climax. There is no build-up at all.

This is a documentary on China's economic drive to access Africa's resources. While quite fascinating, it really should have been titled When China Met Zambia as we don't see anything about the rest of Africa, for e.g., Congo and all the negative publicity the Reds have managed to garner over there. The film comes across more like a small, authorised window into aspects of the relationship between the two countries and their peoples and does not necessarily care to put forward anything overall message for the viewer to digest.

Promised a lot, but fell flat. This kind of pseudo-historical movie—think The 13th Warrior or Apocalypto—generally tends to be right up my alley. But a weak screenplay, dodgy direction, and a focus on pointlessly gratuitous violence ensured a poor end result.

A documentary on debt or indebtedness based on a book by Margaret Atwood, Payback is a wide ranging and well put together package. While I found each of the individual stories quite captivating, I was, however, unable to really get the ultimate message. It was nevertheless an interesting watch.

While I guess that it's nigh on impossible to encapsulate all the goodness of Joseph Heller's book into a two hour movie, IMO, Mike Nichols and Buck Henry do a pretty good job with this adaptation. It's weird, funny, and poignant and captures the thrust of the novel. While I thought Alan Arkin (who usually annoys me) was perfect for the role of Yossarian, his performance was not consistently above par. There are also a few holes that could have been better patched up.

Well worth the watch.

Too many plot holes and the bad guys are simply not good enough. Some scenes are enjoyable though.

Passable entertainment. The first part was better.

A rapper named RZA, a couple of professional wrestlers, a semi-professional boxer, Lucy Liu and Russell Crowe. This was never going to be good and why Crowe, who's metamorphosed into a tub of lard, wanted to act in it beats me. The action is interesting in some parts. But on the whole, and even assuming that this is supposed to be some kind of a parody, this is simply a travesty.

Avoid unless you while away most of your nights in self-flagellation.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I'm a sucker for movies about music and try to watch 'em all regardless of how good or bad they are. Pitch Perfect was a fence-sitter for me as it looked like some kind of teen college flick and yet had Anna Kendrick in it. The plot is pretty clichéd albeit with a USP of it being a movie about an a acapella band contest which is new, and the acting is average. However, every now and then, it surprises you with something ridiculous out of left field which results in a periodic revival of interest.

A good movie from 1947 starring James Mason and Robert Newton (in a supporting role) which is set in Ireland. It has unfortunately not aged as well as it could have. But it is nevertheless worth the watch.

A Kevin Costner spy flick which seems ridiculously clichéd until the very end. It could have been done a lot better with a tighter screenplay and better direction.