You’re Not You (2014)

You’re Not You (2014) – Review

“One moment can change your life.”

A single moment, unaware, will catch you off-guard, and whoosh. Just like that, quick like the snapping of fingers, your life will turn upside down.

I guess it is some sort of strange coincidence that most of the (handful) movie reviews I have done so far, all of them were based on a novel of same name as the movie! This one was written by (the novel) Michelle Wildgen.

The movie is beyond emotional. really intense. Even the trailer was moving, I almost choked up watching it.

The story is about a woman named Kate (Hilary Swank). Her life is PERFECT. A professional who has a great husband , amazing job, amazing house, great friends, is an independent and strong woman, who is basically a perfectionist. It just so happens that all this was not meant stay forever.

One fine day whilst playing the piano, Kate realized that something was wrong. Her fingers started twitching on their own.

A year and a half later, we get to know she has got ALS or the Lou Gehrig’s Disease. (Slow death of neurons, person loses control over bodily functions and inevitably leads to death. There is no cure.)

Her husband Evan (Josh Duhamel) is doing everything in his power to support her. He becomes her part time nurse. He bathes her, clothes her, dons her make-up even, he is doing his duty, the best he can. But is it enough?

Enters Bec (Emmy Rossum). A care-free rebellious college goer, who was looking for a part time job and ends up at Kate and Evan’s doorsteps. Gets caught smoking on the very first day even.

She obviously doesn’t have any experience or any sort of nursing skills, still Kate insists on hiring her.

Kate fired her previous nurse since she “treated her like a patient.”

It is heart-breaking to see Kate, who was used to doing everything on her own and being in control, depending literally and figuratively on someone else for EVERYTHING.

Honestly, after watching Bec screw up big time, I didn’t think she would continue to stay on the job. I was hoping to see someone who would be sincere and mature enough to understand what they were dealing with.

But surprise surprise. She gets called in again! Bec herself gets surpised that how, after messing it up and literally laughing at Kate’s face when she fell down (in the toilet), she could still be on the job?

But Kate says one small but important thing. Bec doesn’t treat her like a patient. She is a person. And unlike all the other nurses who keep telling her what to do, she in turn would like to tell them what to do. And that Bec will actually listen to her.

“One person can give us hope.”

Trial and Error my friend, trial and error. Everyone learns eventually. Even Bec did. She learned a lot of things from Kate. Who knew? So there starts a journey, of Kate and Bec, two women, a very odd and unlikely pair. They share moments, their ups and downs, a little heart to heart talk once or twice maybe.  The adventures of Kate and Bec!

And there comes a moment in the movie, where the title is used. It reveals the meaning. Why this title. And it’s beautiful, trust me. Don’t wanna spoil it so wont say.

They both learn from and teach each other in ways unimaginable. Kate learns to loosen up a bit, let go and laugh and enjoy at times.

Bec learns how to be responsible – not only for herself but for another person who is actually a patient. A very critical one at that.

What about the husband? He’s there, but……

Some people will surprise you. Some people will make a huge impact on you and change you in a way you had never imagined.

This is one such story. Great highs and lows, lots of emotional moments, some funny bits as well, this movie will surely make you more empathetic in general.

Definitely worth a watch. Kate and Bec changed each other unknowingly perhaps, and changed for good. Yes, a tragic end but the journey was worthwhile. Even the way how Bec managed things at the end was worth a watch.

Life is all about the journey. Make the most of it.

The movie will make you realize:

How important is it to have someone who makes you realize that you should not wait for death, being in constant fear, but seize the moment and live fearless.

How just with showing some faith and trust in another person and their capabilities can do to their lives, it could mean the world to them.

Hilary Swank:. Wow Just Wow. Proved that she can act extremely well, even with such challenging roles.

Josh Duhamel: Short but powerful role.

Emmy Rossum: Basically a singer-song writer but a great actress as well. Very original, very believable.

“Life is measured in moments that leave us breathless.”

White Bird In A Blizzard (2014)

White Bird In A Blizzard (2014) – Review

I liked the title, clever use of alliteration and metaphor combined together. Catchy. The movie is a running metaphor in a way. You will figure it out eventually.

Based on a novel of same name, by Laura Kasischke.

“I was 17 when my mother disappeared.” So this is the story of a teenage girl and her mother. And when the mother goes AWOL, we get to see how it affects the daughter.

Shailene Woodley – The daughter Katrina (Kat). She is also the narrator. I watched this movie coz I liked her in ‘The Fault In Our Stars’.

Eva Green – the mother (Mrs. Connor). Who goes missing.

Story is set in 1988.

Initially when Kat finds out about her mom, she stays calm, normal. How can she be so cool about her mom suddenly disappearing? She should be freaking out!! But then later, she begins having some recurring nightmares about her mom in trouble…in the blizzard.
All throughout the movie, Kat keeps remembering the things in the past, how her mother used to be and how she changed, became an alcoholic and sadist or something. And how Kat’s parents were unhappy in their marriage. She figures that that was the reason her mom left.

Her dad makes her see a shrink; so that she could talk about her repressed feelings. She is seen in therapy and later with some pills too. Poor girl.

She even told about those dreams to the shrink…. But the shrink said, dreams don’t necessarily mean anything. It’s just a way for your brain to let off steam at the end of the day. Is it so now?! I don’t think so!!

And her stupid idiotic boyfriend Phil is of no help either… I mean he says things like “vicious CIRCUS” for God’s sake! He is trash. She says she knows he isn’t the brightest crayon in the box; to which her friend replies: that’s the understatement of the century… and I was like, I so agree with you!!

Haha it just makes sense his nick name is “Garbage” LOL

I swear I wrote the trash word for him before I knew his nickname!!!!!!!

So ya he was of no use coz he stopped having sex with Kat which was so weird. Then she even went on to seduce the detective on this case, and slept with him! Perhaps her mother’s disappearance was a shock to her and this is the way she responded.

Flashback till spring of 1991. Kat was narrating it to her college roommate.

That’s like half the movie. But on and off there are flashbacks throughout.

From there starts the thriller part. Well a subtle thriller I would say. Didn’t feel like it in the beginning. It was all drama and sex and nudity before.

And even this is flashback. As Kat is again narrating this entire story, apparently, to some unknown person! Or to herself?! No idea.

Initially Kat was playing it cool. She claimed she was not bothered at all when her mother disappeared. You might think that was because her mother wasn’t exactly a role model for a parent. It seems that she was jealous of Kat maybe. This is not good. I mean no mother can ever get jealous of her own daughter….beats me.

But in my opinion, Kat was in denial when she didn’t react at all. Also, the way her mother had become, must be only coz of the frustration of not being able to have a fulfilling sex life, and that’s the reason she was jealous of Kat. You know, as she was just a teenager and yet she had a better sex life than Mrs. Connor!

Sooner than later, Kat begins to think about where her mom really went. And this really begins to bother her. Nightmares were already bothering her a bit. She breaks down and decides she wants to know what actually happened.

And gradually as we get to see the flashbacks, we learn something new each time. I don’t wanna spoil anything so won’t say much.

And the climax was totally unexpected.

The movie has some uncomfortable moments. Some words might make you uneasy (excessive use of the F word). Some comparisons are totally unnecessary. Like Kat losing her virginity being compared to her mom’s disappearance. Just like that. In a jiffy. Crazy logic!

Depressing movie. But also makes you realize that no matter how close you are to a person, be it your own family, you can’t claim to know them completely. There are always elements of surprises, shock even, that you can’t ever imagine, even in your wildest dreams….

Nothing new in the story, apart from the twist at the end. Average performances. Although nice screenplay by the director Gregg Araki. Unnecessary nudity. Fucked up family. Not much of a treat. 6/10

Men, Women & Children (2014)

Men, Women & Children (2014) – Review

Discover How Little You Know,
About The People You Know

Men, women and children – all react differently in similar or different circumstances. To add to that confusion, we have got technology! All sorts of gadgets, inventions, internet itself pose great problems; some of which can be seen or predicted, while others are just unimaginable. Just as everything has its pros and cons, so does technology. It can help in communication and certain situations but where social media and virtual world is concerned, it can mostly add to troubles and disharmony in all kinds of relationships.

The movie revolves around the lives of a bunch of high school teenage students and their parents. Tim Mooney the football star quits the team. Tim (played by Ansel Elgort whom I just loved in the movie like i loved him in ‘The Fault in Our Stars’) is faced with a lot of criticism for his decision from everyone and loses his friends too. He starts interacting with a girl Brandy (played by Kaitlyn Dever) whose mom Patricia (Jennifer Garner) takes the expression “tracking your children online” way too seriously. Don and Helen Truby (Adam Sandler and Rosemarie DeWitt respectively) are parents trapped in a sex-less marriage. And two-three more story lines are there. All are intertwined and cross each other’s path because of the same high school the kids go to. The movie takes a look at how the lives of these people (they themselves, their relationships and love life), is being affected by the Internet. “Everyone is searching for a better connection.” (Another tagline)

The movie has a weird and bizarre beginning. Initially I thought the title could have been better but it is based on a novel of same name by Chad Kultgen. So in the movie there is someone in the background narrating the story line; I thought it is a documentary style thing, but then I realised that’s the sound of the narrator we have on all our computers! Quite apt to the theme, must say. That is the level up to which our lives have become dependent on the technology. This comedy-drama film is directed by Jason Reitman who has done a decent job. The ensemble cast, each and everyone in the movie is convincing and have strong on-screen presence. Everyone has done full justice to their roles and gave a real feel to the characters with which the audience can connect.

Watching this movie, made me realize a lot of things:

[This might be a drag; a lot of people might not gather this much from the movie, this is solely my perception and inference]

1. I don’t know everything about everything! : discovered various short forms, had to look up certain things for reference, gained knowledge about an online role-playing game (world of warcraft) which I think was talked about a lot in big bang theory; but I never really bothered. The impacts this game could have on teenagers (even adults) – is a different debate altogether.
2. School is tough on everyone: no matter whether you are the most popular, most unpopular or just a regular student, every teenager is struggling. Every teenager has pressure of one thing or the other. And it’s not related to studies at all.
3. Too much porn could lead to ED : well that could have been subjective; but one shouldn’t take the risk. Right now I am avoiding explaining this in detail. (explained in the movie though!)
4. Loneliness attracts loneliness : if a person is alone and they see another loner; they are likely to bond. Might be the understanding of each other’s situation angle, or something, but it sure happens. A lot.
5. Teenagers want to lose their virginity, just for the heck of it : pretty self-explanatory, but I wonder if this applies to teenagers all over the world and not just America? So yes that gives us the problem of teenage pregnancy.
6. Sex isn’t everything : in a relationship, other things are important – connection, understanding, conversations, bonding, feeling of ‘being at peace’ when you are with your significant other, knowing when the other needs you and being there, and most importantly, having so much trust in your partner that you are comfortable being yourself in front of them.
7. Parenting is awful lot difficult, much more than it seems to be : knowing what’s good and what’s bad, when to be a friend and when to behave like a parent again, making choices on their behalf, taking decisions, how much is too much?, where to draw the line?, keep a check all the time, when to let go and when to hold on tight; doing all this plus own work plus house work, and being sane – all at the same time.wow!
8. Not every person is a monster on the internet : ought to keep this in mind while trying to protect your daughter from the cyber bullies/crimes/bad guys.
9. Not everything is meant for the internet : although this I already knew, but haven’t known always (or forget sometimes?). So a good point to mention.
10. Intimacy in marriage is highly required : not only sex, intimacy plays an important role in keeping alive a marriage. The little things that eventually lead to sex? Yeah, don’t stop doing them just because it’s been hell lot of years to your marriage. Try and keep the spark alive, rekindle all the magic you always have had. Try out new things or at least don’t stop doing the old ones! Most of the issues can be resolved through discussion. If it doesn’t work, try again and always think of the consequences or chances of getting caught if any time ‘cheating’ crosses you mind. Just make sure you make them feel SPECIAL always.
11. Don’t ignore the real life (RL) people for virtual ones: just because you have access to internet/social media, doesn’t mean you should ignore the people in front of you in RL.
12. Communicate. Face to face. : Due to technology and addiction to chatting, people have forgotten how it’s like to have a real conversation. So if you don’t talk, you don’t get to know the person. Hence the very apt tagline.

Besides this, as they say “excess of everything is bad”; same rule applies to technology as well. We have to do our own moral policing and set limits (for children as well). Control is very important. That’s the only way we can save ourselves and our loved ones.

This movie is so underrated.

I would call this movie an eye opener on how technology (internet) has screwed up our lives more than it has helped to make it better.

A must watch. I am going to give this movie 9/10

This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

This Is Where I Leave You (2014) – Review

A comedy drama film, based on a novel of same name by Jonathan Tropper, is about the Altman family coming together under same roof after the funeral of their father.

Plot (reminds of August: Osage County). Everyone is having a bad day or bad time, suffering through bad relationships and problems of their own. First of all we get to see Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) who caught his wife cheating on him with his boss! He is now divorced, out of work, and to top it all receives the news of his dad passing away. Now he has to meet his entire family after a long time which is a task in its own. His sister Wendy (Tina Fey) is married and has two kids, shares a bond with Judd and youngest brother Peter as well, since she practically raised him. Wendy was in love with their neighbour when she was young but had to part ways after they got in an accident and the guy suffered a major head injury.

The eldest brother Paul is married to Annie who is Judd’s ex. Paul and Annie are trying to have a baby since a long time and facing difficulties. Hell breaks loose on Annie when she finds out that even Judd’s ex wife is pregnant! Judd also had a past with one of the neighbourhood girls Penny. Peter also helped Judd getting close to Penny. Peter brought his to be fiancé who is apparently his previous therapist. Everybody thinks Peter to be a child and the most irresponsible, immature of the lot. Nobody takes him seriously.

The mom Hilary is kind of whacko who tells everyone that it was their father’s last wish to sit shiva for him (as they are a Jewish family), and it’s supposed to be 7 days long!

The movie is hilarious having some moments here and there of its own. So the family who can barely stand each other, hadn’t been in contact with each other for ages, were supposed to spend the next seven days, under one roof with each other. The challenge was to bear each other’s spouses, exes, would be’s, could be’s and all. It becomes a madhouse. How well they manage it, what surprises and shocks come along, what changes and what stays the same, watch to find out. Over all 6.5 out of 10. (Mainly because of the humor factor – brainless comedy!)

PS – If you have already watched August :Osage County then you can skip this one. You aren’t missing anything, seriously!

Camp X-Ray (2014)

Camp X-Ray (2014) – Review

The movie is about a young soldier whose very first assignment is to be a guard at a detention facility in Guantanamo Bay. They (the soldiers) are told that their job is not to make sure that the detainees don’t break out, but instead, it is to keep the detainees alive.

Initially, the soldier Amy Cole (portrayed by Kristen Stewart) is met with cold behavior, hatred, violence from the detainees at the detention camp, but later on she learns and manages to survive. In the process she develops an unusual bonding with one of the detainees who had been there for 8 years. The detainee Ali Amir (portrayed by Peyman Moaadi) treats Amy with hostility in all the inhumane ways possible; but later on grows fond of talking to her, and at times manages to find humor in serious situations!

In the end, it turned out to be a learning experience for both of them. Apart from having a political and controversial situation as a backdrop, the movie gives a beautiful message about humanity. As an audience, we get to see both sides of the prison and get a chance to understand what they go through (both detainees and soldiers/guards).

My view: It’s so easy to end your life and get rid of all the problems at once. But it’s so so difficult to give someone a reason to live, when there is none. It takes courage; to do what Amy (Kristen) did in the movie. You need a heart to feel the pain of another especially when that other person is supposed to be your “enemy”. Having empathy for a person, for whom you can never even begin to imagine what he has gone through, is tougher than it looks. The act of kindness, the words spoken, that scene in the end, the final conversation between the soldier and the detainee – just amazing. When a young person shows such maturity in such a situation where even most experienced people might panic, that’s commendable. When such words are spoken from heart, it only restores your faith in humanity once again. You just have to see it to feel it.

Both Kristen and Peyman did justice to their roles and the storyline. And guys, please give Kristen a break! Stop saying she just has one expression. It’s not her fault! She takes such kind of roles, what can be done!! On the contrary, this performance ought to change the way most people look at her – from the girl-next-door to a serious actor. Also, the first time director Peter Sattler has done a brilliant job. Couldn’t tell it was his directorial debut.

Worth a watch. 7.5 out of 10.

Authors Anonymous (2014)

Authors Anonymous (2014) – Review

SPOILER ALERT !!!!

Interesting title, apart from the fact that Kaley Cuoco (who plays the role of gorgeous Penny in popular series ‘The Big Bang Theory’) is starring in the movie and is one of the exec-producers as well! Also starring Chris Klein, we have seen him in American Pie movie series before. The movie is said to be a comedy, excuse me?! What kind of comedy, dark? Cynical? Perhaps yes. It can very well be classified as the satirical composition and collection of a few unpublished authors who come together and form a sort of support group to help and inspire one another in the otherwise lonesome journey of a writer. There is a reason why a writer is supposed to go alone. As in the event of one’s success and others’ well, same condition, they can’t possibly be happy for each other. Jealousy creeps in and ego clashes are bound to happen. This fact is shown in the movie distinctively.

The movie is apparently being filmed as a documentary which in the beginning seems to be a turn off and immediately took my interest level down. But after a few minutes it gets picked up. We see a group called “authors anonymous” (decent ensemble cast), which was formed by an eye doctor and the members were in fact his patients at some point, including his wife. The common thing between them being – they all are writers who are unpublished. The newest member of the group is Hannah (played by Kaley) who is smart, seems hard-working but doesn’t know much about the work of any other author. She isn’t well read as she never attended college but she wants to be a writer and even her mom supports her now. A guy in the group, Henry (played by Chris Klein), is interested in Hannah for all the obvious reasons. Henry seems a bit geeky type, who has read almost every famous novel out there, especially the classics, and dreams of making it big one day; like everyone else. Now at this point, I cant help but draw similarities or comparisons with The Big Bang Theory again, where the lead pair of Penny and Leonard have similar characteristics to that of Hannah and Henry shown in the movie.

Nevertheless, the story continues, and we get to know more about each struggling writer, and the never-ending efforts they show in contacting various publishers and getting rejected n-number of times yet never giving up. So one fine day, Hannah finally gets hold of a publisher who liked one of her novels, ‘Sleeping on The Moon’ which by the way is a metaphor, which Hannah herself is unable to explain properly when asked to! Wonder how she wrote the entire book! Because of this reason (and several other perhaps), none of the people in the group take this news sportively; although they try to do so in the beginning. Henry was genuinely happy for Hanna’s success and probably the only one in the group to think and tell Hanna that she deserves this and more.

Eventually, Hanna’s Book gets published and also gets movie rights worth a lot, which shatters the patience and pretense of the group members that they have had been depicting. They begin showing their true jealousy, and as a result, the group is on the verge of splitting up. The movie definitely tries to bring out the lighter side of this mess but in the end fails to do so.

All in all it tries to show different kind of writers, their individual struggle, how they behave in a group trying to support each other, being a critic for each others’ work, pointing out good and bad things, how they handle one person’s success and take it as their own failure, what all each one of them do to get published before the other…so on and so forth. It becomes a kind of mini competition that started within the group itself. Towards the end, everyone started saying the truth out loud (almost all). Some of it came as a shock! Surely teaches a thing or two.

The guy Henry is said to have a writer’s block for about 2 years or so. Reason being, and everybody knows, that he has been concentrating on being with Hannah and trying to get close to her. Everyone, including Hannah, tries to make Henry realize that he should concentrate on his writing and nothing else. Writing comes first, no distractions. But this became possible only when Henry saw Hannah with a famous author and that she is now in a live-in relationship with that author, claiming that he is making her a better writer. At this point, Henry realizes that he was wasting his time and again starts writing. Later on he finds a girl who is genuinely interested in him and shares his interests and love for classic novels alike. In the end he gets published as well.

Acting wise, it was not bad I would say. Served the story well, as chemistry between the group members was quite funny with a little comedy element in a few scenes. At certain points, the story gets dragged or some people did over acting which was really unnecessary. Apart from that it was an ok movie. Certainly, for an abstract story line, there was a lot of potential but the movie failed to explore any of that. It could have been better, as you won’t find anything in the movie, which is unexpected or out of the ordinary.

Watch it at your own risk, it’s just an average film. Still I would give it 5 out of 10.

August: Osage County (2013)

August: Osage County (2013) – Review

As soon as i learnt that this movie features Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts together, i instantly decided i wanna watch it no matter what! Obviously because both are considered amongst great female actors of Hollywood, who would want to miss this one. Cast includes Abigail Breslin (of Little Miss Sunshine fame) who used to be my fav child artiste, is suddenly a grown up now! But she is playing a 14 year old in the movie in spite of being 18 years old in real life. The three actresses look perfect for the role of three generations – grandmother, mother and granddaughter. Also there is Benedict Cumberbatch who is supposedly a raved about actor due to him playing the role of Sherlock Holmes. I mean yeah he is indeed a good actor but what’s the mayhem about his looks and all, i don’t understand! In the cast there is a long list including Dermot Mulroney (of My Best Friend’s Wedding and Wedding Date fame) and Julianne Nicholson (more of a TV series actor) amongst others.

Movie is based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play of same name by Tracy Letts. The story revolves around the fact that the whole Weston family (three sisters and their extended family) has to come together after the news of their father’s disappearance, and from there on they have to stick together in this unusual crisis of a situation which keeps getting out of hand. They have to just endure each other’s presence; especially their mother’s who is not well in more than one ways. She is a mouth-cancer patient who is addicted to drugs and pills of all kinds; and ironically she is a smoker too. Then they get to know that their father has died (committed suicide probably). There is a funeral and afterwards, such things unfold which no one could ever imagine. The three generations viz a viz Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts (one of the sisters) and Abigail are just perfect fits for their roles and also complement each other in every way. Talking about the three generations, i could somewhat draw certain similarities between the three of them. Like mother like daughter; like grandmother like granddaughter!

Surely i didn’t expect the movie to be so serious. The comedy is too dark to be laughed at, the story line keeps getting tangled and more intense which has just left me speechless. But one thing is undeniable. All the actors have given brilliant powerful performances and Meryl Streep is undoubtedly beyond perfection. New found respect for her. Same for Julia Roberts, she is just amazing as well.

My point of view about the movie would be that it depicts very bluntly the sort of behaviour different people would portray at the time of utmost misery. Everyone behaves differently and reacts in a different manner to various things like fatal disease, loss, death, estrangement etc. The kind of person you are is truly reflected by the way you behave while you are grieving. This, i believe, is the essence of the movie. At one point i almost got a little heart attack watching the reactions that are shown in the movie, which is a tad bit over exaggerated, but at the same time very realistic and extremely blatant; almost at the verge of being scary. At the end, its all about choices, priorities, mistakes, emotions, good, bad, ugly…everything what life is all about.

A must watch family drama. I would give it 8 out of 10.

ESCAPE PLAN (2013)

ESCAPE PLAN (2013) – Review

Stallone, Schwarzenegger

The plot looks brilliant. Stallone is an escape master/genius/expert. He can escape any and every prison ever built by man. He has a record of escaping 14 prisons till now.  This is done to check the authenticity and whether or not every prison in the country, escape proof.

He takes up a new mission where everything is a secret. None of his allies know his location since its a highest security secret prison which is apparently not government run and is privately funded (“the shadow world”).

That prison looks unbelievable. The most high tech prison ever – one could say. Everything looks amazing and scary. Everything is computerized and only has electronic access. The prisoners are kept in a small cubicle which is entirely transparent.  Even the dress worn by the prisoners has a barcode on it! Guards wear masks, warden doesn’t. Basically, its the new age hell with all the gadgets and weapons you can think of…more like it seems like real people are trapped in a video game! Nobody could or would be able to get out of there by the looks of it….at least not alive!! But then enters Schwarzenegger, half an hour into the movie, and oh boy, what an entry! The game is about to change.

What follows is a number of failed attempts to get out of the man made inferno, which is by far the most complicated and complex puzzle ever for Stallone. He has no outside help, hence no points for guessing, Schwarzenegger becomes the help. A mysterious thriller ride showcasing various torture methods, prison life, and ways to escape, also telling the basic escape plan which can be applied anywhere.

Since we already know its a trap set up for Stallone to keep him there forever, its gonna be worth a watch to see whether he manages to get out alone or with Schwarzenegger. Or even manages to get out of there ever. Surely a surprise element is waiting for you…

Great storyline, nicely directed, background score keeps you hooked on, brilliant acting undoubtedly, and the suspense? Well, you will end up saying “didn’t see that coming!” just like Stallone!!…

A must watch, if you find mystery/thriller kind of flicks interesting. 7 out of 10.