"Inception" Movie Review: Hollywood

Its one of the mind-trip movies that make you work hard as a viewer from the director of “The Dark Knight” and “Memento” (Remember “Ghajini”?). Dicaprio is an extractor, a mind-thief who steals your darkest secrets while you are asleep.Ken Watnabe is a businessman who hires Dicaprio to invade the subconscious of a competitor (Cillian Murphy) and implant an idea that breaks up his business empire. In return, Dicaprio will get his name cleared in a crime he didn’t commit but which separates his wife from his family…

Nolan’s story-telling ability is flawless with unmatched visuals, ideas and execution that mark out the director who gave Hollywood’s best thinking movies. There is little relief in the movie in the IMAX version as Dicaprio sets out the plot to plunder someone’s inner mind with layers of consciousness, dreams within dreams and subconscious subterfuge. There are some dazzling visuals – like the city of Paris folding on top of itself, buildings imploding together, hero’s right-hand man floating through the hotel corridor. If you want to see a Hollywood original before it gets dumbed-down in some Indian remix, catch “Inception” but don’t expect fun.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" Movie Review: Hollywood

Disney Pictures tries to comeback with a good movie " The Sorcerer's Apprentice" - the movie combines magic, teenage romance and Nicholas Cage in the backdrop of another original story. The Sorcerer is Nicholas Cage and the Apprentice is Jay Baruchel - they inspire each other to save the world from another set of evil sorcerers who conjure up plasma balls and send down lightning bolts like pinballs from air. Set in spectacular sfx, the movie will make the kids rant and rave and almost rekindles old flames for grown-ups. The movie could have been brighter if Jay Baruchel had a more interesting characterisation. Nicholas Cage sparkles as usual.

"The Last Airbender" Movie Review: Hollywood

Based on the popular Airbender series on Nickeledeon, The Last Airbender is a bid to monetize the franchise value of the same series on big screen. The story goes that the Fire-Station is all set to conquer different worlds who master the other elements like water, earth and air. The only one to stop the onslaught of the Fire-Station is the Avatar – The Last Airbender who combines the hairbending antics that display mastery of all elements. Only, he needs help from water-benders… The ending is dramatic and quick.

M.Night Shyamalan who is keen to disturb our sleep with paranormal activities takes a bow with keen eye for story-telling and some tempestuous special effects that sparkle on both 2D and 3D screens. He breathes lot of fire and action into a simple story-line and gives it a touch of class and pace as per his screenplay . Movie is worth watching but the only disappointment is there are no twists in the tail.

"Bheemili" Movie Review: Telugu

Bheemili is a surprise winner in a season of lackadaisical movies and pretentious multi-starrers and costly failures. Tatineni Satya, son of yesteryears' seasoned director - Tatineni Prasad - picks a fantastic script that's tasted success in Tamil Nadu - 'Vennila Kabadi Kulu' and makes a clean and thoroughly entertaining film that's sure to go down with masses and classes.

The story: Naani and a gang of six hang out in trivial time-pass in playing Kabaddi in Bheemili. However, Naani's enthusiasm lets him just be caretaker to the team's changeover clothes as they step into Kabaddi attire. They become more enthusiastic as they see a full-level professionalization at a village Jatara. They get beaten whole and square, but the experience leaves the gang craving for more Kabaddi and more learning. In the same Jatara, Naani loses his heart out to a non-local beauty Saranya Mohan. She doesn't tell her name, but only reveals she is studying in a college in Rajahmundry. Nani meanwhile earns a place of trust that he can play like a trump card and eggs the remaining team on to aspire for competition at state-level in Rajahmundry. This becomes the turning point for the film and brings them in contact with a coach (Kishore) who mentors them to achieve unreasonable success in a short time. The team plays on to win but the movie has a twist in the end…

The movie dazzles in all departments – story, screenplay, music by Selvaganesh, cinematography. The chemistry between all artistes comes alive and unlike earlier films in Tollywood, Kabaddi, indeed becomes the main backdrop of the film on which the entire story revolves. It does get intense by the reel and builds the tempo up to burst into a crescendo in the end. Naani and Saranya Mohan sizzle while the coach Kishore steals a powerful performance that is sure to win him laurels and more roles. What's amazing is the way Tatineni Satya brings a fresh air of nativity, novelty and oodles of entertainment and comedy from ordinary starcast. The punchlines and the number of guffaws the village starcast draws out is sure to give a run for the money for all those iconic comedy actors who charge Biryani and a bomb. The movie is sure to be a draw in all B and C centres and is still going to have the emotional connect with classes. An immensely watchable movie

"Shubhapradam" Movie Review: Telugu

"Shubhapradam" may not yet be the swan-song of K Vishwanath, but it is below-par. Too many good songs are wasted around a cliched story and the incessant noise the director makes about culture and tradition. He makes more points about ragging, integrity, responsibility, thrift and what not than what's possible -creates a ruckus of a script that consumes 14000 feet  - takes implausible liberties and makes unconvincing viewing. Naresh and Manjari Phadnis are the only saving grace besides Mani Sharma's enchanting music. If only Naresh's characterisation is longer and more defined, the movie could have got enlivened better. The movie appeals to the ageing society and doesn't connect with today's audience.

"Added Value" by Peter Church Book Review

In the age of diminishing attention spans, Peter Church pens a delectable book on thirty of India's modern capitalist entrepreneurs with a social bias. I have attended the book launch in Mumbai recently where some of the subjects covered in the book turned up to share their versions of what was the tipping point in their careers, what are their current concerns and what do they see next for themselves. Peter Church, being a head of one of the leading legal firms, does a Boswell by listing his observations and piquant remarks in an anecdotal way- not judging the entrepreneurs as they unfold their dreamy past but making them up in a story-telling fashion such that the story ends with all the crisp details and gives us the big picture, almost ending at the juncture at which they were about to soar. Brilliant read and gives enough titbits that add salt to any conversation about India's new crop of Billion Dollar entrepreneurs. You will know more than a thing or two about each of the icons covered in this business.

"Jhummandi Naadam" Movie Review

"Jhummandi Naadam" is a wasted exercise by K Raghavendra Rao to showcase his old skills at pumping thee prime looks of heroines. In this movie also, he makes the heroine look like a horticulture farm. The movie lacks all elements of drama, story, screenplay. Even the songs are dawdy duets and don't seem to have the magic that K R is renowned for. Movie can be given a miss. Manchu Manoj is looking good but Keeravani's music sounds repetitive unlike his "Vedam"outpput.