This Netflix Original film starts with the same drug-cartel based dramas we are so familiar with; the likes of Narcos and Sicario where the DEA and his entire team are desperate to close the case on some master mind ever-elusive drug dealer.
So the first half goes mostly concerning Oscar Isaac (who is working with the DEA) getting a tip from his beautiful informant (Adria Arjona) about the ruthless drug lord Gabriel Martin Lorea and his hidden stash. He persuades his four ex-army buddies, soon gets reunited, and goes straight into action – to raid and destroy the camouflaged residence of this Colombian drug dealer in the deep jungles of Brazil.
And also, most importantly to get hold of the moolah hidden in that house which estimated a staggering figure of seventy-five million dollars!
‘You cannot go back to your normal life after tonight. You guys need to own the fact that what we’re about to do is criminal.’
But then the movie turns more interesting in the second part where transporting the looted money becomes a real problem for the team!
Greed and certain abrupt stupid decisions plays a very important part in their journey, or rather in turning their well schemed escape plan into a mess.
And after a point it is all about surviving!
It was Kathryn Bigelow who was supposed to direct Triple Frontier but then finally J.C. Chandor took over the reigns of the film. And undoubtedly he did a decent job.
Good performances from all around, well executed emotional scenes where you get to feel the bonding between the characters. The cinematography of Roman Vasyanov is worth praising, the picturesque locations and the awesome landscapes of the Andes mountain range and its foothills are really the heart of the movie. Action sequences are also decent but overall don’t expect too much!
I think Triple Frontier had a lot more potential and could have been made into a much better film if it had a better first half. Honestly without the amazing star-cast the story/script in itself isn’t something really to look forward to. But then again, it is definitely worth a watch.
P.S. – To all Ben Affleck fans out there, go get some tissues. Thank me later!
Honestly, watching a saccharine romantic movie with THE special one by your side, a hot tub of popcorn within your reach, and then some chocolates and two curvy glasses of red wine – I don’t know about you but that definitely makes me feel alive. And how!
So, here is the special list of The Best Romantic films of Recent times – believe it or not, this list has been checked and approved by none other than St. Valentine himself!
Annie Hall is widely regarded for possessing one of the finest scripts of all-time, and rightly so. This exceptionally funny and yet melancholy film is a miracle of comic writing and romance.
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton have the perfect chemistry and both create brilliant emotional parallels for their characters. A must watch romantic film – one of Allen’s best Cinema ever!
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystalplay Sally and Harry respectively, as they create an epic romantic chemistry on screen!
It’s 1977 and they share a ride from Chicago to New York. She’s fresh out of college, hoping to crack the journalism market; he’s romantically involved and onward to a political consultancy career. Are they compatible for love?
Directed by Rob Reiner, a fantastic film that defines what all romantic comedies should be!
London based Raj and Simran (Kajol) are happily leading their normal lives but a trip to Europe lands them into a surprise meeting with each other only to turn into love. While Simran’s father has fixed her marriage with his childhood friend’s son, Simran falling in love with someone else is not acceptable. Through this film, Shah Rukh Khangave the name ‘Raj’ a whole new meaning!
Director Aditya Chopra, a historical film from India that will probably be watched for generations to come.
Two people Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy meet each other, begin to talk and decide to spend the day and night together in Vienna. They spend some time in a church at midnight. They drink wine in a park. They find a way to exchange personal information by holding imaginary cphone calls with imaginary best friends. They talk about making love.
Directed by Richard Linklater, it is an ideal film for teenagers that keeps messing with your head long after it ends.
‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ chronicled the story of a mother, played by Rani Mukerji, who leaves eight letters for her daughter before her death, so that she can unite her father Shah Rukh Khanwith his best friend, enacted by Kajol, as she believed he loved her.
Directed by Karan Johar created history when it released; not only was the film a roaring commercial success, it also brought in a wave of western concepts and style that were never-heard-before of in India!
This romantic drama, directed by Nick Cassavetes will make you fall in love and also make you cry for quite some time even after it ends.
The film recreated effectively the world of the 1940s in America, including the parental pressure exerted by the well-to-do family of Allie (Rachel McAdams) on whether to allow their daughter to pursue a young man from the other side of the tracks. It moves between present-day and the 1940s. Ryan Gosling, as a patient suffering from Alzheimer’s is just brilliant.
Henry Roth ( Adam Sandler) lives in Hawaii and spend his time wooing women who are visiting the island, simply because there is little chance of commitment. Then he meets Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore). One day they hit it off, and the next she doesn’t even recognise him. It turns out that she suffers from short-term memory loss, and every day he tries to win her over once more.
Directed by Peter Segal, this film is a lighthearted take on the notion of amnesia, with the emphasis clearly billed around a love story.
Directed byMarc Webb, this one is not exactly your typical romantic film, but yet so full of Romance!
“This is a story of boy meets girl but you should know up front’ this is not a love story.”
Joseph Gordon-Levittis in love with Zooey Deschanel from the moment he met her. But the relationship that lasts only for 500 days, is unfortunately a doomed one. the problem – he believes in love and she doesn’t!
Silver Linings Playbook opens with the release from a mental institution of the explosive Bradley Cooper after eight months’ incarceration. He’s been diagnosed as bipolar after beating up a fellow high school teacher.
Pain is the subtext of nearly every interaction in this film that is directed by David O. Russell. With Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro along with Brad this definetly is one of the very few feel-good movies that is so refreshing to watch even now.
Based on John Green’s bestselling novel, directed by Josh Boone, this film offers the first-person accounts of Shailene Woodley, a bright 16-year-old who can hardly remember not living with cancer.
When this incredibly charming 18-year-old Ansel Elgort appears to take a thing for her, at a mutual cancer support group, and soon their fates are sealed together. Do have some tissues ready when you plan to watch it!
and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)
Directed by James Cameron, its $200 million budget shows in its glorious effects, dazzling camera work and lavish sets to name a few. ”Titanic” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It includes partial nudity, one brief sexual situation, mild profanity and the soul-shaking sight of a great ship going down.
But the most important aspect of the film is the love story between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet! This epic movie re-wrote the history of Cinema in numerous ways.
It is that time of the year when decisions are made and a few extraordinary artists take the leap ahead with the golden statues shining in their hands.
Yes, the time for the 2016 Oscar winners!
The competition was exceptionally tough this year (just like any other year), and though we always like to say that everyone nominated are all winners but then sadly, only some people actually win.
Here are the movies that ruled the Oscar stage yesterday and a flashback of all these films for a quick recap.
‘Since All the President’s Men in 1976, I think this film here, Spotlight, has taken the theme of ‘reporters unveiling a conspiracy theory’ to a new height of extraordinary.’
‘Written and directed by Tom McCarthy (his directional debut The Station Agent is one of my all time favorite), and here also, he has done a tremendous job. The pace and the overall effect of the film is so intense that it gives you the feel of a classic thriller. ‘
‘there is an immense amount of expectation for Mr. Iñárritu’s latest film The Revenant, and then again, when the ever-impressive Leonardo DiCaprio is in the lead, tagging with him all that debate about – can this be finally Leonardo’s Oscar moment or not?’
‘the film is shot by ace cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki who has already won two Oscars for his brilliant camera work in films Birdman and Gravity.’
Category: Best Editing (Margaret Sixel), Best Sound Mixing (Chris Jenkins, Greg Rudloff and Ben Osmo), BestSound editing (Mark Mangini and David White), BestProduction Design (Colin Gibson), Best Costume Design (Jenny Beavan)and BestMake Up and hair Styling (Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin).
‘Minimal use of dialogues, quick introduction of characters and real horrific violence – Mad Max: Fury Road is a treat for action genre lovers. Undoubtedly the best action flick of recent times.’
‘Specially Brie Larson who as the protective mother, dealing with her certitudes and also her vulnerabilities has given one of the best performances I have seen in a long time!’
‘Essentially it’s a thriller that involves the account of a daring attempt to slip away from the clutches of a ruthless kidnapper but on a deeper note the film is a complex sensitive drama and an expert dissection of human psychology.’
‘Based on the book with the same name by financial journalist Michael Lewis, co-writer and director Adam McKay has been successful in adding enough humor to dilute the financial jargon and make the film coherent for everybody.’
‘focuses on a group of people who noticed and predicted the devastating financial crisis well ahead and even profited from it!’
‘Only such powerful acting could hold the film together with enough distinction.‘
‘to an utter surprise to his wife Gerda, Einar has a sudden urge to change his sexual orientation and reveals that he actually wants to be Lili in her real life; he claims that he seems to be a women trapped in a man’s body!’
‘Firstly, he had to defend a captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) in the American court of justice and then, he was recruited by the CIA and sent to the-then hostile Germany (Berlin being partitioned) to negotiate a spy-exchange mission between the two rival countries – America and Russia.’
‘But the real winner in this 1 hour 48 min futuristic drama is the brilliant use of visual effects. The amazing special effects give the film it’s much necessary believability.’
‘A bit slow paced maybe, and mostly dialogue based but in spite of not being personally a fan of Sci Fi movies, i find it pretty impressive.’
‘Spectre starts with a thrilling helicopter sequence in Mexico that promises a power pact film but unfortunately, by the end of it’s almost two and a half hours run time, the film struggles to keep you entertained.’
‘This 94 min film gives the children their beloved world of funny characters and colorful fantasy but at the same time it offers enough scope for serious thoughts (and admiration) for the grown-ups.’
‘Superb voice overs by a variety of talented artists. Animation quality at it’s best but again that is kind of expected from a Pixar feature. But the best part of Inside Out is its concept – so brilliantly innovative!’
Bear Story – Animated Short Film(Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala)
Alejandro González Iñárritu claimed the Oscar last year in the ‘Best Achievement in Directing‘ category for his film Birdman, and winning the ‘Best Motion Picture of the Year‘ and ‘Best Original Screenplay‘ awards as well!
So not surprisingly, there is an immense amount of expectation for Mr. Iñárritu’s latest film The Revenant, and then again, when the ever-impressive Leonardo DiCaprio is in the lead, tagging with him all that debate about – can this be finally Leonardo’s Oscar moment or not?
And on top of that, the film is shot by ace cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki who has already won two Oscars for his brilliant camera work in films Birdman and Gravity. He should have also won for two of his previous films The Tree of Life and Children of Menbut again that’s another debate for another time.
So coming back to The Revenant, a thrilling revenge saga dated way back in 1823, a dangerous time for the American fur traders and trappers who not only had to survive the treacherous climate but also the Indians for whom they were guests not particularly welcomed.
‘I ain’t afraid to die anymore. I’d done it already.’
Leonardo DiCaprio playing the part of Hugh Glass (the film is inspired by his real life endeavors), who was a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition, an explorer in the true sense of the word, a survivor who came back from dead and most importantly, a man with vengeance on his mind.
‘He’s afraid. He knows how far I came to find him.’
And Tom Hardy on the other hand, playing the intense yet crooked character of John Fitzgerald, who in a way was the real reason of Hugh Glass’s will to survive!
Often vicious and violent (specially the bear attack scene), The Revenant was shot in twelve different locations and three different countries, chronologically for as long as 80 days and that too almost entirely using natural light!
A 2 hours and 36 minutes of cinematic bliss not to be missed under any circumstances.
P.S. – For the record, Leonardo sleeping in an actual gutted carcass of a horse is not true, the carcass was a prosthetic one. Though Leo did eat a bison liver for real to capture the authenticity of that shot!
On Sunday, February 28th, it’s that time of the year when they give away those awards!
Yes, on this day, the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences will hand over the most prestigious awards of the entertainment world – the Academy Awards or the Oscars.
On the basis of the ‘preferential voting’ system (democratic and unbiased), all the nominees are chosen each year for the various award categories and then they simply wait, hope and pray to win!
This year Chris Rock will be hosting the award ceremony on ABC.
In total 305 feature films are competing for Best Picture nominations. Though the final and official seven/eight nominated ones will be announced on Thursday, January 14th, it’s always fun to guess, predict and anticipate a little before hand.
So let the predictions for the ‘Best Picture’ category begin!
A film that reflects on the youth and relishes the old age with the same intensity. It deals with friendship, love, marriage, lust, professions, emotions and above all emotions. I bet my
Powerful, dramatic and full of energy, directed by George Miller, this is undoubtedly the best action flick of 2015 and a leader in the Oscar race for the ‘Best Picture’.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (whose film Birdman won the ‘best director’, ‘best picture’ and ‘best screenplay’ awards last year), has come up with this brilliant tale of an explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio).
A fur trading expedition in the 1820s; inspired by true events this is an epic adventure, a quest for survival and also a sure favorite in this year’s Oscar.
Directed by Adam McKay, this is a biographical account of the time (mid 2000) when there was a financial crisis in the US, and four individuals decided to fight the greedy banks for their lack of foresight.
Looks like a pretty sure thing for the award ceremony. Watch out!
Adopted from Emma Donoghue‘s famous novel, this is one unique story of a five-year old boy who is told by his loving mother that their 10-by-10 foot ‘room’ is the only world that exists!
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, a brilliant film that surely is becoming people’s favorite and a likely contestant for the Oscar.
The recently released ever popular addition to the Star Wars franchise and a sudden favorite for the Oscars.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, this film with it’s immense fan following has the potential to be a game changer in the race for this years ‘Best Picture’ Academy Awards.
By the way, this film has recreated the U.S. box office record beating James Cameron‘s Avatar!
Superlative adjectives like ‘most significant’, ‘most influential’, ‘the best director of our times’, ‘the greatest storyteller’, all begin to make sense when used in context of the one and only – Martin Scorsese.
Directed almost 60 films till date, Scorsese is also renowned as a producer, screenwriter, actor, and film historian.
His innovative styles of filmmaking are taught in every film-school all over the world; one of the very few directors whose films are both commercially and critically acclaimed.
Based on a wealthy stockbroker Jordan Belfort’s exciting life, the film is a roller-coaster ride of unlimited money, crime, drugs, sex, corruption and sheer madness.
Based on the life of Henry Hill, this film is regarded as one of the greatest gangster drama. Extreme use of curse words and violence but highly entertaining as well.