Moneyball (2011)

Director: Bennett Miller
Writers:  Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
Cast:      Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.

The film is based on Michael Lewis' book of the same name. The film is more about Moneyball Philosophy rather than the character Billy Beane and that is why the ending is not a Hollywood one. Like in real life Billy Beane turns down offer from Boston Red Sox's John W.Henry (Current Liverpool F.C owner as well), and red sox, who hires the author of Sabermetrics Bill James, goes on to win the championship two years later. Billy Beane again repeated the feat depicted in the film in 2012 by winning the AL West again with the lowest payroll in MLB and a record setting 54 wins.

The film is a good one but not something I am compelled to watch again. Steven Soderbergh was supposed to direct it originally.

Rating: 3.5/5

Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers:  Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Cast:      Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
The crew of a commercial deep space mining ship, investigating a suspected S.O.S, lands on a distant planet and discovers a nest of strange eggs.

The film has aged well considering its made in 1979. The fact that the Alien is not shown fully and we get only fleeting glimpses mostly helps. Its a well made horror film with a great tagline: 'In space, no one can hear you scream'. Many of its iconic scenes have been copied in many other films and all.

Rating: 4/5

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

Director: Tony Gilroy
Writers:  Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy
Cast:      Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton
An expansion of the Universe from Robert Ludlum's novels, centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of previous three films.

If you can stop comparing it to the quality of the Bourne trilogy, its a good enough action film. Plot is very convoluted in the second half but the first half helps you to tag along till the end. Suspend your disbelief and just watch it as a pure action film, unlike the Jason Bourne films. Don't see why Renner is considered so high up in terms of his acting ability.

Rating: 3/5

Holy Motors (2012)

Director:   Leos Carax
Writer:     Leos Carax
Cast:        Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes
Language: French
From dawn to desk, a few hours in the life of Monsieur Oscar, a shadowy character who journeys from one life to the next. He is, in turn, captain of industry, assassin, beggar, monster, family man...

We are left to interpret what it means and it could be the acting we do to get through the life. It could be a showcase for how life is for an actor taking on different roles. Amazing performance from Lavant in a very memorable film.

Rating: 4/5

The Monuments Men (2014)

Director: George Clooney
Writer:    George Clooney
Cast:       Daniel Craig, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett
In a race against time, a crew of art historians and museum curators unite to recover renown works of art stolen by Nazis before Hitler destroys it.

The film with its high powered cast will be Clooney's next directorial venture after Ides of March.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers:  Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg
Cast:      Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield
A man decides to turn his moribund life around  by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living.

This was Edgar Wright's directorial film debut after the success of TV series 'Spaced' which also had the same team. The film is inspired from one episode of Spaced and obviously from 'Dawn of the Dead' (Romero's Dead Trilogy). It is dead funny.

Rating: 5/5

Casablanca (1942)

Director: Michael Curtiz
Writers:  Julius J.Epstein, Philip G.Epstein, Howard Koch, Casey Robinson
Cast:      Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War 2: An American expatriate meets a former lover with unforeseen complications.

Casablanca translates to 'White House' and Humphrey Bogart's character and story can be seen as a metaphor for the US actions in World War. Humphrey Bogart is great as usual as the Cynical but cool protagonist.

Rating: 4.5/5