Magic Mike (2012)

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer:    Reid Carolin
Cast:      Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Mathew McConaughey, Olivia Munn, Cody Horn

A male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women and make easy money.

Film is basically a story told many times before but it puts it in a male stripping context. It is partly based on Channing Tatum's life as an 18 year old stripper in Tampa. Despite the cliches it is a very good watch especially because of the rawness with which it is acted. Channing Tatum is surprisingly good as the experienced mentor. The film did extremely well at the box office grossing around 167 million on a meagre 7 million budget.

Rating: 4/5

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Director: Ridley Scott
Writer:   Callie Khouri
Cast:      Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Brad Pitt, Michael Madsen

An Arkansas waitress and a housewife shoot a rapist and take off in a '66 Thunderbird.

It is something you don't expect from Ridley Scott who generally makes ambitious sci-fi films and historic epics. Thelma and Lousie is essentially a road comedy with some caricatured characters, Hans Zimmer's music and fantastic visuals. Scott is said to have watched Terence Malick's 'Badlands' for inspiration and that  is reflected in the film. It also reminded me of Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino's 'True Romance'. It is certainly one of Scott's best film.

Rating: 4/5

Side Effects (2013)

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer:    Scott Z. Burns
Cast:       Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones

A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.

The film is a genre bender from Soderbergh in the sense that he is playing around with the audience's expectations. Film in the beginning looks like a typical Soderbergh film in the mould of Erin Brockovich and Contagion but with some twists, it transforms itself into a Noirish film. Soderbergh pulls the transition off neatly but maybe he could have avoided last portion of the the film were justice is served. Like all Soderbergh films, it looks neat and great but the plot is a bit outlandish to but it mildly. Still very fun to watch.

Rating: 3/5

21 Jump Street (2012)

Directors: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Writers:    Michael Bacall, Jonah Hill, Patrick Hasburgh, Stepehen J. Cannell
Cast:        Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum. Brie Larson

A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

It starts of really well but gets very tedious in the middle. I also found Channing Tatum's acting to be a bit problematic. The film gets less cleverer as it goes  on.

Rating: 2.5/5

Sightseers (2012)

Director: Ben Wheatley
Writers:  Amy Jump, Alice Lowe, Steve Oram
Cast:      Alice Lowe,  Eileen Davies

Chris and his girlfriend Tina goes on a caravan trip and lose their temper.

It is supposed to be a pitch black comedy and I didn't find it very funny.

Rating: 2/5

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

Director: Derek Cianfrance
Writers:  Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, Darius Marder
Cast:      Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes

A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop which is going to affect all their lives.

The film is extremely ambitious in a godfather sort of way. It is like a mythic tragedy set in near contemporary times and is one which has divided its audience all round. Plot is extremely contrived but the performances are great and since one really don't know beforehand where it is going, it worked for me. Great followup to 'Blue Valentine' by Derek Cianfrance.

Rating: 4/5

Easy Rider (1969)

Director: Dennis Hopper
Writers:  Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Terry Southern
Cast:      Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson

Two counterculture bikers travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of America.

It is like a swan song for the hippie movement of the 60s. The film can be summed up in one conversation Jack Nicholson's  character has with Dennis Hopper's Billy in which they talk about individual freedom and even those who understand it but don't/cannot practice it is afraid and dangerous when he encounters someone who does. This is what they find out when they travel through the middle redneck America. Jack Nicholson is amazing in a screen chewing performance.

Real marijuana was used for the drug use scenes and the film can be considered as landmark for independent films.

Rating: 3.5/5