Jack Reacher (2012)

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writers:  Christopher McQuarrie, Lee Child (Novel)
Cast:      Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Werner Herzog, Richard Jenkins

A trained military sniper kills five random people in a city, leaving plenty of evidence, and asks for Jack Reacher when he is made to confess.

Film is based on 'One Shot' of the Jack Reacher series by the British Author Jim Grant who writes under the pen name of Lee Child. In the novel the character Jack Reacher is a ghostly brooding character whose only physical description ever given is that he is very tall, which Tom Cruise is not. This annoyed the fans of the novel series as soon as casting of Tom Cruise got out and plenty of criticism the film received have been because of that. They might not have captured the sensibilities of the book fully but it is a good action thriller. Some of the actions by the protagonist is bit out of sync with the way he is portrayed on the screen but would have made sense if they didn't dilute the portrayal by going for a PG-13 rating ,which sadly  is a must for big budgeted studio films. Werner Herzog who plays the villain steals the show in the very few scenes he is in. 

The film made around 220 million on a budget of 60 million which is quite decent but very less compared to the blockbustery stuff that Tom Cruise usually turns up in. If they are gonna make a franchise out of it, I hope they make it even more darker and not fucking PG-13.

Rating: 3.5/5

12 Angry Men (1957)

Director: Sidney Lumet
Writer:    Reginald Rose
Cast:       Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam

12 jurors in a claustrophobic room, on a hot sweaty day, trying to reach a consensus on a  murder trail where the odds are stacked heavily against  the 'Not Guilty' verdict.

I had seen the film about five years back and didn't really think I would find it as great as I thought of it as back then on repeat viewing. You tend to notice all the subtle things that you missed first time round. I have seen many film fans who watches plenty of good quality films but are not  big fans of repeat viewing Some would say a film should convey everything it has to say on just one viewing whilst others say they simply don't have time. The thing is the film might not have changed over the years- but you change, your world-view changes and the perceptions you have about the film changes. Good films are worth revisiting.

Henry Fonda plays an architect who is the only one who think he didn't see enough evidence to reach a 'Guilty Verdict'. Over the course of film he persuades others to change their verdict as the jury verdict has to be unanimous for it to hold. Great thing about the film is that all the 12 jurors are etched out very well and you actually remember them by their background and nature by the end of the film. You have the annoying Yankees fan who reminded me very much of the usual Manchester United fans. Then there is Lee J. Cobb who gives a great performance as the troubled father of a 22 year old who is clouding his judgment based on his personal troubles. You have the prejudiced guy with a running nose, a European immigrant who knows  Spoken English, Working class man, guy who did well from his slum background,smug wall-street guy, wise old guy, funny guy from advertising, too polite guy, well-mannered school teacher who is the moderator and then of course the Henry Fonda character who is an architect. One might think a bit of stereo-typing is going on but you don't feel like it when watching the film. The film is about how prejudice and all other minor things going on in your life cloud everyone's judgment. If you end up wondering whether the boy was guilty or not at the end of the film-then you are really missing the fucking point.

12 Angry Men is certainly Sidney Lumet's best film but all said and done 'Dog Day Afternoon' is still my favorite.

Rating: 5/5

La Jetée (1962)

Director: Chris Marker
Writer:    Chris Marker
Cast:      Davos Hanich, Etienne Becker, Jean Negroni, Helene Chatelain
Language: French

A childhood memory of a lady and death, World War 3, underground future, time travel. If this sounds very much like Terry Gilliam's brilliant film '12 Monkeys', it is because it was inspired by this 1962 short film La Jetee. Film is a series of beautiful black and white photographs with the story being told through narration. Unlike 12 Monkeys, it doesn't overly focus on the 'save the world motive' but more on the relation between the protagonist and the lady from his dreams/memory. The twist at the end is a bit different from the 12 monkeys one and I think this is better. Have been meaning to watch this film for a long time.

 Chris Marker died last year. Should catch up with his other films.

Rating: 5/5

Miller's Crossing (1990)

Director: Joel Coen
Writers:  Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Cast:      Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro, Marcia Gay Harden, John Polito

Tom Regan (Gabriel Byrne), an adviser to a prohibition-era crime boss, is trying to keep peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.

I had seen it a few years back and was watching it again as part of my plan to go through the Coens filmography again. I didn't love it on first watch and the plot being very complicated could be one reason. This time round I loved it. It is their third film and after making a noir and a comedy, this time they jump to the gangster genre. As always they do genre-bender job out of it which is always great. Tom is an ice-cool character who is always calculating what is in it for him. But still it is really a love story and by the end both of them do kind of self destruction. There are several great scenes and dialog set-pieces.

Whats the rumpus? Its all about the angles...

Rating: 5/5

Bernie (2011)

Director: Richard Linklater
Writers:  Skip Hollandsworth, Richard Linklater
Cast:      Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey

In small-town Texas, a very well liked local mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow and things go bad subsequently.

The film is based on a true story and it is a black comedy dealing with death. Story is narrated through interviews with the townsfolk and many of them are the real people from that town. It gives the film a very real feel and it is wonderful to hear their Texas accent. Matthew McConaughey comes up with a storming performance and he has been in some real good films recently. Richard Linklater is among the best directors that are active now and his filmography speaks is top quality with great variety and quality. Its another film in which he has put Jack Black to good use.

All things said the film is a bit one-sided which is expected when it is based on real story and the crew is interacting with the protagonist. The film would have been interesting even is it is not based on a true story with the theme being the way in which public sympathy operates and how it can turn a blind eye sometimes so easily.

Rating: 4.5/5

Spring Breakers (2012)

Director: Harmony Korine
Writer:    Harmony Korine
Cast:      James Franco, Vaneesa Hudgens, Selena Gomez

Four college girls who end up in jail after they rob a restaurant is bailed out by a drug dealer, played by James Franco, who wants them to do some dirty work.

I was expecting a B-grade exploitation flick along the lines of Death Proof but it doesn't have any of the funny elements of Tarantino's flick in terms of dialog or characters. Only good thing about it was the hilarity of Selena Gomez' character's narration and weird church and prayer scenes. James Franco's character is interesting. Film very much forgettable.

Rating: 1.5/5

We're the Millers (2013)

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Writers:  Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders, John Morris
Cast:      Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Anniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter

A small-time pot dealer creates a fake family to move a shipment of weed into US from Mexico.

It is a politically incorrect comedy in the mould of Horrible Bosses and such. Plot as such is predictable but there are plenty of laughs and performances are good. It does not sustain the level till the end when the group of people start forming a bond along the predictable lines. Still a good one time watch.

Rating: 3/5