The Fighter - Review

The Fighter - A gritty real life drama,with compelling characters, drugs and boxing. Worth a watch.


The fighter starts off with Christian Bale (Dicky Eklund) in front of a camera talking about what a great boxer he was, the then introduces his kid brother Mickey Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg) who is an up and coming boxer in the small industrial town of Lowell Massachusetts. He talks about how he was a quick boxer who liked to stay out of the way, but his brother liked to get into it and throw some punches. He has taught his little brother every thing he knows.

Right at the get go you look and Christian Bale and realize that he has done it again, he has transformed himself into the character (for those of you who have not seen these transformations, you can see his best work in The Machinist or The Prestige, which are by the way two of my favorite movies). He plays this lanky, but way past his prime boxer (the pride of Lowell), who's being followed around by cameras, on his road to a comeback. But 10 to 15 minute into the story you realize that he's nowhere close to comeback, he's a pothead with one big moment. All this time his brother, Mickey Ward is in his shadow, a boxer with a lot of talent, eying something better. Mickey is trained and managed by his family (his brother and mother).

In Mickey you see this man, who is not young in years but still has that idealistic look in his eyes. A man who is hoping for the big time. Mark Wahlberg plays him with a great sincerity that makes you really feel for the character.

The entire cast of the movie does a brilliant job to take you in an not let go. They tell you a very important story with an amazing grace.

Spoiler Alert:
The story starts of slow with the introduction of all the characters as they set the scenes. They show Dicky and his mother Alice, as they try and get Mickey back on his feet after a string of defeats. As you are watching the scenes unfold in the movie you realize that there's a lot more going on here. The family is a mess and they are dragging down this potential talent with them. 


The mother (Alice Ward) and the sisters are trying to ride a gravy train that has long been dry. They are trying to hold back Mickey from what he can really do. All they can see and aspire to is what Dicky was, what he could have been. They don't see what has happened to him, and what they are doing to Mickey either.The turning point in the story comes when Mickey decides he needs to do what's best for him after another big skirmish in which his brother is arrested and he starts doing what's best for him. 


At the same time you see Dicky in prison as he slowly comes out of this addiction deal with what the documentary was really about, Drugs and Lives lost, not about some big comeback. He comes out of prison a changed man, a clean man who helps his brother to his biggest victory.


A wonderful movie. Brilliant acting. Definitely worth a watch. All in all 4 on 5

Rahul.

Guzaarish - Review

Click the image for the trailer

Guzaarish - A well made movie, but not something that everyone may like.

It's along the lines of most Sanjay Leela Bhansali movies. It's full of artistic expression and tries to convey a strong message. The movie tells the story of Ethan Masceranas a quadriplegic who appeals to the court to permit him to take his life.

Hrithik Roshan plays the role of this once great magician with a wonderful grace. Today, despite being unable to care for himself, he brings hope to a lot of people through his radio program. So when he appeals for the court to take his life, it leaves most of his friends and family devastated.

The cast is supported by strong performances throughout, Aishwariya Rai plays Sophia D'souza, his nurse for the past 12 years who takes care of every aspect of his life right from brushing his teeth to changing his clothes.

There's a deep connection between Sophia and Ethan which is shown very subtly in the movie. But that's not the main topic and it's good that they don't focus on it. They show us how he struggles through his day to day life. The best scene is when his roof starts leaking and there's nothing that he can do but watch the water drip on his head. A couple of scenes in the movie, especially Sophia dancing in a restaurant could have been avoided. It does not add anything to the story and makes you wonder what the point of it is. All in  all, It's a good movie to watch. I'd say 3/5.

The movie tries to address the serious topic of euthanasia with a very delicate hand, showing why someone may actually want to do something so extreme. When I first heard him say, "I want to ask the court for permission to take my life" I thought to myself that it was wrong. I felt that if it were allowed, people would misuse it. But by the end of the movie, I found myself thinking that there was good reason to allow people who cannot help themselves, people who are in unbelievable pain an opportunity to end their lives. I guess I just wont comment on the topic anymore. It's a personal choice.

Rahul

Battlestar Galactica (RDM) - Review

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (BSG)


This science fiction series that aired from 2003 to 2009 is one of the best space epics that I've seen. Being a huge fan of every Star Trek series out there, I think I now have my all time favorite split. The only series that comes close to BSG is Star Trek: Deep Space 9. Baring a very few episodes the entire series continues the story arc from the first to the last episode. The premise, the concept and actors all add to the character of the series and bring it to life.


Spoiler Warning:
Before I start talking about BSG. Let me say one thing. If you've not seen the series. Don't read the entire review. Every line you read may have a spoiler for you. If you like science fiction (or even a good action series) watch BSG when you find the time. The series is not as long as most (it's just 4 seasons). But at the end of it - it  leaves you feeling extremely satisfied, thinking about the concept and in awe at the quality of the story. 


Let's get into it....


The Universe of Battlestar Galactica derives a lot of it's concepts from Greek mythos, the zodiac and concepts that say man came to Earth from the beyond. They talk about a race of humans that live on the 12 Colonies of Kobol, which are 12 planets that mirror our 12 signs of the Zodiac.Humanity once lived with the Gods (Apollo, Aphrodite, Aries, Zeus and the rest) on the planet known as Kobol. Many thousands of years ago, 12 tribes left Kobol and settled on these 12 planets to begin life anew.

As humanity evolved they developed artificial intelligence to improve life on the twelve colonies.
These creations were known as Cylons (Cybernetic Life FOrm Nodes)
The opening line of the mini-series (pilot) described it the best.

The Cylons were created by Man.

They were created to make life easier on the Twelve Colonies.

And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters.

After a long and bloody struggle, an armistice was declared.

The Cylons left for another world to call their own.

A remote space station was built...

Where Cylon and human could meet and maintain diplomatic relations.

Every year, the Colonials send an officer...

The Cylons send no one.

No-one has seen or heard from the Cylons in over forty years...

The mini-series begins at this point - 40 Years Later. (Spoilers Begin)

The Cylons return to destroy their masters - they believe that Humanity is a flawed creation and orchestrate a holocaust of the 12 colonies. At the end of this all that is survives is a rag-tag group of soldiers aboard an aging Battlestar (that was about to be decommissioned and converted to a museum) Galactica. They also find many civilian ships that survived the attack and together they are all that's left of humanity. 50 thousand souls.
These ships become what remains of the Colonial civilization and they are in search of a mystical planet known as Earth. The Twelve Colonies believe that there was once a 13th tribe on Kobol, that left their brothers behind and went on to look for a new world to live on, Earth. This fleet in retreat, continually pursued by the rampaging Cylons trying to take them out is on this journey to find their lost brothers of Kobol and a new Home.

When the colonials fought the Cylons during the first war they looked like our typical representation of a Robot - Huge metal creatures. Only that they were robotic and biological components. Over the last 40 years, they have evolved - they now look and feel human.

This adds a sense of mystery to the series as the colonials meet each of the Cylon models.

But at the end of the day, in addition to the story, the concept and the visual treat that the series provides. What stands out is the wonderfully depicted characters.

The stars of the show are Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, they play Commander William Adama and President Laura Roslin, the two heads of the fleet of survivors. They are by no means perfect leaders, but are instead two people who inherited the position because there was no one else left above them.

Neither of them put in the best acing performances, but then they portray flawed characters, so I guess it's apt that the acting was flawed as well. The series is brilliantly supported by a wonderful cast, some of whom you like from the get go and some that you learn to love.

- spoiler alert 2 - stop now - 

The first two seasons show the conflicts within BSG and the fight for survival against the Cylons. You see the story arc evolve as Laura Roslin becomes a prophet and starts having visions of Earth. She believes that she can find Earth, find salvation for her people. She believes that she is The Dying leading in the prophecies. They find Kobol, they find the humans left behind on Caprica. The show brings the entire cast together by the end of the second season as they settle on a new Caprica to begin a new life.

The third season takes the show further by setting it one year after they settle on new Caprica and shows their struggle for survival. The 3rd season starts concentrating more on the Cylons as well, exploring their lives and beliefs in the one true God. It shows in a subtle way the differences between all our religions, the differences in our ways of life.

But the turning point in the show was when they decided to make sense out of an over used line "This has happened before. This will happen again."  This one sentence gives all the meaning to the BSG series. The 13th tribe were humanoid Cylons. They lived in harmony with humanity on Kobol until their beliefs caused them to go out in search for a new world. They found Earth settled, grew and eventually forgot they were machines. They developed their own Cylons. There was another war that destroyed their world. It's at this point in the show that all the strange overtones in the series, like calling a human-cylon child the future of things to come start making sense. Both humanity and cylon on their own are flawed. Perhaps they can survive as one.

God(s) eventually leads the fleet by chance to pre-historic planet where humanity has evolved. They are hunters, gatherers. They have not even developed speech yet. With no where else to go Humanity and cylon settles on this planet and integrates into their lives, returning to their roots. (a fresh start). Of course this planet is what we know as Earth.

But the best scene in the entire series is the last one. Earth - 150,000 years later. Today in our terms. Two angels walk through New York city. They reminisce Caprica city before the fall and question if it will happen again. As they walk out of frame, they show all our robotic advancements till date. It's a thought.

A brilliant series. Nothing that I've seen (except DS9) comes close. 5/5.

The movie that followed - The Plan - don't watch it. The movie tries to explain the Cylon Plan - the first two seasons. It does not add to the story (3/5). Let the last scene be the last of this BSG series that you watch.

Rahul.

the social network - Review

the social network - Review


How did Facebook become the phenomenon that it is? How did Mark Zuckerberg create this sensation at 20 years old? I don't know one person who uses Facebook who will not want to watch this movie. 


Accept it or not, facebook is a huge part of our lives. But back in 2003 did you think that you would abandon  most of the other social networking sites like MySpace, Orkut and whatever else was out there. Only in 2007 I blogged about how Orkut was helping me stay in touch with my friends. I guess Facebook at the time was still just growing and it had not become the phenomenon that it is now. I don't even think Zuckerberg can define Facebook. In the movie he says, "We don't know what it is yet. All we know is that it's cool!" Yeah, I agree it's cool. It's a polished and clean website that is totally customized to you and in the process making everyone at Facebook a billionaire. 


Well, Billionaires yes, not every one got their fair share. The movie is plays like a carefully scripted documentary with all the glitz and hoopla of a Hollywood blockbuster thrown in. When the movie starts of in a bar, with Zuckerburg blabbering on and on and on to some girl at a break neck speed, you wonder. What the heck is this? But the moment she storms out of the bar after calling in an a****le. You realize what made the facebook. How the ideas came to be. Facebook is the creation of a genius mind of a teen who just got dumped. And he did it why? To get back at her of course. His best friend, Eduardo Saverin provides him the key ingredient, an algorithm to create a website that can rate girls. facemash.com. These 2 co-founders of the best social networking site on the planet, started crafting the idea over beers and thousands of lines of code. The beauty of the movie is it shows you the evolution of an idea. A small spark that led to another and another and ultimately Facebook.


I learned a lot of things yesterday. For the longest time I didn't even care who created facebook. Until I learned that Mark, was the youngest Billionaire on the planet. He's as old as me & he made facebook. Wow! 


The movie does justice to all parties in the film. It shows you that facebook was not an idea that came from one guy. It was the culmination of the best from all the facebook pages in Harvard, the social networking capabilities of MySpace and Friendster and some simple day to day aspects of college life. The movie is a must watch. Hats off to the beautifully crafted story. It never gives you a chance to get bored, without evergoing too fast.


My Rating: 4 on 5.


Rahul.

PEEPLI [Live] - Review

PEEPLI [Live] - Thought provoking, Hard hitting, not far from the truth...


Despite knowing the basis of the story, PEEPLI [Live] took me off guard. I knew that it was about a very serious subject (farmer suicides), but trailers made it seem like the movie was a satirical take on the matter & how the entire country hops on the band wagon right at election time.a strong message delivered with a light spirit. I must say that message was sent home strong and hard. Although there is the odd laugh during the movie, it's not a hearty laugh. It's more of a  strained laugh that eases the tension of the movie.

This movie is about Natha(Omkar Das) & Budhia(Raghuvir Yadav) , two brothers, farmers in a small village called "Peepli". They are on the verge of loosing their land to the bank because of loans they cannot repay. They are told that they only way they can get any money now (you find out how.. when you watch the movie) is by committing suicide. The government will pay a lakh of rupees to the farmers family. Both of them discuss this and decide that Natha would be the one to sacrifice himself for the family. In a drunken stupor they discuss this with others in the village when a reporter hears them and breaks the story. This results in a hurricane of events with every conceivable news channel and politician descending on this little village with their own agendas. Although there may be a few exaggerations in the behavior of some of the journalists it's not by much. One trying to top the other, in a bid to get the next sound byte or breaking story. These poor men stuck in the middle, the entire country watching asking the question, "Will Natha commit suicide?" 

This is a movie, but I find myself very unsure of how to review it. From start to finish, you see the things that touch you, make you feel for these people. You also feel that this film has portrayed India in a true light. There are extremes in the country, between the rich and the poor. The politicians who care about the next elections, the journalists who just want the next scoop & the poor farmer who wonders how he will provide for his family. None of you who are reading this blog can say any different. We have a lot to be thankful for, we are but one side of the coin, lest we forget the other.  I don't know if I'm just full of words of if I will ever be able to do anything to help. I'll be honest about that. But these are the facts that we live with.

Some of the characters in the movie are so beautifully portrayed, especially Natha's wife, Dhaniya(Shalini Vatsa) who shows her love, frustration & desperation to support her family & his mother(Farrukh Jaffar) who through her constant taunting, shows both her pain and provides the occasional comic relief. The other performance of note is of the journalist who broke the story, Rakesh(Nowaz) who goes through the movie understanding the plight of the farmers and the ruthlessness of the world around him.

Watch the movie, because it's beautifully made. I know it's a sad story and you might come out pondering but it might be worth it.

Ok.. I'll say just because the movie could have been cut short here and there.. 4.2/5

Rahul

The Other Guys - Review

The Other Guys - Unforgiving Fun, Crazy Laughs; a good way to spend a few hours.


They are the other guys, the Cops who do the mundane job, they are not the guys racing through the streets and firing their guns. Yeah right.

This movie is full of car chases, gun fights and rib ticking laughs.Will Ferrell's unmistakable comic flare comes through in this movie that keeps poking jokes at itself. Some of these jokes borrow themselves from good old action movies and some are down right dumb. Mark Wahlberg plays a great comic sidekick in this cop comedy. His comic timing and his constant surprise with Will Farrell's insane nature and crazy luck provides a laughs.


The movie starts of slow with some really bad jokes and you wonder if you made a mistake watching the movie. But it slowly sucks you in. You find yourself laughing at more and more jokes. By the end of the movie you realize that you have had a good time. Wasn't that the idea anyway. I'd say this movie is worth watching at least once at least on DVD.

I'd say on the whole... this a 3/5. Go have a few laughs

Rahul

Inception - Movie Review

Inception - Classic Nolan, Mind Bending, Dark, Gripping, Makes you think.


Wow. It's been a while since I saw a good movie at the theater. What a refreshing movie. Going into someone's mind is scary in itself, but, the idea that you can go into someone's dreams and take an idea, or for that matter plant an idea is mind boggling (pun intended).

The world of Inception is one where Dream invasion is a accepted fact and people are trained to control their minds when they are in the dream state. An idea stolen from a dream may be one of the biggest trade secrets that one might want to keep buried away, or might just be a deep dark loathing for another person.We all know these dreams that we go into, we don't even realize that we are dreaming until we wake up. Now, imagine someone going into that dream, walking around trying to be a part of it. Trying not to disturb the mind, but acting like a part of it. Hoping you will reveal your secrets to him.

Don't worry, I've not given away the plot of the movie, I've just tried to explain the concept. Leonardo DiCaprio is supported by a brilliant cast in this movie that keeps you hooked from the beginning till the last scene. When the credits rolled yesterday, the chorus of "Ahhh" that went out in the theater was a first for me. I'm definitely going to watch this movie again. Not to say I didn't understand it, Just because I really liked it and want to take in every detail again.

A must watch. 4.25 on 5

Rahul.

Get Him To The Greek - Review

Get Him To The Greek - Just get it on DVD.

The movie is what the name suggests.. Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) a runt in the music industry is tasked with bringing a perpetually high Rock star, Aldus Snow (Russell Brand) from London to the Greek Theater in LA for an anniversary concert.

Aldus Snow is the rocker whose career has gone down the drain and is on every conceivable narcotic. Aaron Green, is Green. He's new to the music industry and is looking to make a name for himself. He idolizes Aldus and is thrilled with the opportunity to Get him to the Greek.

The movie makes no excuses for itself as it tires to throw tasteless jokes after jokes at you. Granted some of them are funny and make you laugh. But some of the promos of this movie suggest that it's as funny as "The Hangover". Give me a break. "The Hangover" was one of the funniest movies I have seen in a while. The Greek does not even come close.

I'd say it's definitely one of the movies that will give you a good laugh one day when you watch it on TV. But do you really need to go to the movies for this one? I don't think so.

An average movie.. 2.5/5


Rahul.

Invictus - Movie on DVD Review

Invictus - A beautifully crafted true story. A Must Watch

Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa at the end of Apartheid, but was left with a country to re-build, a people to re-unite. Invictus is the story of one of these efforts to re-unite his people to mend the soul of the nation. He recognized that Rugby is a passion that can be used to divide and unite. He used it to inspire François Pienaar the captain of the team and to unite a country. As he said, "One Country, One Team!"

The story has a wonderful mood throughout, it keeps you gripped and that's due in part to music. The African music in the movie is mesmerizing. The story really makes you feel for the country and the amount its had to endure. It makes you know these men, Nelson and Francois and their road to that championship. I know this story is but a small page in Nelson Mandela's life but this movie shows you how much he cared for his nation and his people. His ability to forgive and move on and teaching his people to do the same.

The movie's leading stars both put in brilliant performances. Morgan Freeman looks hauntingly like Nelson Mandela, but for the fact that he's a few inches taller, you can't but think about the similarity in their appearances. As expected from him, his performance is flawless. The accent, the way he carries himself. There couldn't have been a better person to play the part. Matt Damon's portrayal of the Springbok team captain is earnest. One meeting with Mandela and he's a man inspired and he continually tries to inspire his team to play for entire nation.

All in all. For a movie on DVD. 4.5 on 5. Go watch it.


Rahul.

Raavan - Review

Raavan - This inspiration from Ramayana is worth a watch

The trailers of this movie have kept a lot of people in anticipation of another brilliant movie by Mani Ratnam. The movie does not disappoint. You are kept entertained and engrossed all through the 2 hours of the movie.

In this interpretation of Ram and Raavan, Raavan is the most hardened dacoit in town and Ram is the cop sent in to slay him where everyone else has failed. The movie is very differently styled from most other movies I have seen. The colors, the music and the mood of the movie all fit perfectly to create a very artistic movie. Oddly, that was one of the things that I said when I was leaving home to go watch the movie. "I don't really like Arty movies...I don't know if am going to really enjoy the movie". But I did. My mistake. I shouldn't have doubted that the movie would be quality.

But don't get me wrong the movie is far from brilliant. It's a good movie and worth a one time watch at the movies.Abhishek Bachchan tries his best to portray Beera as a mad, dangerous, gentle and at the and of the day a highly conflicted individual. And he does quite well in most regards. There are times in the movie where you really feel for his character. But he really does not have to put his hand at the side of his head every 15 minutes and shout "chaka chaka chaka chaka". It seems a strange way to show he's mad.Vikram, plays the role of the DSP to the best of his ability in his first hindi movie. This modern day crusader for good however is no way all pure. He's shown in very well constructed shades of grey. One felt that he would make a much better Raavan. Which is why I feel the Tamil version may actually be better. We'll let's see. I may just update this post once I've seen that one.Aishwarya Rai actually delivers one of her better performances. She plays the strong and willful Ragini with amazing grace.

Why should you watch this movie? If you want to see something different. Something that keeps you hooked till the very end and see something stunning for the eyes and ears. Mani Ratnam, A R Rahman. Way to Go!

I'd say 3.65/5

Rahul.

The One Day Overhaul

What do we do with ODI Cricket?

One Day Cricket the literal middle child of Cricket. Years ago, it was the dynamic, young version of cricket that would bring in some interest to the great game of cricket. Face it, how much ever we all love test cricket, no one could claim to have the time to watch 5 days of action. The one day game made sense. But fast forward to our generation and ODIs are today where Tests were back then. No one has the time to watch an entire day of cricket. People want fast satisfaction, introduce the 20/20. All said and done, the format is a raging success (due in major part to the IPL). Test cricket now is strong and most matches have results. The influx of ODIs and Twenty 20's have ensured that the style of cricket has changed (Tests have gone down the road of old wine, I suppose). So, that leaves us to ask, what of ODIs? Does cricket really need 3 formats?

The number of experiments that have been done with ODI's over the years tend to suggest that there is a problem with the format. There is a cut that does not seem to heal. Think about it. ODI's started as a 60 over game and very soon it was cut down to 50 overs a side. That's the format that most of us would remember growing up. 50 overs a side, fielding restrictions in the first 15 overs, no bouncers and amazing cricket. ODI's in the 90's was a joy to watch, with enigmatic players and fierce rivalries. The generation of Waqar, Wasim, McGrath, Warne, Walsh, Ambrose, Donald ensured a balance between the bat and ball. Brilliant batsman emerged who destroyed them. It was all part of the fun. But as time went on, pitches became better, bowlers were not as special.ODI's lost their balance, batsmen started dominating and the changes came in thick and fast.The One Bouncer Per Over, allowing bowlers to use all their skills. The Super Sub, allowing captains to swap out a player at one time in the game. The Free Hit, you can't get out the ball after a no-ball. The Power Plays, changing up the 15 over fielding restrictions into 3 slots. The Batting Power Play, giving control of one of the power plays to the batting side. The Referral, letting players question the umpire's decision. Some of these changes were for the good. They made sense, the bouncers and the free hits improved the quality of the cricket. The Batting power play introduced a new tactical angle to the game.

But none of these changes have been able to address the major problem of ODIs. The Middle Overs.The time in the game between the fielding restrictions and the final 5-10 overs where the batting team consolidates and the the bowling team tries to get it's weaker bowlers out of the way. It produces some dull cricket. The problem has been exaggerated with the introduction of T20s. The reason T20s are a success because they just cut out the problem in the ODI game. It's just a shorter, faster version of it's predecessor. But, I feel the T20s are missing something. They are missing the soul of the game. The game is too fast. It does not provide a chance for the a player to test all his skills. It does not allow a plan to be formed. And although T20 is the format of choice today, all of us would agree that ODIs are something different. They have a place of their own. All of us will remember sitting in front of our TVs and bitting our nails during a thrilling ODI. But not too many of us can remember too many T20s.

England and South Africa have already changed their domestic one day competitions to 40 overs a side. Shorter the game, shorter the boredom? Hmm.. I don't think so. That may not be the answer. 40 overs or 50 overs. It does not make too much of a difference. If there is a talk of a over haul. Over haul it the right way. Turn it out side down, inside out. Come up with something new. Something that will work. So is there an answer?

So, what do we do? Cricket Australia thinks they have the answer. Make the ODI a mini Test match. Break it down into a 4 inning game of 25 overs each.Okay, it's not a revolutionary idea. It's one that's made it's rounds in cricket for a long time. It's been whispered and discussed but never tired out. So here's it's chance. But how would it work? It would be no better than 2 back to back T20's if the teams restarted each innings with all 10 wickets intact. Don't worry, CA has the solution. Not only would the new ODI format carry over the runs, but also the wickets lost in the previous innings.What that means is that a batsman can bat only once and the second innings could potentially see only tail enders at the wicket. This may produce some really lopsided contests.

I think the CA model warrants and honest trial. People are assuming that the second innings could see only tail enders bat. But that may not be the case. You may land up seeing that captains are smarter than that. If they loose 2 or 3 wickets in their first time out, they are going to send out the tail enders to hold up the innings, so that the rest of the batsmen can have another chance the second time around.There might be a total re-structure in the way a team is selected. They may want 3 openers, 2 middle order batsmen and 3 all rounders in each team to bring in the balance. But there are other things that they could try. This is a 4 inning game but each person gets to bat only once. Am also assuming that each bowler will get only 5 overs each. So why not split the wickets as well? You can loose only a maximum of 5 wickets in an innings. This will allow teams to use their batsmen strategically based on the nature of the nature of the game and the pitch. They would also need a new follow on rule. So if the team batting second does not get within 100 runs of the oppositions score they can be asked to follow on. Of course the innings victory concept would still remain, if the team batting second bowls out the opposition twice for less than their first total. This may be an amazing way to watch the player cope with the pressures of the test match in a single day.

The 2011 World cup in South Asia may be the last of it's kind if the trials go well and world cup doesn't. I don't know how many people will miss it and how many will embrace the brave new world. But I don't expect major changes overnight after the world cup because if the world cup goes well Haroon Logart said nothing would change. And in India I don't expect the World cup to be a disaster. But I don't think that's the right attitude. It's a good idea and it should be at least tried at the international level as an experiment in bi-lateral series. It will take time to evolve and it must be given that opportunity. Maybe it should be a choice for bi-lateral series for teams to decide what format of ODI's they want to play, that would help experiment with ideas a the highest level.

Well.. just my thoughts..Also read what Harsha Bhogle & Dean Jones had to say on Split innings One dayers... I think the first article has some really valid points. But Dean Jones' idea would dilute the quality of the competition.

Rahul..
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POST SCRIPT: August 13th 2010 - Too many changes too soon.

Today, Cricket Australia (CA) announced that they have approved the Split innings one day competition for the upcoming one day season. The players are not happy that it will be all season long as they feel it will affect their World cup preparation, but the board says they have done what the fans want. That's not my problem with this change. The problem I have is with the number of changes they are making.

They could have just made the game 25 overs per side, with wickets carrying over, but they have tweaked it much more.. I think it will confuse players and fans. Here's the rundown of what they are doing,

• 45 overs a side - First innings will be 20 overs and the Second will be 25.

This one gives the second innings more time.
It makes sense. It's more important. It decides the game

• 12 players per side. Any 11 can bat and any 11 can field.

My biggest problem is with this change.
Cricket is a 11 man game. Stick to that.
This was tried before in a different way with the super sub and it didn't work.
Why again? It does not add value.

• Two Bouncers per over - Enough said.

This change is cool.

Enough of 400+ scores, go bounce those batsman out.

• 2 Balls throughout the game for each team

Really? - One new ball at each side which goes throughout both innings.
I don't know how this will work.
One ball may wear out more than the other, one may swing more than the other.
Where do you keep the other ball - with the umpire?

• 12 Overs for a bowler throughout the game

Yeah OK. So I need only 4 bowlers in the side.
That's good for most international teams, who don't play 5 bowlers anyway.
I think we may see teams playing just 3 specialist bowlers now.

• Insane Field Restrictions - Overs 1-5 = 2 fielders outside the circle; 6-20 = 4 outside; 21-25 = 2 outside, 26-45 = 4 outside & NO POWER PLAYS.

The first innings is slap, bang, boom and the second is supposed to even it out.
Yikes, all the best to the cricketers to remember this.
The power plays didn't add much to the game, it don't think it will be missed.

The trial is a big leap in itself. Why muddle with the entire game. This is trying to bite off more than you can chew. They are either trying to kill the idea or drive away the traditionalists. I still hope the trial goes well, but at the end of it some committee comes together and says, "Split innings makes sense, but these other rules don't".

Let me sign off with this quote from James Sutherland about the changes.

"The public told us to act and we have," he said. "The fans told us, through formal research, that they like ODI cricket best, but they want to see it refreshed and they want to see it with a short-form identity that is distinctively different from fast-emerging T20 cricket.

Read the entire article at Cricinfo

Rahul...

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Avatar - The Last Airbender - TV Series

Avatar - The Last Airbender - More than Just a Cartoon for Kids.

It took me 2 Weeks to get through 3 seasons of this animated series from Nickelodeon. From the Boy in the Iceberg to Sozin's comet, almost every episode of this animated series is worth a watch. The series does have a Anime flare to it added with a touch of American influences.

The story is set in a world that's divided into four nations based on the four main elements, Air, Water, Earth and Fire. In each of these nations there are people known as Benders, who can control these elements. The Avatar is a Bender, who masters all 4 elements and keeps the balance between the nations. Every time an Avatar dies, he is re-incarnated in the next element.

After the Fire Avatar disappeared, the Fire nation attacked the other elements in a bid to conquer the world and destroy the Avatar. But as you may expect he miraculously survived. The Last Air Bender.

The Avatar, known as Aang is found by two children from the southern Water tribe called Kitara and Sokka. The series chronicles their journey as the Avatar tries to learn the other elements in order to be able to beat the Fire Nation. Along the way they meet new friends and save many people, bringing hope where all was lost.

As all Good vs. Evil stories, you know who's going to win. But this series has some surprising nuances that I didn't expect in a kids show. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi or fantasy. If you like Anime, I'm sure you'll love this series. All the action, comic escapes, innocence and gripping story line that you'd expect is all in here.

It's a must watch. 4.5/5... Have Fun!

I was curious about the series because of the trailers for the upcoming movie. I wanted to know what it was about. When I started, never did I think I'd run through it at this pace. Now let's see if M. Night. Shamylan can do the series justice. Watching the trailers, I can see that the world of the Avatar is portrayed with all sincerity, but am not sure how much of the comic element would stay in the movie adaptation. Let's hope fr the best. The first part of a possible trilogy is slated for a July 2nd release.

Update July 25th 2011 - After seeing the reviews on this movie, I decided to give it a pass at the time. I started watching the movie a few days ago. It was the most boring thing I have seen in ages. I couldn't even get through an hour of the movie. It's way too compressed. They have tried to be faithful to the cartoon. But you really can't put an entire season into a 2 hour movie. I'll say watch the series, give the movie a pass.

Rahul..

A-Team Movie Review

The A-Team... There should have been a plan B

The re-make of this '80s TV series, does not really have too much in it to be a fun time at the movies. So much that my wife actually fell asleep on and off in the movie...

I went for the movie expecting something ridiculous. I saw a few reviews that said it was over the top and I assumed that would mean an hour and a half of nonsensical laughter.

Unfortunately, even though the movie is quite ridiculous, there aren't too many scenes that make you laugh or action sequences that make you go WOW other than, the one at the end with the cargo crate slight of hand.

But, this movie I suspect will do well on DVD and on TV. It's one of those movies that you watch because you have nothing better to do. I wouldn't recommend going to watch this movie at the theater. Give it a few months and catch it on DVD.

On the whole, the movie is just below average... 2.3/5 Watch it at your own risk. You may enjoy it

Rahul

Raajneeti - Review

RAAJNEETI - Action Packed Drama that loses itself along the way

Politics and Way beyond! This Prakash Jha movie tries to show the political system at it's worst with the corruption, violence, back stabbing and scheming associated with the political system. It's mixed with solid Indian movie masala in an attempt to make a blockbuster.

The movie is about politics in Madhya Pradesh, and about a political family. The family has held the state for decades.The movie starts of slow, introducing all the characters and trying to set the scene. But after the first 15 minutes the movie picks the pace and pulls you in. Right at the start you feel, oh man these guys are going to mess it up. With a filmy scene where Nana Patekar puts a baby in a basket in the river. Why did the upcoming Dalit have to be related to the biggest political family. Anyway, after a while you tend to forget that detail as the story pulls you in. Almost all the actors in this movie do their roles justice and you are at the edge of your seat.

The story of this political family of Bhanu Pratap & Chandra Pratap, is helped by a brilliant cast of actors, Arjun Rampal (Prithvi Pratap) & Manoj Bajpai (Veerendra Pratap) who play their sons vying for their father's crowns. You feel from the get go that this is a fireball waiting to explode. It would take just a spark. That spark was Bhanu Pratap getting a stroke. From there the party gets factionalized by the cousins as the story builds.

The illicit son Sooraj Kumar, played by Ajay Devgan is a youth Dalit leader who wants the best for his village and will stand up to any leader in his way.The final twist is added by the entry of the US return Samar Pratap (Ranbir Kapoor), you really don't know what he's doing in the movie at first, but as the story builds you realize that this is one of the best performances by this young actor.

All the actors are supported brilliantly by Nana Patekar, who plays the king maker and advisor of the family, Brij Gopal. The cunning and danger of this character is evident through out the movie.

When the movie started, my wife and I were trying to figure out which political party they are trying to depict. It took us 20 minutes to realize, all they had done was take the worst each of them had to offer and make this story. I guess the problem with the movie is that it tends to get very filmy every 20 mins or so. Brilliant potential. Horribly ended.

So, let me rate this movie this way. Except for the last 20 minutes, the movie is 3.5/5.

But for the slow drawn out ending & unnecessary plot twists I'm going to say the movie is just below average. But definitely worth a watch. All in all. 2.9/5

Rahul

Green Street Hooligans - DVD Review

Green Street Hooligans (2005) - Review

An old movie, but I don't know how many of us have seen it.

This is a movie about a English Football Firm, called the GSE (Green Street Elite). For the uninitiated (like I was till last night), a Firm is a gang for whom football is their life. They support their club to such extremes that involve blood and violence.

Elijah Wood plays a kid, Matt Buckner who gets kicked out of Harvard for doing drugs. He makes his way to London to visit his sister and her family. This is where he meets Pete Dunham (Charlie Hunnam), the leader of the GSE. He takes this "Yank" kid under his wing and he over time becomes part of the firm. The movie takes you through the life of a firm, from Matt's perspective as he grows in the firm.

It's a powerful movie that shows the perils of the gang life. But at the end of the day it's a coming of age story of Matt Buckner, where he learns to stand up for himself. It's definitely worth a watch.

I'll say 3.6/5

Rahul..

One awesome thing is this movie : The GAME is FOOTBALL - NOT SOCCER!! :D

Robin Hood Movie (2010) - Review

ROBIN HOOD - Review

Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett.. A dream team of movie makers. Especially for period epics. Expectations are through the roof. Does Robin Hood deliver? Yes & No. Read on to see why.

The best thing that they did when they made this movie was to change the story. I don't think anyone wants to hear the same old Robin Hood story re-told. He steals from the Rich and Gives to the poor. He's a noble man who lived in Sherwood forest. The Sheriff of Nottingham is the bad guy and Maid Marianne is his love interest. We've all seen and read that story in a multitude of ways.

No, this story did not go down that path. The characters in the story are the same as the legend. But the story completely different. It begins with the story of King Richard and his Holy Crusade. Robin Longstride is a archer in his army who along with his "merry" men gets on the wrong side of the King & at the moment of the King's death escape persecution. As they make their way back to England a strange set of events occur which cause Robin and his men to pose themselves as Knights taking the crown back to London. The movie from this point on shows a very different Robin Longstride, one with morals, but not a cause. The cause comes when he arrives at Nottingham and is made Robin of Loxley. I'm not going to give out much more of the story, because that would defeat the purpose of a new EPIC. Let me just say this really worth the time. The story is very well developed and differently presented.

Where the new story makes this movie really enjoyable is also where this movie has a problem. It takes forever for them to build each character. Explain what they are about, and set the background plot. It's a slow starter. But, I guess it's a EPIC. It's going to take some time to digest. The sets are really astounding, especially the Fort at York and London of the 12th century. The battle scenes in the climax of the movie also make you feel like you are in that age. All the actors in the movie play their parts well. There's no performance that stands out as exceptional or poor. You just like watching the movie.

All in all I enjoyed it. The only thing was I got up from the movie saying. Couldn't it have been a bit shorter? Anyway - it's worth a watch. 3.66/5.

Rahul.

Firefly - The Series & Serenity -The Movie (Review)

Firefly & Serenity - Review

These two series have been on Netflix instant play for a while now. I finally got around to watching both of them.

Half way through the series, I was really looking forward to blogging about it and telling everyone that this was a really cool series that was cut short. I was really looking forward to singing it's praises. But, unfortunately, I can't do that. 'Caus

neither the series nor the movie actually deserve that level of accolades.

They do however warrant a mention. Because it was not bad. Because it was a nice idea, there was some chemistry & well 'caus I'm a SciFi fan who has run out of Star Trek & Star Wars stuff to watch.

I had watched Buffy & Angel off and on. They had a certain flair. Firefly brought that same flair to this series as well. I guess it's the Josh Whedon touch. As a concept, Firefly is great. The earth has run out of resources so humans find other worlds to colonize. And then of course some places become richer and some poorer. Wars break out and battle lines are drawn. All make a great recipe. The best part of this series was that it was about humans in space. Not some humans with 10 other alien species mixed in.

Anyway, the series had a certain space cowboys, western feel and is quite riveting. You go from episode to episode relating to the characters,building a bond. And just when you wonder where the series is going. It get's canned. So, that takes us to the movie.

Ok. Let's take a breath. Before I talk about the Movie. Firefly on it's own according to me is 3.66/5 for a TV series. It's defiantly worth a watch - although not the best I've seen.

So, Serenity. I guess the makers had to make this movie to give some kind of a logical ending to their series, their franchise. I guess they did to that. Eventually. The movie tires to tie up the loose ends in the series. Like, what did the Alliance do to River? Who the hell is Shepard Book? And, what on earth are Refers?

Again, as a concept, the story is good. But the execution is poor. The movie takes very long to get going and by the time it does, you are ready for it to end. To give it credit. It does end well. The closing plot is very good and the acting does get better as the movie moves along. But, since it's a movie, I'll have to say it's just average. 2.5/5 for Serenity.

I think, if you have some spare time on your hands & you like SciFi, you can do worse than Firefly & Serenity. I'd say just watch Firefly, but that makes no sense, you'll want to know how it ends. So take the good with the bad and watch both. You may not regret it. :)

Rahul.

The Blind Side - Movie on DVD Review

The Blind Side

A movie about a gentle Giant. A simple story about a boy and his mother. Micheal Oher is a boy from the tough side of town who gets a chance to join a private school. As he struggles to make use of this opportunity and do well in school, he is noticed by a woman named Leigh Ann Tuohy. She realizes that he's homeless and gives him a bed for the night. She feels for him and she has him stay with her and tries to ensure that the family takes him as one of their own. Over time grows as she takes him as her son. The teachers in the school and Leigh Ann help Micheal with his studies and over time, he becomes eligible to play Football for the school.

Don't expect too many twists and turns, this is just the story of one boy and his mama. What makes it really beautiful is when you realize that it's a true story. What it must have been like for the actual Leigh Ann & her family. How the bond between them was as close as any Mother and son. I really liked this simple story. It's defiantly worth a watch.

Sandra Bullock - She's the star of the movie, and she plays the role with a lot of conviction. You can really relate to the character, the way she has portrayed her as a no nonsense, loving and determined woman. This role deserved all the accolades that it received.

Quinton Aaron - He's the gentlest big guy on screen. He plays the role of Big Mike really well and you feel for this young boy, even though he looks twice my size. His determination, his love for his family, the way he just wants to please everyone. Beautifully performed role.

For the simple truth - 4/5.

Rahul.

IRON MAN 2 - REVIEW

IRON MAN - 2

So where did the last movie leave off. Oh yeah that's right, Tony Stark says he's Iron Man. OK, I thought they'd find a way around that and say that it didn't really happen. I was also dreading what this movie would be. I thought it would just be a money spinner. A cheesy rip-off of the first movie. But, I was wrong it was actually better.

The movie picks up with the Government asking Tony to hand over the Iron Man suit. I think you can guess how that request goes down. :) But from there on, the plot is stitched beautifully, with Ivan Vanko plotting and scheming to take Iron Man down. As with most Downey movies, you see his character fall down only to get up again better than before (not to be read as the bad guy wins - watch the movie, you'll understand - I'm not giving you the story).

How's the movie? It's great. The story is actually pretty good and it's different from other superhero movies and that's 'caus the hero is such an ass. Now if they could only find him some actual villains to fight Iron Man, the movie would actually get interesting. Really, Mickey Rourke just can't act. I'm glad he plays the Russian Ivan Vanko in the movie, that way he does not have too many lines. For the few that he has I don't think he does them justice.

I like Robert Downey Jr. I like his attitude and the way he portrays Tony Stark, and frankly he's the only shining light in the movie as far as acting goes. Oh no, wait. There was one more actor in this movie worth mentioning. Scarlett Johansson. She plays Stark's lawyer/bodyguard - and although she's got a very small role in the movie she plays it really well.

Don Cheadle finally gets to wear the suit and some of the scenes with him and Iron Man are quite cool. Especially in the big fight in the end. Ok, so now we have Iron Man's side kick as well. So what next? Iron Man 3? Or do we go straight to the Avengers ?

RATING : 3.75 on 5... (I'm not giving it a 4 because they should have made the Villain a bit more dangerous)

Rahul.

Note of congratulations to self :)

My 100th published Blog post. Wow, that took a long time.

I had similar blog about 3 years ago when I posted my 50th . I thought this would have come much sooner. Well I guess with me just blogging with reviews it does slow things down. Anyway - I'm going to keep going. I hope people keep reading.

Kick-Ass (Movie) Review

KICK ASS

Kick Ass, is a good 2 hours of Blood, Gore and Fun. It's about a teenage kid who decides to become a superhero. As he starts getting his ass kicked, he meets Hit Girl(Chloe Moretz), a 11 year old super hero is the real star of the movie. She fights crime with her father Big Daddy(Nicholas Cage).

Where Chloe's performance is brilliant and refreshing, Cage's performance was nothing short of terrible, he's literally wheezing through the performance. Chloe literally carries the movie & this pint sized superhero is one amazing act. Aaron Johnson who plays the role of Kick-Ass, is really just the narrator of the story, with a geeky goofy superhero thrown in here and there.

I'd say watch the movie, just because it's fun & I've not seen a movie worth watching in the theater's for a long time now. This is not a classic, but a lot of fun. 3/5.

Rahul

IPL on YouTube

I was really excited when I came to know that IPL would be available on You Tube and that they would be streaming the matches live was even better. But, then I heard that the matches would not be available in the US. That was a crushing blow... I thought that we would get to watch the IPL matches live. That would have been fun. Anyway, we at least got a consolation prize with the upload of highlights. Something is better than nothing I guess. A 3 hour game in 30 Mins is not so bad.

IPL On You Tube!

Rahul

Luck By Chance - Movie On DVD Review

As promised, here's the review for Luck By Chance. Another Hindi Film Industry story... It's a light story which goes along expected lines. Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma play their respective roles as usual with ease. I have never found myself thinking that they put an effort into acting or that their performances are over the top.

It's the canned, cliched and used a million times story of struggling actors and their life in the Hindi film industry. The movie centers on the life of Vikram Jai Singh , a theater actor, from Delhi and Sona, a bits and pieces actor, in Mumbai. It's the story of what happens when one of them gets the big break. The movie portrays so many of the movie industry's story lines and gossip in a very light and funny way. The movie is a satire while having a nice flowing story line. The number of special appearances from each and every actor in the industry was a bit too much. I guess I enjoyed this movie because I was sitting at home and this was a way to kill time and have a few laughs. There's not much story to write about here. By now, I'm sure you must have figured out the entire story. If you are bored one evening and don't know what to do, you could do much much worse than watching Luck By Chance. It's solid time pass. :)

I'd say 3/5...

Rahul

Karthik Calling Karthik - Review

Karthik Calling Karthik

Slick - That's the first word that came to my mind when I was watching this movie. You go through the story without for a second feeling like something is overdone or a scene under-performed.

I am very reluctant to write details about this movie in my review as it may give away parts of the plot. I am going to do this review in 2 parts. The first is just going be a review for those who want to know how the movie is. And second for those who have seen the movie and just wanted to read my blog, or for the strange person who wanted to know the details before they actually saw it. Either way, don't worry, am not giving away the plot in this blog. :)

Part 1: As the name suggests it's about Karthik Calling Karthik. The movie is really carried by this one line. Farhan Akthar plays the role with such ease that you forget that he's just 3 movies old. He plays the role of Karthik, a Accountant in a Construction company. The movie is about how he grows into his character and his love interest, played by Deepika Padukone. The movie flows beautifully, with both characters playing of each other with ease. The language in the movie is very much in tone with the setting as well. Hindi and English are used in appropriate amounts and you don't realize it when they switch between them. The music throughout the movie is mesmerizing and I loved it. Ok enough said. I thought the movie was really Good. So, I suggest if you are planning to watch it, go ahead.... it's worth it. You can read the rest of the review at your own peril. Because you may feel like I did, that this guy gave away too much of the story.

Part 2: OK here goes, I think KCK, is so brilliant because, just when you think you know what's going on it takes a turn, leaving you wondering what it is. KCK, begins with Karthik as a lost individual with psychological problems which arise from his childhood. He is madly in love with his co-worker Shonali, who does not even know he exists. He, in effect, is a door mat. Everyone just runs all over him. When he is at his wits end about to lose everything that mattered to him, he receives a call from another Karthik. From that scene on, the movie has this eerie edge to it. Farhan has this strange and amazing way to bring such strength and weakness into his voice that you find one Karthik who is this weak lost soul and the other is a strong force willing him along. With help from the guy on the phone, Karthik goes on to fix his life and get the girl of his dreams. Just when things seem to be going on predictably and you think hey this is just another one of those stories, hey it takes some pretty interesting turns. In the end the movie sorts its self out and all the questions are answered. But, at no point in the movie are you left disappointed or wanting for more. You will empathize with the character, and leave the theater saying great job. I did anyway.

I'll say this is another 4 on 5. I have seen quite a few good movies recently... This is the 3rd Hindi movie in recent times that I have given this rating. Wow. I'm actually impressed. Because I don't impress easily.

Farhan Akthar is a fast becoming one of my favorite actors. He has this strange easy way about him. He plays his parts so effortlessly that you find him really easy to relate to. This is only his second movie that I am watching. Very soon I'll be watching "Lucky By Chance" on DVD. Look out for that review.

Rahul.

My Name Is KHAN - Review

MY NAME IS KHAN

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The trailers, the sneak peeks left me wondering. Was the movie too cliché, too full of song and dance routines. It was a Karan Johar movie after all.

The movie right from the get go was so polished. SRK plays the role of Rizwan Khan with such ease that even though you empathize with his character, who has Autism, you don't feel guilty laughing, when he does the most funny and child like things with total innocence. Of course less than two seconds later you find your heart strings being pulled by some beautiful moment. This movie pulls no punches, SRK with his head held down, walking around the country with so much of heart, that you can't miss it. One line that you hear in the movie over and over is "My Name is Khan - And I am not a Terrorist". It's filled with so much of meaning, but is at times over used.

The way in which the story is presented in a storytellers mode, is beautiful and you don't feel like you are going back and forth in the story. Kajol and SRK's chemistry has always been unmistakable and this movie is no exception. Their love story is so elegantly portrayed without ever taking the attention away from the main theme of the story.With the story opening up slowly and elegantly, literally blooming, I found every minute of the first half so captivating, that when the interval arrives you are in awe and are really worried that the second half is not going to live up to it.

Unfortunately, that is the case. Although the second half of the movie begins really strong and it takes the story forward, Karan Johar seems to drift and get too involved with almost super human feats. The movie would have been much better served as a story which continued only on his life and journey. The final scenes in the movie take away from a beautiful story and might have been avoided. But for these few scenes, this is one of the best hindi movies I have seen recently.For Karan Johan, I'll say one thing, most of his movies have these huge songs with a 100 extras singing and dancing in the background. I wouldn't say this movie does not have that, but all the songs fit perfectly into the story line. The story and concept is sweet and as I read rightly in some other reviews, sincerely executed.

The movie is 3.5 on 5 (but, just for the fact that it tugs at your heart so much I'll give it 4)

Rahul

Oh yeah.. About the other 2 hindi movies I liked as much as this one but didn't get a chance to review. They would be 3 Idiots and Kurbaan. I know 3 Idiots is no comparison as it's in another genre, and undoubtedly the best hindi movie ever. Kurbaan is a very elegant, thrilling story about terror that was really under rated. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena gave brilliant performances in that movie. With all the movies about 9/11.. MNIK and Kurbaan are 1 & 2.