Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)

Movie Review: Maleficent (2014)

Plot:

There have been so many times when Walt Disney has changed the vision with which we see the world. How deeply we rely on it to fill our imaginations with the best chosen characters of the Fantasy Land and God when they add Angelina Jolie to it, we brace ourselves tight!

Maleficent is an old classic tale of sleeping beauty retold/reimagined in the best way. Directed by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton, this movie has woven the epic villianess Maleficent in a dreamy new avatar.

It chases the classic plot of the fairy tale starting not from the Aurora’s christening frenzy but from Maleficent’s childhood, portraying her as a very strong fairy but a friendly one, lovable and playful resident of Moors.

Not afraid of Humans, she befriends a peasant boy and falls in love as they share their teenage years together. Stefan gives her the kiss of true love and leaves soon after to follow her ambition of becoming a King.

Maleficent goes on her with her life guarding the Moors as the most strongest fairy of all. The peace lefts the screen as the King approaches Moors to invade and is defeated badly by the ever-strong guardian fairy.

The king needs revenge and Stefan needs the throne, his dream makes him do the evil and he cuts off her wings and uses them as the key to the door of Royalty.

And then...comes the story we have known our whole life...More or Less!

Lets not spoil the Disney Wonder because what comes after is a hearty treat to those who will watch!

Why? Let me tell you a Story…

Review:

…Once upon a time Disney made a movie on the top most villian of all time, twisted her character and brought her to the light hence creating a hero out of her and gave the world a better version of ‘true love’s kiss’ , I say they pretty much nailed it!

As for the hype that was created for this movie it might have awoken some hope of watching a badass all actioned up Angelina Jolie in a wicked fairy’s attire as a cherry on top, but its not a dream come true for people with a evil hopes as the movie takes a sharp turn to the more feminine and loving side of a fairy who gives it up to the smile of a child she thought she hates. Well, to the viewers who find this movie un-entertaining; there are so many others with more darke and livid wickedness, might try some of ‘em!

This one is to add the fun to the family time.

The changes that are introduced into the movie are really interesting.

Though critics are complaining about the fantasy world of Moors being less colorful than the mainstream Disney productions but if you for once put the hopes of a colorful movie out of mind everything you see on the screen proves to be complimenting on and other!

Angelina Jolie has done a great job confusing Maleficent with the good gone bad gone good again thing! What else are you supposed to do when the kid you just put a curse on mistakes you with her fairy godmother! And specially when the kid’s so...umm cute! She totally put on plate a great performance. After watching this one, do mark the words ‘Maleficent becomes her’.

Now the princess, I am a wee bit disappointed on her expense in the movie. Okay so the princess has to smile a lot and look all cheesy but it becomes all too much to look at after a while and guiltily you wish that she wouldn't wake up giving away that way too cheesy smile again! She does well no doubt but a word that I regret to pen down hovers around my mind about her performance is ‘over’ as in ‘overdoing’ the Aurora part. But I’d love to take it as another princessy thing.

There is yet another member of cast I would like to appreciate(its not the King) that is Diaval, never was a crow so handsome and handy! Presentation of three little fairies as Aurora’s aunts was another hilarious addition. A little detail which would definitely nag the viewers was the myth of ‘the left wish of third fairy’ which they of course altered to aid the plot.

The scenic presentation of the fantasy land of Moors is not much like a fairyland but instead portrays a different kind of creatures inhabiting, closer to giants as you may say. It is acceptable much but it is quite insufficient.

At some points the story did go a bit off the beat but it quickly regains.

Its not the best animated movie you’ll ever see but there definitely is something  in it which is worth a watch!

On the whole this Movie is full of the Magic that is not produced by powers but the pure magic that Love bears.

Plan to watch this one with kids, Its a great one!

The whole thing about the fairy in distress and the innocence of Angelina’s expressions disarms me.

I will rate this one with a hearty

***1/2

Reviewed by Adina Farid

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Official Trailer : Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015)

Official Trailer : Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015)

The wait is all over and they are here!

The trailer of the blockbuster novel by E.L James is adapted by director Sam Taylor-Johnson and they made the characters of the book alive. If you judge the movie with the trailer, ITS AMAZING! Bulls Eye!

As the Trailer takes start with the interview part where Ana and Grey met for the first time and all the other parts clearly shows that it is a full adaptation from scene to scene of the novel which will shun out to be the biggest plus point for this movie. Its on top of my list of "Movies i want to watch in 2015" for sure!

The film stars Dakota Johnson (which was last seen in Need for Speed) will take the charge of Mr.Grey's interest as Anastasia Steele. The wait is over ladies cause Christian Grey is here! In the form of Jamie Dornan ( who was the lead in The Fall ) . Expectations are damn high Mr.Grey! Dont let us down.

The Trailer Shows the First meeting , the helicopter ride & why is this novel famous for "Blindfolds and Kinky Scenes". This Movie will surely be every couples first choice for the Valentines for sure! Actually its a treat for them. So, Valentines 2015 is going to be hot as hell because !

"We Aim To Please"

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Movie Review : Black Swan (2010)

Movie Review : Black Swan (2010)

Plot:

Black Swan is an outstanding psychological thriller film by Darren Aronofsky.

Its a movie depicting a ballet dancer (Natalie Portman) craving to get a part in a play The Swan Lake as the main lead of The Swan Queen. She is perfect to be cast as the simple pure White Swan but lacks the dark side of her twin the Black Swan. She is extremely desperate to get the role and loses herself to reach the summit of perfection, to transform herself into the the dark one. Princess Odette becomes her dark twin Odile but not near any swan lake, right in the city of NY. The movie is basically about the psyche of the young ballerina Nina who is up for the challenge life has brought to her with her very first encounter to sensuality and the dread of not being the part of it. 

She takes off the mask of a good girl and hoes intimate with her competitor breaking every rule, but this this all turns out to be her dream. The play leaves an impact on her mind and she hallucinates the dark side of herself doing evil things to her body but soon she gives up to the reality of her dream and becomes complete by achieving her darkness and turning into a Black Swan.

The movie has a plot revolving around the famous ballet play The Swan Lake and also uses the mythical concept of a doppelganger.

Black Swan was an extreme hit and highly appreciated by the critics. Also won the lead, Natalie Portman, an academy award for her outstanding performance.

Review:

The only person standing in your way is you.

Everything about this movie is as classy as a Swan. The epitome of perfection comes from the flawless acting and mindly direction combined.

The film turned out to be a psychosexual thriller as it unwrapped.

There is something terribly mystic about this movie as it grabs attention from portraying a wrong angle of things going on around but its the anguish and ultimate frenzy which makes it wonderful.

The performances were utterly unexpected. Natalie Portman actually turned her character 360 degrees to fit into the plot as the result we get to see Odile taking birth from Odette. She deserved an Oscar which she got! 

Mila Kunis was in her sexy fiery element there. She was all a bold black swan would be like!

Black Swan doesn’t contain a kind of genre which is likeable to many but it does have small things that every audience (Adults only) might wanna talk about. The movie isn’t all fantasy ballerina story which actually disappointed some but it is about the transformation and realization of an inner force. It was a risk taken by the director who created an idealistic atmosphere for a movie which could raise brows but the terrific presence of crafty yet creative art beats everything!

By the end you are ready to scream:

I felt it. Perfect. I was perfect.

I liked The Ballerinas with a Twist so I wouldn’t hesitate rating it a whole:

****

Reviewed by : Adina Farid

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Movie Review : The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Movie Review : The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Plot:

The Silence of the Lambs is an American thriller directed by Jonathan Demme and is based on a Thomas Harris Novel of the same kind. It is the second novel depicting the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

The movie was released in 1991 and is to date considered top class horror by its audience and world critics.

Director has however made some important changes to the main plot of the novel and shown a new perspective.

Clarice Starling is an FBI trainee sent to a violent psychopath Hannibal the Cannibal for help, upon finding her interesting he unveils some dog-eared pages of history to Clarice which would help her save senator’s daughter from the raging Buffalo Bill, only thing she has to do is to link the scattered pieces of information together.

Everything goes smooth until Dr. Hannibal is taken from his asylum to a Tennessee to help the senator himself without Clarice in between. He fleds the cage killing a few people and goes into a title hideout.

Will Clarice be able to decipher the information she poured out of Dr. Lecter, ultimately saving the day?

The changes that director brought into the story of book are of major character. Totally skipping some most important details from the plot did affect the theme of the movie but even after that it remains chartbuster and Oscar winning! Wonder why? Lets get deep into it.

Review:

Some bits of many reasons why you might Love The Silence of the Lambs: 

About The Cast: Casting Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter and getting the best out of him is a victory for the movie. If there was someone who could play the creepy manhunter in the same eerie and mysterious yet heroistic style it would be none other than him. He was the first Oh! factor of the movie and from the very first scene he’s stuck to mind, getting ready some nice material for tonight’s nightmare. Then there is Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling. The first look of the pretty lady takes you back to the book (if you’ve read it) and rings the bell of perfection in your ear. The look throughout the movie was in accordance to the book. The performance was even more toned. 

At some points however the point of boldness in Clarice slips out of Foster’s hand but she gains it back as the movie proceeds. She created the sense of delicacy as well as bravery which her role completely demanded. Clarice’s shoes were a total fit to Jodie and so she was my favorite and i prefer her over Julianne Moore who played Clarice in the sequel. Now the villain, Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill was another step towards making this movie a huge one. He transformed himself into the psycho serial killer who kills victims for a very different motive. The mood that he adds to the movie with first class acting and that voice!

The Competitive Advantage: Amongst thousand horror and thriller, this one remains on top for so many years. The superiority that it has over others is the impeccable storyline, remarkable creepiness of the anti-hero, a very rare kind of serial killer, screaming spring lambs and their savior, the quid pro quo, the basement, huge girls who need to apply lotions and the screen which shows all this in a flow of events which prints into mind like an unpleasant memory yet some well spent wealth! This movie is no-prisoner-held in order of its brutal scenes and uncomfortable moments. After adding Anthony Hopkins to all this, What else do we need?

But not everything is as flawless as it looks. There is a caution for the ones who are watching it after reading the book: You won’t find The Video of Mama in it along with many small yet important details such as Catherine Martin’s room sweep by Starling and her convo with Senator, the story of the head in the jar is also manipulated and there is no sailor who was killed in exotic sexual intercourse instead the head belongs to Benjamin Raspail who ‘wasn’t’ killed by Dr. Lecter. And now the most important one; No Maroon Eyes for Hannibal!!!!

With all the above stuff missing the movie becomes a little disappointing for book nerds but remains a big favorite and watch-over-again flick! But if you haven’t read the book first it’s just breath-takingly good!

The movie has won multiple Oscars and is without any ado a number one thriller.

I felt the adrenaline rush and chills run through my body during the whole movie and it just reached the epitome in finale.

For the sake of the effect those cold blue eyes of Hannibal had on me, 

I would rate it as:

****1/2

Reviewed by : Adina Farid

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Movie Review : The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

 Movie Review : The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

Plot: 

-“Life doesn’t have to be perfect for love to be extraordinary.”

The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Josh Boone, based on the novel of the same name by John Green. The film stars Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, and Nat Wolff, with Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, and Willem Dafoe in supporting roles. Woodley plays Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with Augustus Waters, portrayed by Ansel Elgort.

Movie Review:

Note: If you think this is another chick-flick, a stupid perverted rom-com or a depressing story about cancer, ATTENTION: IT ISN’T.

Being a true fan of John Green’s ‘The Fault’, I was looking forward to its movie adaptation with great anticipation. And this movie is just spot on. Josh Boone was successful to bring out the essence of the book on the big screen in the right manner. The actors portraying the characters were utterly perfect and had a great understanding about their roles. I’ll start by talking about the rising enigma i.e. Shailene Woodley (known for her lead role in “Divergent”). She plays the terminally-ill Hazel Grace like no one else could have & makes me see Hazel in a new light. I greatly appreciate the qualities Hazel possesses of empathy, kindness, wit and no-nonsense attitude. I laughed with her, I cried with her & most of all, I understood her. That is what a protagonist is supposed to make you feel like and she did her job well. 

“The world is not a wish-granting factory.”

Now, my favorite character i.e. Augustus Waters, who is portrayed by the new and talented actor Ansel Elgort (seen in “Carrie” and “Divergent”). I am just biased when it comes to him. First of all, I am irrevocably in love with Augustus Waters; secondly, Ansel is just so cute and charming like a peacock in this role..that I cannot even describe it to the best of my capabilities. He’s just adorable. *Sigh* He came in Hazel’s life and changed it forever, likewise he changed mine too.

“You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world...but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.”

 Here’s a fun fact:

Ansel Elgort who played Shailene’s brother in Divergent is her “Epic love” in this movie. Yes, that’s right! Believe me, this movie isn’t awkward at all but seeing them as siblings in Divergent definitely was.

So I was talking about Ansel/Gus. He did his role of a pretentious ,dramatic ,metaphor-believing witty, and funny Augustus with utmost perfection. But when it came to cute, vulnerable, loving, caring , and emotional Augustus, he broke all the dams that were holding my tears back. I literally cried. I won’t give any spoilers though. Those who have read the book know what I am talking about and those who haven’t should a) READ IT! What are you waiting for? It’s a thin book with a roller coaster of emotions. & b) after reading the book, watch the movie! Because this is among the best book adaptations ever.

“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

Then the cute/blind best friend Isaac is played by Natt Wolff. He is a great comic-relief in this movie. I loved how naturally he said all his lines like a normal person does, but I wish he had more scenes just like in the book. He was great though.& so was Hazel’s mom, played by Laura Dern .She reminded me of my own mom. Hazel’s father, Patrick from support-group & last and the least (pun intended) Peter van Houten were all like a fragmentation of my imagination put into reality.

“It's a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing.”-Augustus

The soundtrack of this movie is equally entertaining and is on repeat on my playlist. ‘All of the Stars’ by Ed Sheeran captures the soul of the entire movie. “All I Want” by Kodaline with its beautiful lyrics capture the tragic element and if you are looking for a peppy-teen number, listen to ‘Boom Clap’ by Charli XCX. ‘Let Me In’ by Grouplove is another good one.

Thank you John Green for bestowing the world with your acerbic wit in the form of Fault and thank you Josh Boone for making it soo perfect.

In a nutshell, this movie is worth every smile, every tear, every laugh. Watch it with your bffs or alone and have the time of your life. Okay? Okay.

“Oh, I wouldn't mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.”

-Augustus

This movie is worth all the hype it is creating and is already my favourite romantic movie. I’ll rate it with: 

*****

Reviewed by Fouzia Umer

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