The sentinel

The sentinel

Watched English movie 'The sentinel', directed by Clark Johnson, starring Michael Douglas as Pete Garrison, Eva Longoria as Jill Marin, Kiefer Suderland as David Breckinrid and Martin Donovan as William Montrose. 

Michael is a secret service agent on Presidential protection duty. He is also having an affair with first lady. There is a mole in secret service and Michael fails lie detector test. He is suspected and hunted.

Is Michael the traitor? Did his affair make him vulnerable for black mail? What is the ultimate aim? Do they succeed?

Unthinkable has happened. In 141 years there had been no traitor in US secret service.  But now there is one. 

All the actors are well known and good actors. Story is fluid and maintains pace. Actions are good. 

The way Michael is absolved is very anticlimactic. Identification of the real traitor is also spontaneous rather than methodical. Writer and Director are overly reliable on the foolproof ness of polygraph test. Trained agents can beat the test, but that possibility is never considered in the movie. Till the end audience does not know who the assassins are working for. 

Watch if you don't have a better movie to watch. 

Rumour has it

"Rumour has it"

Watched English movie "Rumour has it". This movie is directed by Rob Reiner and stars Jennifer Aniston as Sarah Huttinger, Kevin Costner as Bough Burroughs, Mark Ruffalo as Jeff and Shirley MacLain as Katharine.

Years ago a book was made into a movie about how a mother and daughter seduced the same guy and how the daughter married another boy. Jennifer comes home for wedding of her little sister. She determines that the book was inspired by her own family. She wants to meet Kevin to determine if he is her father but ends up doing something else. 

Jennifer is all screwed up in the head and confused. Doesn't know what's right and what's not. Her actions lack logic. She goes from one trouble to another. Having two understanding males (father and fiance) saves her from self destruction. 

The movie is odd. Story is strange. Handling is ok. Cinematography is good. 

Why does Jennifer behave recklessly? Why didn't she simply ask her father before going on a witch hunt? How can one determine if Kevin speaks the truth? These and many such questions go unanswered. 

In short the movie peaks curiosity but does not deliver on the promise. 

Give it a miss.

Clear and present danger

"Clear and present danger"

Watched English movie "Clear and present danger". This movie is directed by Phillip Boyce and outs a Tom Clancy story. Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, James Earl Jones as Admiral Greer, William Dafoe as John Clark,  Joaquin de Almeida as Felix Cortez and Miguel Sandoval as Ernesto Escobedo are cast in main roles. 

A friend of US President is dead. Investigating reveal that he was connected to Columbian drug cartel. President asks NSA to destroy the Columbian using illegal resources. Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of intelligence at CIA after his boss is detected with cancer. Others in CIA carry out the illegal operations without knowledge of Jack. US confiscated 650 million $ drug money. Jack is attacked. There's visits Columbia. There is a traitor in Columbians. Someone from CIA leaks information.

How will Columbians react? Is there a traitor? What can Jack Ryan do? How high will the repercussions go?

This is a thriller so obviously it has a lot of action and fight scenes. Audience can see the drug empire and it's operation. Columbia is scenic. 

Harrison Ford plays Jack Ryan but he looks lost for most part of the film. His acting is also nothing to write about in first half. William Dafoe does well.

This is an old movie. So CIA had CRT monitors and DOS computers. Appears ancient,  but we used it not long ago. 

This movie is based on Tom Clancy's book. Since I have not read that book,  can't say how faithful the director sass to the story. 

 Not a must watch. 

Kill ratio

"Kill ratio"

Watched English movie "Kill ratio". This movie is directed by Paul Tanter and stars Tom Hooper, Amy Huberman, Lacy Moore and Nick Dunning.

Amy is trying to negotiate a telecom deal for her company in a fictional country in Eastern Europe. She is assisted by fixer Tom. There is coup and the President Lacy is believed dead. General Lazar had taken over.

Amy finds the injured President, brings her to the hotel and seeks Tom's help. But Tom is not what he looks. He is good at everything and he is also the lat hote of democracy in that country. 

Tom has excellent looks. He also acts ok. Amy is decent. Lacy is good. Nick impresses in his short but effective role. 

Fighting scenes are not good. Story is deficient. Direction is mediocre. Climax is tepid. 

Good thing is that movie is only one and half hour long. This was main reason I chose to see it. 

Give it a miss.

London has fallen

London has fallen

Watched English movie 'London has fallen', directed by Babak Najafi, starring Gerard Butler as Secret service agent Mike Banning, Aaron Eckhart as President of USA, Morgan Freeman as Vice President and Radha Mitchell as Leah. This is second film of the Fallen series. 

America had struck Pakistani arms dealer Barkawi, killing his daughter in the past. British Prime Minister dies. The world leaders come for the funeral. Terrorists led by Barkawi's son attack London. Italian, French and Canadian Prime Ministers are dead. Convoy of US President is attacked. Bulletproof vehicle is destroyed. Marine 3, Marine 2 and Marine 1 (Presidential choppers) are downed. The president is captured. Who to trust? London has fallen. It's terrorists against Mike Banning.

What is Barkawi's plan? Will they behead the President on live TV? Can Mike Banning save the day?

Similar to the first movie of the series, this movie is also non stop action. However here most of the action is outdoors giving more freedom and creativity to the action director. The action is also better. Cinematography of the destruction is good. This movie has a lot of violence. 

Acting of Gerrard,  Aaron and Morgan is decent. Now Morgan has become Vice President but he does the same thing that he did in first movie. Take charge of crisis operation center, stay loyal to President and keep faith in Mike. 

Again there is the unanswered question of how so many terrorists go unnoticed in London and how can they breach the security of multiple head of states?

Third movie of the series 'Angle has fallen' is declared and is expected next year. 

Watch if you like action movies. 

Olympus has fallen

Olympus has fallen

Watched English movie 'Olympus has fallen', directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Gerard Butler as Secret service agent Mike Banning, Aaron Eckhart as President of USA, Morgan Freeman as Speaker Trumbull and Rick Yune as North Korean terrorist. This is first film of the Fallen series. 

North Koreans have taken over white house. President, Vice President and Secretary of defence are taken hostage in the presidential bunker. The north Koreans want to activate Cerberus. President's son is also somewhere in the white house. Mike Banning is the lone free survivor in the white house and all hopes are on him to save the day and save the world. 

Can Mike save President's son? What is Cerberus? What is Mike doing in White House? Can he save the day?

As the name and plot suggests this movie is full of action. It is non stop Acton from start to finish. There is also some scope for acting!

Gerrard Butler is the hero and he does week in Acton sequences. Aaron Eckhart's character had empathy but he doesn't look like US President. Rick Yune fires well as antagonist. 

Direction is decent. He covers all the points. Action sequences are good,  especially the crashing of choppers and aeroplanes. This movie has a lot of violence. 

If the President is shot in the bunker and there are dead terrorists lying around, what would one do? Call for the security and medivac or walk the injured, bleeding President out? Natural choice is first but director chooses second. How so many terrorists with domesticated weapons reach White House (The most protected building) is another enigma. 

Watch if you like action movies. 

Body of lies

"Body of lies"

Watched English movie "Body of lies".

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Russel Crow, Mark Strong in main roles and is directed by Ridley Scott.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a CIA agent. While stationed in Iraq, he gets information about a high value target in Amman, Jordan. He approaches GID Jordanian secret service. There is a lack of trust between two intelligence agencies and Leonardo wants to rectify that and catch the dreaded terrorist Al-Saleem (Alon Abutbul).

The movie has good action scenes. Leonardo and Russell Crow are proven actors. But Mark Strong in his role as head of GID, steals the show.

Story appears promising and Leonardo is supposed to be in control of operation but for interference of Russel. Audience think that somehow between the two they will deliver. The terrorist is captured, but the one pulling the strings is someone else. So who is running the show? Director has also introduced a love interest for Leonardo to make the climax happen. It appears that director is not fully in control. 

Not a must watch!

Badhai ho (बधाई हो)

"Badhai ho (बधाई हो)"

Watched Hindi movie "Badhai ho (बधाई हो)" with Jayant, Sucheeta, Sameer, Pooja and Aditi.

This movie is produced by Vineet Jain et al, directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma and stars Ayushman Khurana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Surekha Sikri in main roles. 

Ayushman is son of a Gajraj and Neena Gupta. He stays with his parents, younger brother and grandmother in a middle-class locality. He works in a company and has a sweetheart, Sanya. One day the news breaks that Nina Gupta is pregnant. 

The movie has a very limited story. However, the initial reactions of the family and society and gradually change in their perspective is what makes the movie. Each character reacts differently. Some with anger,  some with disdain, some find it unpalatable, some find it romantic and some make fun of it. But everyone is shocked. 

Ayushman has a pleasant personality, good looks and acts well.  Sanya looks beautiful but has awful hair. Gajraj (relatively unknown actor) surprises with his subtle acting. Neena Gupta looks beautiful even after she has crossed 60. I dare say she looks better than some of the current heroines and underplays her role very well. But it is Surekha Sikri as Dadi who wins the audience over. She plays the old outspoken but yet inwardly soft Dadi to perfection. 

Director ensues that there is no slack in the movie. He stays true to the story and handles it with care. He has to walk a fine line to ensure that double entendre does not become prominent and focus remains on the story. 

Cinematographer has limited opportunities as most of the shooting is indoors. Music is forgettable. 

This movies uses a lot of Punjabi. So it will not make its mark where Hindi is not regularly spoken or Hindi movies are not regularly watched. If all the dialogues were in Hindi,  the movie would have had a pan India reach. 

All in all a good entertaining movie. 

Recommend watching!

Force 2

Force 2

Watched Hindi movie Force 2, directed by Abhinay Deo, starting John Abraham,  Sonakshi Sinha and Tahir Bhasin.

Three RAW agents of India are killed in China. One of them sends a coded message to his friend and cop John Abraham that the leak is in Indian Embassy in Hungary, Budapest. John and RAW agent Sonakshi are sent to investigate and bring the traitor back.

Do they find the traitor? Who is he/ she? Why is he doing it? What is his story?

The movie has a good story. RAW and the cloke and dagger game pique the interest and good direction maintains it. The story is fast and tidy,  it doesn't slack.

Almost all the shooting is in Hungary and audience it treated to good locations. Action sequences are also good. Music is nothing to talk about.

John is good,  Sonakshi is OK. Genelia wins the audience in her cameo as spirit of John's dead wife.

Being a Hindi movie one has to ignore certain things like: Sonakshi doesn't feel the tracking patch on the inside of her watch, John is better than RAW and other special forces although he is only a police officer, a police officer is sent to find a traitor etc..

This movie is sequel of Force. I have not watched it. Force 3 is already announced. Although a good movie, it was not a big hit on box office.

Recommend watching.