Is it a slick thriller? Yes, but only in its looks. The story it’s trying to tell isn’t just uninspiring, it’s stupid. If the mob has the FBI on its payroll, they wouldn’t hire dysfunctional mercenaries to rob a government agency. A whole lot of Triple 9 doesn’t make genuine sense. It’s just contrived enough to be appreciated for creative twists. And that’s definitely not a good thriller. Not a good film, either.

13 Hours is not a terrible mess. In fact, it’s a film that keeps your attention alive. As the characters struggle to survive and fight back, it makes you believe in the conflict. There’s even the occasional gore and splatter. But there’s no emotional depth, none that can be taken seriously. It’s a gritty package of an action film. There’s plenty to cheer about and nothing really to reflect upon or celebrate. Save for the fact that, Bay had good intentions while making this movie based on real events.

Whether you are a child or a parent, there’s unlimited fun to be had in Zootopia. It’s a crazy ride to a world where imagination fuels an entertainment effort like never before. It’s easily one of Disney’s best films in recent past, and that’s not an exaggeration. It’s easily one of the best animated films of your lifetime.

Underplay and restraint are the strengths of Carol. This is a film that stays clear of dramatisation. It kills you softly. Even in the end, the much-expected and pending Carol’s declaration of love to Therese happens in a blink-and-miss moment. The finesse and skill at work in Carol are spellbinding. This is a film you sit back and admire. Its fragile nature is evocative. Its beautiful women are enchanting. Its look at relationships and behaviour is mature and relevant. This is a film to savour.  

Bollywood Diaries is not a bad film, definitely not on paper. It has the right Ideas, it even tries to bring a little bit of innovation to the storytelling. But even so, it seems to try too hard. And in the process of trying to be too dramatic it makes a meal of its themes. It could’ve been a lot better. But it’s not. It just about manages to be acceptable, mostly thanks to its intentions.

Neerja won’t steal your heart or make you hate terrorists. It won’t resort to highlighting the inefficiency of Indian and/or Pakistani governments. It doesn’t over dramatize the story. It takes an emotional and mature stance about its subject. It makes you believe in the power of human beings. That ordinary people can make a difference if they try. That heroes need not be worshipped, but they need to be thanked. That just a little bit of kindness goes a long way.

End of the day, this film’s real victory lies in the fact that it chronicles a pertinent part of modern history and it does so with the right amount of authenticity and deftness. There’s no jingoism or sense of sensation. It takes real human emotions and crafts them into the journalism profession. The quality of cinema is beyond measure. This is a must watch.

This is pure brazen and sometimes surreal sexual onslaught meant to satisfy those who enjoy sarcasm and sex in equal measure. For those who’ll enjoy this blitzkrieg of madness, this is the film that you watch on every Sunday, every holiday, after every satisfying sex encounter and on boring afternoons. You watch it once and you’ll be begging to watch it again.

Fitoor has to be one of the most enchanting films to look at, in a long time. But this great looking film that captures the surreal beauty of Kashmir does not live up to the great expectations attached with it.

This film is like fast food for teenagers. If you’re in college and you have a girlfriend and/or boyfriend you’ll sink in your chair and probably shed a tear or two. But even the target audience will agree that the end just stretches on and on. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, the runtime is unnecessarily bloated. The big Hollywood hangover doesn’t help either. This film definitely had potential, but it needed better execution and a lot less yawns.