Movie: BAD EDUCATION (Spanish)
Director: PEDRO ALMODOVAR
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Fele Martinez, Javier Camara
Duration: 1h 49m (app)

Almodovar through his movie 'Bad Education' does not educate us on the difficulties or the intricasies of homosexual relationships. But he provides a human drama about three character that meet after a gap of 15 years by means of a taut storyline.

Gael Garcia Bernal, stands out with his performance in his different characters. the element of surprise that keeps coming unexpectedly is the highlight of this movies entertaining aspects. The visuals follow the style of most spanish movies with the lighting adjusted to provide a modest view of the characters. The music is pretty well and suits the movie.

The deep love between the two characters of Enrique and Ignacio is done really well with the moments of ecstacy that surfaces at times in the the well-off Enrique's mind and Ignacio who cherishes the memories during his hardships moves the viewer. The movie banks on its smoothness despite some desultory sequences.

PROS
Direction, Gael Garcia Bernal

CONS
A few sequences that don’t gel with the viewer

COMMENTS
A worthy movie to watch that emotes and thrills.

TAGLINE
This Education is Bad(as the film says), but to know its Good!

GRADING
OVERALL: close to B+

RATING: 7.8 / 10.0

Movie: HUSTLE AND FLOW
Director: CRAIG BREWER
Genre: Drama, Musical
Cast:Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Antony Anderson
Duration: 1h 55m (app)

'Hustle and Flow' , a yet another movie of Passion, Hardwork, Failure and Redemption. Hollywood is the forte for movie of these kinds of Stuff. Terrence Howard plays 'DJay' a Pimp, who earns out a living that way despite a sidelined passion for Rap and Hip-Hop. The rest follows the same kind of screenplay made entertaining decorated with a few belligerent jealousies and quarrels and foot-tapping songs which hollywood movies nowadays have begun to find their expertise at.

Antony Anderson plays the friend who gangs up with another fellow to produce a record with DJay. Despite the freeness and high-eliteness with which the filmmaker strains to move the story with, one can never fail to notice the contrived, cliche'd screenplay. Atleast the writer could have put an effort to offer a screenplay that conveys the same old redemptive aspect in a unique way.

But, yes its Hollywood again. they fail in one aspect, they come up with a winner in the another compensating the deficiencies. And here comes the music..rather the OST with four foot-tapping numbers tht glue you to the seat. The songs 'Whoop that trick' , 'Hustle and Flow' and the winner 'Its hard out here for a Pimp' just pull out your heart to enjoy the sequences.

Acting is another part where this Movie banks on. Terrence Howard gives a wonderful performance and so does the other supporting cast. Without the Music and the Cast, this Movie would have been 'Just yet another flick'.

PROS
Soundtrack OST, Cast, Acting

CONS
A deja-vu kinda Story!!

COMMENTS
An Entertaining Movie, without its OST would have tasted Bland!!

TAGLINEI
ts Hard out here for a PIMP!!!!

GRADING
OST: B+
OVERALL: close to B

RATING: 7.3 / 10.0

Movie: MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL
Director: CLINT EASTWOOD
Genre: Adaptation, Crime, Thriller, Drama
Cast:Kevin Spacey, John Cusack, Alison eastwood, Jack Thompson
Duration: 2h 31m (app)

Clint Eastwood's 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' falls far from both its theme (trying to out is itself a harduous job) and Script. Poorly shot! is the best way to put forth this movie that tries hard to focus on the balance of 'Good and Evil' in the soceity and how each remains untanned(i presume). but he fails in staying with the theme due to a lousy screenplay.

Kevin Spacey accused of Murder and John Cusack, a writer on a contract basis for dual purpose for the story/finding evidence to help Jim(Spacey) form the main cast. But not one stays in the heart even while watching the movie. An actor of Spacey's stature is very poorly portrayed due to the numerous holes in the Script. Cusack finds no benignness too.

The scenes referring to the eunuch 'Frank' is very irritating and the entire ramified stories in the movie tend to carry the whole film away from being good. A poorly conceived screenplay from a Novel by John Berendt (said to be based on his life). Finally the main crux of the movie is vague and obscure with numerous aspects contrived into a long 2 1/2 hrs of visuals.

PROS
Passable

CONS
Direction

COMMENTS
A contrived movie with as less emphasis on the theme and hence staying far from the hearts of the viewers.

TAGLINE
Good and Evil - the former seems to engulf this Movie!

GRADING
OVERALL: D

RATING: 4.0 / 10.0

Movie: SIDEWAYS
Director: ALEXANDER PAYNE
Genre: Adaptation, Drama, Comedy
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Duration: 2h 05m (app)

Wine, Women form the basis of the emotions and personal revelation in the road movie Sideways. Directed by Alexander Payne this movie stars Paul Giamatti as Miles,an oenophile, and Thomas Haden Church as Jack, a to-be-married womaniser on a road trip to celebrate Jack's last week of freedom before marriage.

This trip proves to be a much more elusive than they expected with both Jack and Miles finding their foothold in life in their own terms. Based on a novel by Max Pickett a mix of comedy, humor and emotions Sideways is a refreshing path for an arousing journey. The oenophilic Miles with his vast experience as an alcoholic, and the means of the wines kindling those emotions is refreshingly made.

Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh form the other two prominent characters and have done their part well. Paul Giamatti as Miles has given an astonishing performance with his various vocal emotions. Alexander Payne has made a taut film with an apt screnplay. If you could wonder how two impossibly different people could come together finding something in common - wine could also be a reason says Sideways.

PROS
Screenplay, Paul Giamatti, Wine

CONS
Oscar missed the priveledge of Honouring this Movie.

COMMENTS
An excellent CockTail of Drama, Comedy and Wine.

TAGLINE
How could a film like 'Million Dollar Baby' be awarded the Oscar competing with a movie like 'Sideways'. OSCAR SUCKS! could be the only answer.

GRADING
OVERALL: A-

RATING: 8.8 / 10.0

Movie: CRASH
Director: PAUL HAGGIS
Genre: Race-Drama
Cast: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon
Duration: 1h 50m (app)

'Crash' by Paul Haggis looks into the innumerable races that pass-by each other in the average American life. It consists of about four or five stories that meet each other at one point of time which plays a part in their lives.

One big confusion for the writer was, to make it as a 'message movie' or to just show what’s happening in America. But as far as i could feel, it definitely isn't a message movie. The director wanted to show the different races that inevitably cross into each others lives. But the way they cut into each other sometimes gets contrived.

Despite the fact of a number of stories that run along, each story is made up of instances that form a sub-story in itself. The sub-stories could have helped but it being discreet, the continuity is lost. Moreover the effect of the viewer experiencing the impact of a different race on another's life is lost. One can feel the touches of films like 'RED' and 'TRAFFIC' at many sequences. The scenes wherein each race feels insecure towards the other is well done, but certain patriotic-sentimentality could have been avoided.

With an ensemble cast each gets only small portion to play but still Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon shine. The black humor in the movie between the two car-thieves is enjoyable. Cinematography is powerful. Despite the flaws the execution was heart-warming. But overall, a half-baked wonderful movie.

PROS
Cinematography

CONS
Discreet, unwarranted Sentimentality

COMMENTS
A Nice movie which could have been better if it had been made with more subtle instances.

TAGLINE
This is good, that is bad….This is a movie of the extremes!

GRADING
Cinematography: B+
OVERALL: b/w B and B+

RATING: 7.7 / 10.0