'The Flash' displays his full costume

Since Grant Gustin appeared on the CW's hit series 'Arrow', based on the DC comics character the 'Green Arrow', as Barry Allen, there was an excitement in air about the new show CW was churning out. This new show will be fully based on the heroics of another one of DC's comic superheroes; 'The Flash'. Two episodes were dedicated to the establishment of this character in CW's TV world, where he disappeared after being hit by a lightning.

A few weeks later, CW came out with the first photograph that shows Gustin in the mask. The mask of 'The Flash'. Internet was buzz with talks about this new look, and there were many feedbacks given. Now another photo has been revealed which shows Gustin in his full attire. The one big long shot of 'The Flash'. Right below!

 

What do you think? This guy will be hitting your screens soon. So get ready for some super action.

Om Shanthi Ooshana review

By now, we have seen quite a formidable number of malayalam movies where the main characters are in first-person narration mode through out the film. This one too, though starts with Salim Kumar narrating in his typical 'Kath(ththth)a Presangam' style, has Nasriya interrupting him in within five minutes, asking him to let her tell her own story. She talks about how she was while growing up, what she thought of love, how she met her dream boy, and as the posters show how she 'vallachufy' the guy.

When you ask what exactly is the story, if the above line doesn't satisfy you, then all I can say is 'Entoro Ento'. But if you are OK with it, then you would be interested  to know what else drives this movie. Since youtube has given a fair advantage to short film makers, and the exceeding popularity of these kind of simply funny stuff, based on some lost love, or how girls dump guys, your college love, or similarly cliched short films gain lot of interest among youngsters, today's movies also shamelessly try to imitate these films. While a lot of the comedy which drives this movie is similarly based, and is funny too when you watch them, the sad part is it doesn't linger enough for us to rethink and laugh while you are sleepy in your classroom, or wandering on the road.

Nasriya as the main lead, is everything Nasriya should be and always has been. The bubbly, froward child with charms and innocence that us malayalees like. Has she been any different the whole movie would have bombed. Nivin Pauly on the other hand, shed his innocent face, and returns to his debut look in 'Malarvadi Arts Club', threatening people on the road who looks at girls. This extra macho guy with a sense of righteousness steals our heroines heart, and from then its her vain attempt to get this guy to love her back.

Nasriya's father character is an open minded Christian, who believes Christ died for everyone in this world, not just the Christians. He also records his own songs and listens to it. Don't know why I mentioned it. Actually don't know why the film mentions that because it doesn't come anywhere in the film again. But then there is the short film style impact I was talking about. Some random joke in narration that is not important to the story.  Aju as Nivin's old friend turned foe, is decent, but he has done much better roles before, especially in 'Thattathin Marayathu' which made me a fan of his.

There is VijayaRaghavan, Vineeth Srinivasan, Vinaya Prasad, some new girls, etc in small roles. Well, there is Lal Jose too, but why was he in that role is the question. Also it seemed too forced a role. Sometimes it bothers when you see the same people again and again in movies made under the same banner.

The movie is simple, and in some ways funny. But I have seen better attempts than this one, which banks on Nasriya to do their job. Well, watch it for her anyway. I know you will :P

August : Osage County Review

I felt terrible when Merly Streep was once again nominated for this year's Oscars for best Actress, when the performance of Emma Thompson for 'Saving Mr. Banks' was ignored; but then i hadn't watched this insane and scorching movie. Merly Streep has that command over the character that we have seen over and over again and again, where she just sucks you into her characters head, and make you believe that if you were her(the character), this is exactly what you would find yourselves doing.

She is unbelievable as the highly melodramatic mother who is internally dealing with abandonment issues. She has cancer and she is living on pills. The death of her husband brings her three daughters home, where there is a constant fight among the four, about who is responsible of this whole mess.

Merly Streep swoops the whole area from her counterparts in all the scenes she makes a nod. She rants continuously about her abandonment, about her daughters lives, and about her husband. I have never seen Meryl so high pitched since 'Mama Mia' . She is bossy and a boastful know-it-all, that she doesn't notice who she hurts in order to make her statements.

Julia Roberts as the eldest daughter, has also earned a nomination in the supporting actress list for this years Oscars. She portrays a control-freak, who is on the verge of a divorce from her husband and has no idea how to deal with her disobedient daughter. She tries to come into this house and set straight all the mess made by her mother. Julianne Nicholson and Juliette Lewis are the other two daughters who, like anyone else in this dysfunctional family have a lot going on.

The movie is very much a performance based one, based on the dark comedic play by Tracy Letts, who has also written the screenplay for this movie. When you think of this movie with a Merly Streep as its poster girl, we would cease to look any forward for decent performances. But in here, we are shocked to find some excellent scenes where the supporting cast holds its own. With a genius actor in Benedict Cumberbatch who had a relatively easier role in here; but then when you see this on-screen arrogant mad genius play a humble and socially awkward character, you would stand up with a hearty ovation. The other surprise among the cast was Chris Copper and Margo MartinDale. Margo, an amazing actress who is very used to doing supporting roles, kicks in with a one-scene firework, that has her morph from the amiable fat old lady to an angry dark bitchy girl. It was Whoa!! The movie also features Ewan McGregor, Dermot Mulroney and Abigail Breslin.

One very amusing part of the movie is that the main plots unfurl in two or three really big scenes, which happens around the dinner table. The characters talk about themselves, and others, and try to clean up their good slates, finding only more and more guilt and pain. The director John Wells, deliberately but yet subtly brings around engaging conversations, as if right out of a play, and delivers some really good moments for you to like about.

August Osage county, moves up my list, because of its engaging screenplay and intelligent performers.

'Her' is all about him...Joaquin Phoenix

We had just seen and wondered where he went wrong last year, to not have been able to stand on the Oscars podium with the golden statue in hand. In fact, he didnt receive any of the major awards for his jaw-dropping performance in 'The Master'. This year again this man arrives with another exceptional performance, very much in contrast to his awkward character in 'The master' in 'Her'.

Spike Jones futuristic, surreal in some ways romance of a man and his artificial intelligence, is simply a bizarrely likeable movie. Theodore played by Joaquin, is lonely after his divorce, and finds comfort and support in a modern OS which talks to its users after understanding the psyche of the user. It goes very well for long, and he is convinced that he has fallen in love with this OS in the way that he would have loved a human. Things change and the movie tries to subtly put across the challenges of human and technology interactions. A little surreal in the way Jones has characterized the AI (with Scarlett Johanssens voice), but able to convey the meaninglessness of not having a real relationship. The movie does at times encourage the possibility of a love story with machines and AI, but doesn't go overboard with the idea. Can love thrive without a physical body? This theme though approached by many in different ways, like love through letters or through phone, now finds a new interpretation here. He does successfully bring out the emotions though the protagonist was in love with an OS. The movie moves from being just another smart or an intelligently written futuristic drama, to a touching and warm love story.

Joaquin Phoenix has always been in films where performance will always be the highlight. Him , and yet another impressive performer, Amy Adams, who was with him in 'The Master' too, have given admirable but subtle performances for this movie. Amy Adams would be more happier with her work in 'American Hustle', but her small but consistent act, gives the movie more amp. Rooney Mara as the divorced wife, and Olivia Wilde as a date, justifies their roles too.

With just two main characters and an exploration to find love in a age where people are more connected to machines than the person sitting a palm away from you, 'Her' raises a few questions and in a way, answers many of them too, which come out to be food for thought for the viewers. Even after being a post-modernly tech and highly fictional futuristic drama, it touches all the right notes of human emotions.

New series on Starz 'black sails' pilot on Machinima

This is what i read today

"Machinima has debuted the premiere of the new Starz show, Black Sails, today – a week before the show hits your TV screen!"

...and in a moment i was online to look for this new episode, which i thought would debut only on 25th on Starz. I was excited because i loved the 'Pirates' from the 'POTC' series till the third, and then I had really thought that the writers and story makers went out of steam for anything new about pirate lifes. Its then I see this show name, and I thought that this was a good way for the Pirates to regain some popularity again. So with that hope, i started watching the first episode.

The 'Black Sails' takes place in 1715, which is two years before the famous, R L Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' s storyline. Captain Flint is in search of this huge ship from Spain, which carries an amazing treasure. They are followed by the Navy, and enemy pirates alike. Moreover, there seems to be a mutiny within their ships too. The first episode gets to all that, and makes the premises clear. We, from next episode have more interesting twists and turns to watch out for. The journey is ready, and now the captain should be well starting to recruit. What are your choices?? From the executive producer Michael Bay. So do not 'not' expect fireworks.

Captain Flint is played by Toby Stephens of 'Die Another Day' fame, and for Indians you might be more familiar of him as the English friend of Mangal Pandey in Aamir's ' Mangal Pandey : The Rising'.

A decent take on a pirate's story, and interestingly the ones in 'Treasure Island'. Seems to be a must watch new series of the year. Watch the full episode here (not available in many countries):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v68pX9k4PJY

Well atleast watch out for the trailers if you are catching it on TV next week

Dallas Buyers Club Review

Dallas Buyers club is a movie from the indie cinema houses which deals with the familiar area of a regular man going up against the powerful government authorities. But this is no thriller, but a sensitive portrayal of the protagonist, Ron Woodruf, and how he lived through after the diagnosis o AIDS, while fighting with the government for the right medication.

The movie is about the heart-warming struggle of an HIV patient confronting the authorities selling profitable drugs to patients, even though it is known to have adverse effects on them. Ron, smuggles better medication unapproved by the FDA, and sells to people like him, and that gets him into a lot of struggle with the FDA and the law. The movie tries to take in a large issue and sell it through the struggle of one man, and it is beautifully done.


Mathew McConaughey and Jared leto's excellent transformations -  not just into the psyche of the characters but literally into their bodies too - is not justified when I say was 'amazing'. Mathew follows the notes of Christian Bale and breaks down his body into one weightless mass, with nothing but bones tearing out of it. Added to that his charm and emotional range, and his performance skyrockets to incredible levels. A good few years for you now, huh, Mathew?? If i had any doubts on the best supporting actor this year - thats vanished after watching an astonishingly easy work of Jared Leto as a transgender. He lives the role without letting one moment pass by where you can see anybody else but a transgender. Both of them had won a Golden globe in their categories, and no doubt are the front runners for this years Oscars. If anybody else can be as proud as them, it would be only Christian Bale for his transformation as a fat fraudster in 'American Hustle', or the frail brother in 'Out of the Furnace'.

Music was scantily put, but helped the movie in its treatment. Jenifer Garner looked ever so beautiful in her role as a doctor who can't stand the authorities and their bullying.

The movie might not stand out as an 'issue' movie, but can be proud of being a performance powerhouse, and does have a decent script to go about. Selected in the category of Best Film too, this year, 'Dallas Buyers club' deserves the attention it gets.

12 years a slave review

Steve McQueen's '12 years a Slave' has been doing rounds at the major award nights this year. This tale of a free black man, forced into slavery and made to suffer and work in the most brute conditions, is a story of pain and sorrow. Unlike other films on Blacks, this is not a story of liberation, but the pain of submission. Steve McQueen adapts the biography of Solomon Northup who was kidnapped by businessmen and sold into slavery.

The movie won the Golden Globe last night, for the best film in Drama category. But, i felt that the movie forces the audiences into visuals of violence to garner empathy, whereas otherwise they would have failed to establish anything valuable in the movie. The sufferings of Blacks in those ages were the focus and that was brought about through the experiences of Mr. Northup. I felt 'Daniel Lee's The Butler' had made me empathize and relate to the movement of Black's liberation more than this movie could do.

Chiwetel Ejiofor will get more nominations for his representation of Mr. Solomon and how he falls and survives in the pangs of slavery. A mean and brutal performance, just like his character in the movie, from Michael Fassbender might see him to the stage of Oscars this year. While yet another chance for an Oscar in the performances category could come from Lupita Nyong'o, who plays a young black slave mistreated by the lustful Fassbender character and his jealous wife, played by Sarah Paulson. If the movie tries to squeeze sympathy out of you, its from this character.

Short, but significant roles were handled by Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano and Paul Giamatti. The music by Hans Zimmer, was somewhere in his usual league, sometimes over burdening a movie with this sort of harshness to it.

A movie made typically to woo voters on award nights, it would seem; and it looks like it is working too. But otherwise I wouldn't oversell it to the audience.