Million Dollar baby is a film directed by Clint Eastwood. I wanted to watch the film but circumstances didn’t allow me to do so. Finally, Last night I decided to watch it and was blown away.

Plot: Follows Frankie Dunn, an old boxing trainer who decides to train an aspiring female boxer, a thing Frankie has never done in life.

Story and direction: The film is just not about boxing (as I thought it would be). It is about the bonding and emotions formed between characters in the film. This is very well crafted by writer, Paul Haggis and director Eastwood. I was actually quite shocked of the themes the film dealt with. I was just fascinated by each and every scene of the film. The dialogue felt so real and struck a lightning bolt in my heart. I could relate to each and every scene in the film. The cinematography in the film is awesome. The boxing scenes were shot in a beautiful way. What added to the intensity of the boxing is the razor sharp editing. In addition to directing and producing the film, Eastwood also scores the film. Although the score is very minimal (which was apt considering the storyline the film was going for) and employs mostly pianos and guitars, it was very effective. My only flaw of the film was the sudden change of tone. It felt the first half was one film and second was another. If the flow would have been even, thw film would have been a notch higher.

Performances: Clint Eastwood is a multi-talented personality. He acts perfectly. The grumpiness and mellowed version of his character was balanced perfectly by him. Hilary Swank was believable in every scene of the film. The hard work gone through by her is visible clearly. Morgan Freeman, who does serve as narrator too, does a wonderful job in supporting our main characters as well as guiding the audience through this emotional and soulful journey.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where Maggie faces her first match with Sally as her manager and Frankie and Scrap watch from the other side of the hall. Frankie repeatedly tells Maggie to keep her left up. But when Frankie realises that Sally is making the match go his way for his own benefit; Frankie steps up to help Maggie. This scene showed the bond formed between Frankie and Maggie and how much Frankie cared for Maggie even if Frankie wants to hide it.

Verdict: No wonder this film won big at the Academy Awards the subsequent year. Filled with earnest performances and a heart-filling emotional story and set-up, the film is definitely as must watch for those who feel that emotions surpass everything.

I am going with a 9/10.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is a film co-written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. After the exciting 4th instalment, I was pumped up for this one. And it again just delivers spot-on.

Plot: Ethan Hunt and his IMF team are against a rogue organisation, termed as the Syndicate who would wipe anyone out of their way to achieve their objective.

Story and direction: Chris McQuarrie and Drew Pearce (co-writer) infuse their new and vibrant energy into this franchise because of which it never feels old or run out of fuel. The story is very impressive and I liked the way the film covered the previous 4 installments. I would not be wrong saying that this film was teased during the last moments of the last part. I think the makers were going in for an arc spanning 2-3 films. But that doesn’t mean the film doesn’t stand on its own. It does and very beautifully. There are certain characters that are stretched and explored more which I liked. Even the new characters don’t seem disposable and bring a lot to the film. The action scenes are just great and never feel over the top (especially the car and bike chase set in Morocco). The VFX of the film also does wonders and adds to the beauty of the film. The music by Joe Kraemer impresses on various levels. The cinematography and editing are top-notch. The film faltered only on one aspect: the climax. Normally, I do expect the M;I finale to be a big blast and full of tension creating adrenaline moments. But here I felt the film was going the expected way and I wasn’t surprised. It felt very ordinary. Maybe FALLOUT will explain those events.

Performances: Tom Cruise is as usual in his best and gives a great performance. His dedication to his work and especially towards the action scenes is always felt. Jeremy Renner contributes to the film in his own special way. I liked Simon Pegg’s character being more dramatic than of a comic relief. Rebecca Ferguson brings in new energy to the films and I can’t wait to see her in FALLOUT. So does Alec Baldwin. Sean Harris’s portrayal of Solomon Lane was kind of different and I liked the way he was characterized.

Favorite Scene: It would be the one where Benji confronts Ethan about Ethan sending him back to DC and Benji saying that he should be with Ethan since they are a team. This has an effect on me as it showed a different side of Benji which I never expected. Also, shown so beautifully is Ethan’s concern for others.

Verdict: ROGUE NATION has added another fun-filled, action-thriller ride to the M: I Series. I had a fun time with the entire series. Just waiting for FALLOUT to come. Can’t wait for it.

I am going with a 9/10.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a film directed by Brad Bird. After the third one, I was eagerly waiting to watch this one. And one again, the M: I series didn’t fail to surprise me.

Plot: Ethan and his IMF team, now disavowed, must stop a Russian strategist who wants to start a war between the US and Russia.

Story and direction: Knowing that Brad Bird (his first live-action film) was going to direct the film, I had huge expectations from it. The story is takes the basic idea of US vs. USSR and spuns it into a complex and diversifying one. The film has so many layers and interesting characters because of which there were no dull moments. The new characters introduced have such interesting back stories that it is interesting to watch them. Each scene is just full of tension and suspense. This film very nicely balances the action and thriller aspect of the film. Full credit goes to Brad Bird on proving that he can give a good film whether animated or live-action. The action scenes and VFX are just spot-on especially the one in Dubai where my heart just skipped a beat several times. The cinematography is just awesome. Since IMAX cameras were used in some scenes, it feels quite good. There are many wide-angle shots that do enhance the beauty of the film. The editing of the film is wonderful. Michael Giacchino has again done wonders with the BGM of the film. My only issue with the film is just the villain. He has no such motivation or arc. He is just a guy who wants to destroy the world. I can very safely say that he is the least impressive villain of the entire series.

Performances: Tom Cruise has just synonymised himself with Ethan Hunt. It is juts difficult to imagine this series without him. Jeremy Renner delivers a great performance. So does Paula Patton. Simon Pegg returns in this film with a much meatier role as compared to the previous venture and he just impresses. Michael Nyquist was good on the acting department but nothing the story did to move his character forward. Ving Rhames and Michelle Monaghan do return in smaller roles but it is always good to see them both.

Favorite Scene: Apart from the Dubai Sequence (which is almost everyone’s favorite scene in this film), I would say the film ending was quite good. Ethan says that however difficult the mission be, it is the team that makes it successful. I liked the fact that the scene stressed on the importance of a team and teamwork.

Verdict: This series never fails to impress me. I can’t thank the makers enough for raising the stakes of the film in terms of action and storyline in each and every film a notch higher. Can’t wait for ROGUE NATION.

I am going with a 9/10.

Mission: Impossible – III is a film directed by J.J. Abrams. After the dismal second instalment, I wanted something that could revamp the series and bring new energy that the series deserves. This film exactly did that.

Plot: Ethan Hunt is called out of retirement when one of his trainees is captured by black market arms dealer, Owen Davian.

Story and direction: This film is the debut of J.J. Abrams as a feature film director. He had a huge responsibility of bringing the franchise back on track and he delivers. The writing team (Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Orci) do know what the franchise needs, gives the fans (like me) satisfying moments that was longed for in the second part. Abrams being into spy thrillers (Alias) was the perfect choice. For the only time in the series, we do see the IMF office, which was a wonderful take. Also shown very beautifully is what happens when the professional life overtakes the personal. The characters that are newly introduced just go with the flow of the film in addition to leaving their own impression. Some of the action scenes too are just powerful and full of adrenaline. The music by Michael Giacchino is suspenseful and adds to the wonder this film has. I did like the colour palette that the film used which gave the film a very gritty and dark look. The main issue with the film is regarding the cinematography. There are certain scenes where there are close-ups for very long time and also there was a lot of shaky-cam which interrupted my viewing a couple of times. Also, there were certain scenes where some explanation or even a small description would do justice.

Performances: It was good to see Tom Cruise back into action after his tireless romantic attempt in the previous instalment. Ving Rhames provides good support to Tom’s character. Simon Pegg does a wonderful job as Benji. So does Michelle Monaghan as Julia. Laurence Fishburne and Billy Crudup are great in their performances. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q are awesome as IMF agents. And finally, Philip Seymour Hoffman is probably the best villain the M: I series had. He is ruthless and cunning. Philip nailed his role perfectly.

Favourite Scene: It would be the one where Ethan tries to exact information from Owen by threatening him to throw him out of the plane. Without any fear, Owen replies that he will find every loved one of Ethan’s and kill them right in front of him. This scene showed the devilish side of Owen and I was impressed.

Verdict: Even with its flaws, Mission: Impossible – III serves as a good film with loads of suspense and action scenes and ample of entertainment.

I am going with an 8/10.

Mission: Impossible - 2 is a film directed by John Woo. Many people have cited this to be the worst entry in the M: I series. I can also say the very same thing after I saw it again.

Plot: Ethan and his IMF team have to retrieve a biological weapon called Chimer from rogue IMF agent Sean Ambrose, who intends to make a profit out of it.

Story and direction: After loving the film Face/Off (again by John Woo and by far his best Hollywood attempt) I would say that I had high expectations from this film. First, let us get on with the positives. The set design and scenery of Australia is very beautifully utilized. I feel in love with Australia after watching this film. The cinematography of the film is what enhanced the scenery. Hans Zimmer’s score is also awesome. The scenes had an additional layer of tension thanks to the BGM. Most of the action scenes too worked for me. Now, for the negatives of the film. The plot itself is very boring. I was invested in the first 15 minutes or so of the film and towards the end, the film gets interesting. It is the middle half/45 minutes that are so badly written. It is also full of unnecessary drama that the film didn’t need. The villain I felt was set up very nicely and provided nice characterization. But he was underplayed as the makers wanted to focus on Nyah and Ethan’s romance, which was dull and drab. Even for a moment I wasn’t invested in that part of the story. And sometimes, the action scenes did have a lot of slo-mo. I understand that slo-mo is a technique that is used to enhance a particular scene. But in this film, it is used in almost every scene. And that finished its effect that it tried to create and irritated me after some time.
Performances: Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames were just spot on and gave charismatic performances. Thandie Newton was also good, it is just her character felt unnecessary to the plot. Dougray Scott did give an effective performance but it would have well appreciated if he was given more importance. Richard Roxburgh and Brendan Gleeson did provide good supporting roles. And finally, Anthony Hopkins. Although his role was more of a cameo, it was good to see him.

Favorite Scene: It was where Hunt and his team decide to infiltrate Biocyte and destroy Chimera while Sean and his team decode the steps Ethan will take to destroy the Chimera. This scene for once displayed the capabilities of Sean as a capable villain giving a toigh competition to our hero, Ethan Hunt.

Verdict: The film could have been better if it would have stuck to the tension and thrill that any spy film needs instead of focusing on the romance. It felt like a romantic drama instead of a spy thriller film. This film felt like a detour from the previous instalment. I would say this film as more of a time pass and can be avoided. Only watch it for the stunts and the charismatic Tom Cruise.

I am going with a 6/10.

Mission: Impossible is a film directed by Brian de Palma. I have seen this film one time before. But I again decided to see it since I wanted to go into the intricacies of this venture. And I was stunned.

Plot: Ethan Hunt, an IMF agent is on the run from his superiors for killing his team and stealing a NOC list.

Story and direction: This film is more of a thriller film than an action one, which was very rare at the time at which it released. This is what impressed me the most. The story is very intriguing and for every second of the film you feel the tension mounting. The complaint heard mostly from this film is that you can’t move away from the screen even onece as you may miss something. But I genuinely don’t see that as a flaw. Don’t the people who invest in the movies want the audience to put their whole focus on the movie itself? The characters and their story are also very interesting. In the initial scenes itself, you care for Ethan Hunt. He worries about the safety of his agents and his country and that was very beautifully shown. The score by Danny Elfman works wonders. In some scenes, there is total silence as the director wants to tap on the tension. This shows that Brian de Palma is in love with his work. The action scenes are minimal in this one, but they are great. They feel real even 22 years later. But the film had one minor flaw for me. It was the VFX in the climactic battle. It looked like blue/green screen work in the background which made me cringe a bit.

Performances: Tom Cruise’s image changed overnight just because of his character, Ethan Hunt. I just loved him. He lived each and every moment in the film. Who could have tought of a big bald, plumpy black guy like Ving Rhames as a hacker? Not me. He just was great and did provide some comic relief in the film. Jon Voight is awesome. So were Vanessa Redgrave and Jean Reno. Henry Czerny is the kind of boss that just doesn’t have a clue as to what’s going on and I loved that. I had a small issue with Emmanuelle Beart’s casting. She still happens to retain her French accent, which is never explained in the film.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where Luther, Krieger, Claire and Ethan are on a train to the US and Ethan explains as to what they are about to do. The tension is what gave me goosebumps as it just happens to explain the following scene. Also, the thing done well was showing Ethan’s confidence and Luther’s doubt in the mission.

Verdict: This film marked the beginning of a great franchise which boasted not only goo stunts but also good character development and things that are still remembered even 20 years after. I applaud Brian de Palma and team for bringing such a film to the screens.

I am going with an 8.5/10.

The Iron Giant is a film co-written and directed by Brad Bird. This film was on my radar for quite some time since it is directed by Brad Bird. Finally, I decided to watch the film and I can say that it was definitely great.

Plot: Hogarth befriends a giant robot but also has to defend the robot from a ruthless government official.

Story and direction: This film was in the traditional animation form which incorporated little CGI. At a time when CGI films were on the rise, bringing out such a film is a risk. With Brad Bird as the captain of the ship, what is to go wrong?? Nothing. Director’s like Brad Bird is why I love animated films. Not only do they have such a good story but a message that is relevant and should be applied too in real life. This film deals with themes that no one at the time dealt with and is still relevant even in this world where technology has dominated every aspect of our lives. The film also very beautifully shows that it is not necessary to be human to have feelings. Everyone has feelings. Brad Bird and his team were able to grasp my attention in this 87 minute film. But it is quite sad to know that this film didn’t work wonders at the time of its release. Some things quite notable are the designs for the town and the robot. They are impeccable and beautiful. Even the characterization work in the film is just spot-on. The bond formed between Hogarth and the robot seems real. Kent’s character has been beautifully portrayed in the film. Even the voice work of this film is excellent and I couldn’t fault it for even a second. There are some jokes in this film that I laughed and also some scenes which made me very emotional. The music by Michael Kamen also does wonders and goes with the flow of the film. If I had to nit-pick this film for any flaw, I would say it was the story. Many movies have shown such stories and the subject I would say was nothing new.

Favorite Scene: It would be the one where Hogarth decides to tell a bed-time story to the robot so that he could fall asleep. He has different books with him and tells them the gist of two of them. This scene just resonated with the main theme the film deals with and very correctly justifies the difference between good and evil.

Verdict: As a first timer director, Brad Bird just hit a bulls eye. I was impressed with almost every aspect of the film. This film proves that medium is not necessary to bring across your point. If the message is correct and properly shown, then the medium doesn’t matter that much. Even after the film ended, I was thinking about the film. And thank god, the film wasn’t made into a musical (which was actually the original plan of the makers). For those who have loved Brad Bird animated films and think that he is one the great animators at present, I urge you to watch this film. It is a beautiful and thought provoking feature. I was highly impressed by it and sure that you will be too.

I am going with a 9/10.

Ant Man and the Wasp is a film directed by Peyton Reed. Every MCU film excites me and I look forward to the films. Since I loved the first film, I would say that I expected a lot from this film. Surprisingly, the film does deliver.

Plot: Scott Lang teams up with Hank and Hope to retrieve Janet van Dyne from the quantum realm.

Story and direction: This film actually relies much on humor to carry forward the story (if that’s what it is called). It does a good work of working on the Scott-Cassie bond. This film further strengthens their bond. Also something good here is the de-aging procedure.the actors actually looked very young. The VFX and action scenes of the film were also good. For a film that had a tight budget (atleast smaller than what its contemporaries were investing), it never felt artificial. And the 3D was an added gem to the film that enhanced the beauty of the film. But the film doesn’t go without complaints. As with the first film, this film doesn’t do justice to the villains. With the MCU having some good villains in its recent ventures, the villains here feel very disposable. They have no reason to exist. Sonny Burch felt more like a joker than a villain. As for Ghost, I wouldn’t call her a villain. But still her character could have been developed. Many people have been complaining of Hope van Dyne’s storyline. But I did feel fine with it.

Performances: Paul Rudd is great as Ant-Man. He perfectly embodies the character. Evangeline Lily was good as the Wasp. As usual, Michael Pena was great. He shined through his so called monologue. Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer delivered some compelling performances. As I mentioned before, Walton Goggins was very much disposable. Hannah John Kamen did a good job but would have liked to see more of her. It is always a treat to watch Laurence Fishburne. The other supporting characters do a good job in moving the film forward.

Favorite Scene: Scott and Cssie have a little talk where Scott says that his family is paying the price for whatever he is doing. But Cassie then cheers him up by saying that he is doing the right thing. This scene just showed how important a driving force is Cassie in Scott’s life.

Verdict: After a film that is grand like Infinity War, this film does feel short scaled. But removing that and certain flaws that this film had, I would say that I was surely entertained. I can’t wait to see what else this character and this universe has more to offer us. The mid-credits scene is very important to the future films, but I thought the post-credit one felt unimportant.

I am going with a 7.5/10.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a film directed by David Yates. This film just firmed up my belief that however good or bad the start is the ending of any story should be shockingly awesome.

Plot: Harry Potter and his friends decide to stop Voldemort and the Death Eaters once and for all.

Story and direction: This film is much shorter in comparison to the other parts (130 minutes). And this is actually justified because all of the setting up was done in the past 7 movies. Here we jump straight into the action. I would like to commend on the action sequences. They felt every real and each and every time I felt scared for the characters in that particular scene. The film is fast paced and not much time is wasted. The set design and cinematography is just awesome. I can just go on about the wonderful score by Alexandre Desplat. Also, the VFX is just the best of the entire series. I was just gobsmacked by the improvement the series hads shown in the VFX department. The level of maturity these characters have is very well defined in certain scenes. There are certain scenes in the film that make sense in this final part that are explained very well without deviating from the tension in the film. And I have to commend the makers on splitting up the novel into 2 parts. This was needed as many storylines and plot arcs have to be wrapped up. This film just brings the storyline to an end so beautifully that I couldn’t fault the film for one moment.

Performances: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as usual are great. Maggie Smith has some scenes in which she was great. Ralph Fiennes was in his best form as Voldemort. The same can be said for Helena Bonham Carter and Micheal Gambon. It was also good to have certain actors back for this one epic battle.

Favorite Scene: It would be the one where Snape orders the students to give up anything they know about Harry Potter’s whereabouts. Then Harry steps up and challenges Snape and Minerva comes to the rescue. This scene was just amazing on another level as I saw a battle that I may have been waiting for since the last instalment.

Verdict: This film is just great on so many levels. I honestly can say that in each and every scene I had goosebumps. This film series ends on a great note and delivers a very satisfying finale. This film series should be a lesson to some people on how greatness, novelty and creativity when mixed together provide an art that just cannot be forgotten and is just relished by the person watching it. My heartiest congratulations to the team of Harry Potter on celebrating our favourite characters in the best way possible.

I am going with a perfect 10.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a film directed by David Yates. Since this was the second last instalment, my anticipation for this one was sky high. And after watching the film, I can say that that film exceeded all my expectations.

Plot: Harry, Ron and Hermione team up to destroy the secret to his immortality – Horcruxes.

Story and direction: This film started the trend of the last part being split up to two films. But I can say without doubt that none have achieved the level of greatness that this film achieved. As I have stressed in the previous instalments, the character work in this film is just like no other film series. The makers know what the audience expects and just taps on to that. From the very first scene you know that the stakes are real and the setting itself made me worry for the safety of the characters. We have some amazing action sequences in the film which are very beautifully shot and nicely edited. The film mostly takes place between the 3 main characters of the film. And it never feels boring just to watch them doing what they are great at. Alexandre Desplat’s score is just amazing. The sets and camera work for the film is beautiful. The VFX is the best the series has to offer. Some characters do suffer consequences and you do feel sad for them. The film does end in a cliffhanger but that will not disappoint as it is known the film will continue.

Performances: Daniel Radcliffe was great as Harry Potter. The emotional depth this character has is deep and you feel for him. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger is just great. For the first time in the series, I felt the emotional side of this character. Rupert Grint successfully portrays a different side of Ronald Weasley. This film does introduce Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour. The role is small but good enough to leave an impression. Also introduced here is Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood. I did feel the role was good but a bit unnecessary.

Favorite Scene: It would be a scene when Harry decides to cheer Hermione when she is sad by having a small dance with her. This scene showed the maturity and understanding these characters have for each other. I came to know from somewhere that this scene was nowhere in the book. So it is a big pat on the makers’ back for innovating something new and presenting us in a good way.

Verdict: For a second last film in a franchise, this film does justice. It sets up scenes for what is about to come and makes us ready for some consequences that might not just be in our favour. Thanks again to David Yates, Steve Kloves and the entire team of Harry Potter for bringing us a franchise that knows how to treat a particular story with respect. I can’t just wait for the final instalment.

I am going with a 10.