Raazi is a film co-written and directed by Meghna Gulzar. The trailers seemed good to me and the ongoing positive reception, both, critically and commercially, compelled me to watch this film. And I can definitely say that this is one of the best of 2018.

Plot: Sehmat is married to Iqbal Syed of the Pakistani army, so that she can pass information about Pakistan’s actions against India during 1971.

Story and direction: This film is adapted from the novel ‘Calling Sehmat’ by Harinder Sikka. This film has been very beautifully adapted by Meghna and Bhavani Iyer. The writing of the film is spot-on and never is it felt that the story was dragging. The character work of this film is also so intricate and detailed that I was in awe. The film not only showed that how spies work but also put light on the fact as to how difficult is a spy’s work mentally. This aspect is highlighted most in this venture which was a risk and I salute Meghna and team for taking that risk. Here the Pakistani’s are not shown as the enemies but as humans who would do anything to protect their country. The scenery of Kashmir and Pakistan were very well captured. But I did feel that I could guess some scenes. I am thinking that is just me. The character choices seemed very guessable, which was my only flaw with this film.

Performances: Alia Bhatt once again proves that she is a great actress if given a compelling script. From the young college girl to the Indian spy, she played all the roles with ease. Vicky Kaushal was another of the gems of this film. Jaideep Ahlawat was an awesome mentor to Alia’s character. Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma and Arif Zakaria also provided come great performances.

Songs and BGM: This film has only three songs and all of them are good. Gulzar’s lyrics and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music were good. The songs never felt they were there to just fill in gaps. They moved the story forward and provided fuel to such a wonderful story. My favorite was ‘Dilbaro’. The BGM felt good to the ears and not irritable as most Indian BGM’s sound.

Favorite Scene: It would be the one in the beginning where Hidayat tells Sehmat to return to college and resume her studies. But then Sehmat replies that if her father can serve the nation why not her. The kind of maturity seen in that particular scene is what made an impression on my mind and my favourite.

Verdict: Meghna Gulzar is proving to be one of the compelling female directors of recent times. First Talvar and now Raazi. This film’s different take on a spy genre and Alia’s performance make this a must watch.

I am going with a 9/10 with this one.

Deadpool 2 is a film directed by David Leitch. The trailers for this film looked fantastic. And, since I liked the first one I was looking forward to this film. And yes, Team Deadpool has delivered is what I can say.

Plot: Deadpool must save Firefist from Cable, a time travelling soldier, who has a grudge on him.

Story and direction: From the first shot itself, the mood is set. I also liked the way they actually had a kind of James-Bond song for the film. The film doesn’t feel like a studio film who just wants to make money out of a successful venture. I can give that credit to the team. It retains the things that made the first film a success and just develops on that. Also, we do get to see Deadpool getting a whole lot of drama, which was something I wasn’t expecting. But that was good since I got to see a whole new persona of Deadpool. And this film just doesn’t feel like a set-up for future instalments which normally is the trend now in Hollywood. Since we have David Leitch on the director’s chair, how is it not possible for the action scenes to be awesome? The score by Tyler Bates was awesome. I am a fan of the kind of music he incorporates to his films. Also the VFX has improved from the last time, although still there was one particular sequence that just felt CG-ed to mess. AS with the last film, I felt much wasn’t going on in the story department. It’s a kind of story that is seen before. Since the makers wanted to introduce a human aspect to the film, I felt the jokes were little less than the previous part.

Performances: Ryan Reynolds juts embraces this character of Dedapool. You just can’t picture anyone else, since he is just perfect. Josh Brolin just proves that he is a brilliant actor who just can do any kind of role. T J Miller and Morena Baccarin were good too. Karan Soni’s was also fantastic in what he was given. Stefan Kapicic and Brianna Hildebrand also provided good support. Julian Dennison gave an earnest performance. Last but not the least I felt Domino was just superb.

Favorite Scene: It would be the one between Colossus and Deadpool during the final fight. I remember laughing so hard in that scene. The kind of chemistry these 2 characters have is like no other.

Verdict: Even with a few flaws, I still thought that Deadpool 2 was an entertaining film. I had a great time watching the film. Hopefully, the future films will be as good as or even better than this one. If I have to compare with the first part, I will say that the first part was better. Do wait for the mid credit scenes. I just loved that. It was so hilarious.

I am going with an 8/10.

Avengers Infinity War is a film directed by the Russo Brothers. This film was my most anticipated film for this year and I can definitely say the same for every MCU fan out there. I viewed the film very late and knew how much I had to wait. But the wait was worth it.

Plot: The Avengers team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop Thanos from obtaining the 6 Infinity Stones.

Story and Direction: The Russo Brothers and the writers had a huge and daunting task of bringing all of the characters that we loved for all these years into one big movie. And I can just say that they did an excellent job. Never for a moment do you feel that the characters were not given space and time to do what they wanted. The character work for this film is just flawless and I think Thanos was just the best villain MCU ever had. Although he is strong and kind of undefeatable, he has emotions which provided a lot of weight to his character. The film is has a much darker tone compared to other MCU films. The stakes in this film are very real and never there is rest for the mind. You do feel the tension lingering around and feel for the safety of your characters. But the film does retain that Marvel brand of humour in places. And all of the jokes are very funny and do provide relief. Given the film was shot on IMAX cameras, the visuals are just awesome. I had goosebumps just looking at how beautiful this film looked. Also the action scenes were awesome. And the VFX was just jaw dropping. Action scenes were just awesome. Although there were some shaky cam scenes, but they were just perfectly handled. The score by Alan Silvestri was quiet good and complemented the scenes very well. Also the film doesn’t end in a very peculiar way. It takes a very different route, which was very well appreciated. I did have one little issue but here I am being quite nit-picky. Some scenes in the trailers didn’t make it to the film which was disappointing and also the Thor storyline didn’t feel much important to the film.

Performances: The Avengers and The Guardians were just awesome with Thor being my favorite character in the entire film. His presence and his comic timing were just awesome. Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston too deliver good performances. Josh Brolin was just excellent as Thanos. Every time you watch him on screen you do feel that he was just the correct choice. Also the Black Order was nice to watch. And finally, Peter Dinklage. He also delivered an earnest performance for his role.

Favorite Scene; It would be Thor’s scene with the Guardians. That scene lightened the mopd for a bit and also gave that kind of entertainment you expect out of these characters.

Verdict: This film satisfied the Marvel fan in me. I walked out of this film with a lot of questions about what will happen next and I can’t just wait for the next instalment arriving next year.
I am going with a 9/10.

Ittefaq is a film co-written and directed by Abhay Chopra and a remake of the 1969 film of the same name. I had a while before watched the original. While I loved the idea of the film the execution lacked problem for me. But this one, was better executed than its predecessor.

Plot: Vikram Sethi is accused of murder of his wife and Maya's husband Shekhar. Now, it is upto CBI officer Dev to solve the crime in just 3 days.

Story and director: The film opted to a very nice promotion strategy. Even though I had seen the original, I was on the edge of my seat every time. The way the story was cleverly adapted was awesome. And the direction too was great. Abhay and team never let the suspense and tension down for even one second of this 105 minute movie. It was good on the team's part to make this a song-less film as the songs would have ruined the whole experience. The BGM for this film is excellent. The cinematography was awesome. The angles and images shown were so correct and accurate. The characters for this film were real-like. I liked where they actually concentrated more on the police part where they hadn't concentrated in the original. Also the jokes were spot-on. They were a relief in this suspense laden film, unlike the original where whole drama was added which made the film very dragged and boring. Although I felt that nothing was missing in the film, I did feel that the climax was a bit ruined as I had seen the original.

Performances: Siddharth Malhotra is a good actor. And this film does prove that. His character has many shades and he performs them effortlessly. The same can be said for Sonakshi Sinha too. But the one that will take all praise is Akshaye Khanna. First Mom and now Ittefaq. He is one of the most underrated actors of our industry. I do want to see him more as he is one of the gems Bollywood has. The rest of the supporting cast did give earnest performances.

Favorite Scene: It would be the one where Dev goes to a house to collect some information on Vikram and Catherine's relation. The scene was very amusing and also depicted on how people are desperate so that they get some media coverage.

Verdict: If you haven't seen the original film, don't. This one is much fast paced and better version of the 1969 film. It was a fun ride for me and certainly one of the best that 2017 had to offer.

I am going with a 9/10.

Shanghai Knights is a film directed by David Dobkin. I had seen Shanghai Noon some months ago and was entertained by it. Due to some reasons, I couldn't see the 2nd part. But after seeing it yesterday night, I was overjoyed.

Plot: Chon Wang and Roy go to London to seek vengeance for murdering Chon's father.

Story and direction: These are the kind of films that I love. For the full 114 minutes, I was highly entertained by this film. Not a single moment felt dull. The comedy for me was spot on. The writers have so correctly written the story that it cashes on the star-power of our protagonists correctly Also the fight scenes were so nicely choreographed. It is always a treat to watch Jackie Chan fight. A big salute from my side to his stunt team for making me believe that good and realistic stunts are possible in cinema. The stunts also feel done in one-shot which I is a big thanks to the editing team. The sets and costumes were awesome and life-like. Also some popular references to pop-culture were appreciated. About some flaws with the film, I would say that if you are considering as something will be great about the film story-wise, don't. There is nothing much to the story. Also I did feel that there were some historical inaccuracies, that angered me a lot.

Performances: Jackie Chan will always have a special place in my heart. In this film too, he shows that not only he is dedicated to his stunts but also delivers a good performance. Owen Wilson also performs good as a "side-kick". Fann Wong was a good addition to the cast. Donnie Yen and Aidan Gillen proved to be quite good villains. Tom Fisher too provided some great support.

Favorite Scene: It is always a treat for me to watch Jackie Chan fight. So, for me the favorite scene of the film would be the London Market fight scene. The scene is choreographed so nicely. The comedy also was spot on and Jackie Chan makes the stunts feel so easy.

Verdict: I had a great time watching this film. My tie was very nicely utilized. This film is highly recommended for those who want to have a fun time and also are ardent action lovers and Jackie Chan fans.

I am going with an 8/10.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a film directed by David Yates. I had watched some of the Harry Potter films years ago. Then I came to know about this particular film which was a prequel to the Harry Potter Films. Seeing the craze of the Harry Potter series in many people, I decided to give this film a try. And I enjoyed it.

Plot: Newt Scamander arrives in New York when some of his creatures escape from his suitcase and it is upto him and his allies to save the day.

Story and direction: This is J K Rowling's first film as a screenwriter and I can say she has done a wonderful job in creating a world where both magicians and normal citizens live together. Hats off to David Yates and team, for creating a world for creating a world I so want to be in. The creature designs were fantastic and that goes on to say how talented the crew is. The characters for this story were so mesmerizing. Each of these characters had something to be liked. The comedy also was so good and never felt forced or out of place. The action scenes were so nicely done. The production design and costumes transported me back to the 1920's. But the film, was not all perfect. The film's first 20-30 minutes, felt little flat for me. But that was understandable, as I was getting to know this world and it was a slow-buildup movie. Also the editing and VFX in certain portions of the film felt little haywire.

Performances: Eddie Redmayne was very lovable as Newt. The little chacacters nuances were perfectly performed by him. Katherine Waterston also provided some great support to Newt's character. Dan Fogler was the comic relief and he was impressive. Allison Sudol was good too. Ezra Miller was awesome. You could feel the pain his characater was going through. Colin Farrell was great. And for those who haven't seen this film, I would say just wait for Johnny Depp. Yes, he is there in the film. But I won't go any further.

Favorite Scene: Again no spoilers but there is a scene involving, Newt, Tina, Queenie and Jacob towards the climax that was heart-touching. I also teared up for a bit.

Verdict: I had a fun time watching this film. For a person who has not been updated with the Harry Potter series, I fully understood the film. And was quite happy that the film didn't rely on Harry Potter. It's good on its own.

I am going with an 8/10.

Mukkabaaz is a film co-written and directed by Anuragh Kashyap. From the trailers itself, the film looked very interesting and I was dying to see the film. And finally when I saw the film, I was overjoyed.

Plot: The story follows Shravan's struggle towards fulfilling his dream and winning his love while facing hardships in form of uphill castiesm and corruption of the Boxing Federation which is heightened by the political atmosphere of Uttar Pradesh.

Story and direction: From scene one itself, the film hooked me. The film is not only about an underdog rising to become a great boxer but is about much more. The film has so many layers to it and it ticked off all the boxes for me. For normally a film with so many writers, the film looks very aimless. But in this film (which has 6 writers credited), the film is very neat and tidy. It's like all the writers were in sync. The social issues highlighted were also not in a very conventional manner. Kudos to Anurag Kashyap and team, for bringing such a film to the spotlight. The characters are also so rich and deep, that you feel for each of the people present on screen. Even the jokes cracked were spot-on and didn't seem forced. The cinematography was awesome. And so were the boxing scenes. They felt so real. But I had a small little issue with the film. And that is the length. I felt that if it would have been a little above 2 hours, it would have been the masterpiece of this year.

Performances: Vineet Kumar is the star of this vehicle. With every scene, he is so impactful, that I have no words to describe his performance. Zoya Hussain was impressive too. Although she doesn't have dialogues, the facial expressions spoke lot more than words would express. JImmy Shergill was the bad-as and he nailed his character to the T. Ravi Kishan was awesome too. Therest of the supportimg cast were also very much impressive in their performances.

Music: This film had some great music too. Normally, I would not listen to such music. But since the songs are mostly situation driven, I could very easily connect with them. I would say 'Paintra' and 'Hatthapai' were my favorites.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where Shravan argues with his father as to why is he expecting so much from him when he himself (Shravan's father) didn't achieve anything in life. The jokes cracked as well as the performances and the realism of the scene is what make me think about it.

Verdict: For all Anurag Kashyap fans out there, please watch this film. This is one of the best so far in 2018.Films like these need our support, so that India can be at par with world cinema.

I am going with a 9/10.

The Commuter is a film directed by Jaume-Collet Serra. The trailers for the film looked OK and I just wanted to see the film because of Liam neeson. And after seeing the film I would say that I wasn't disappointed.

Plot: Follows, Michael MacCauley, who is unwittingly recruited into a murder conspiracy after meeting Joanna while on his daily train commute.

Story and direction: This is the fourth time this actor and director combo have worked together. And I can definitely say that the experiences of their films has never been dissatisfying. Although I would like to point out that this is the weakest of their combinations. But, let's start out with the good. The characters of the story are very interesting and heart-touching. You feel for them each time they make a decision. Also the story is very fast paced. So actually no time is wasted and that always pumps the adrenaline in your body. The action sequences are so greatly filmed. Never for a moment they felt fake. And very great editing and camera work. Kudos to Collet-Serra and team for bringing good action movies to the screen. Now coming to the negatives. Firstly, it was basically like Non-Stop except this time it is a train. That means, I felt nothing new was being contributed to the film as such. Also, details of some characters were not much. No such motivation was known, which made me confuse a bit. And finally, the film felt implausable many times. I felt like is that even really possible.

Performances: Liam Neeson does what he is good at and he excels at it. You do feel for his character every single second and that's why he is my favorite. Vera Farmiga does good too although I did feel her character could have been given more. Same goers for Patrick Wilson too. It was good to see Sam Neill on the screen after a long time. The passengers too gave a good performance.

Verdict: This film is a decent action film. If you are a Liam Neeson fan, go watch it and you will not be disappointed. But if you are expecting a real good experience, then this film is far away from that and you can surely avoid it.

I am going with a 7/10.

Annhilation is a film written and directed by Alex Garland. I watched the trailers for this film and was impressed by it. Before that, I had followed the film for over a year as I loved Alex Garland's Ex Machine. And I can definitely say the same for this film too.

Plot Lena signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.

Story and direction: This is the kind of science fiction film that not only has a great story but also does challenge your mind. The film builds every minute. Not a single minute felt dull. the characters of the story were great and you could actually connect with each of them. Each of them had some sort of pain or loss that makes you feel for them. A salute to Alex Garland for giving us a compelling story and women (lead) characters that don't feel like sugar coating. The film is left open ended which I liked because I could keep thinking about this film, which I wan't from any film that I see. The VFX for the film is awesome. This goes on to show that no big money is needed to create some great VFX. But I did feel a little disconnected at one aspect of the film. It was the scenes between Dan and Lena. That could have been avoided as that did nothing much to the forward the story.

Performances: Natalie Portman was great in her role. She especially excelled in the emotional scenes. Jennifer Jason Leigh was great too. And so were Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson and Tuva Novotny. Oscar Isaac acted with great ease with what was given to him. This film is all about the women and I can say that this was quite a riveting women-centric film in recent times.

Favorite Scene: No spoilers, but it would be a scene in the lighthouse with Natalie Portman and another character. The struggle, the VFX and the acting was what took my breath away in this particular scene.

Verdict: Alex Garland is one of the best sci-fi directors out there and with this film he has certified that. Great performances and visuals make this film a treat to watch.

I am going with a 9/10.

Source Code is a film directed by Duncan Jones. I had this film on the back of my mind. So I decided yesterday night to actually watch the film. And man, I was highly impressed.

Plot: Colter Stevens is sent into a computed reality to find a bomber on a train.

Story and direction: I have seen many time travel movies but none like this. The concept was fantastic. Kudos to writer Ben Ripley and director Duncan Jones for successfully creating a world where this is possible. Every second is utilized properly. Never do you feel bored in this 90 minute film. Also the characterization is so perfect. For every minute of the film, you feel for your lead character. You are connected with the character on screen. Also, I didn't see any sort of trailer for this film, which was an added advantage as I could enjoy the film very nicely. Also the editing was razor sharp and crisp. It felt like a nice flow, which is what makes a film believe-able. The cinematography is awesome too. But there were some flaws for me. The VFX was a bit fake. I could know in some scenes where green screens were actually used. Also towards the climax, the film felt a little bit cliched.

Performances: Jake Gyllenhaal has always impressed me and he cotinued to do in this film too. He acted his role so perfectly. Michelle Monaghan was also good for the part given to her. Vera Farmiga was also impressive. The complexity given to her added a different layer to her character that accentuated her performance too. Jeffrey Wright was good too.

Favorite Scene: No spoilers, but there is a phone call scene during the climax of the film which really touched me. That displayed Jake Gyllenhaal's character at his peak.

Verdict: This film was a great use of my 90 minutes. While watching the film I was never bored. This is a highly recommended film for those who like mind-bending movies. I assure you it is worth a watch.

I am going with an 8.5/10.