Summer in the multiplexes used to be the exclusive domain of kid- and family-friendly G, PG and PG-13 rated movies. That is, until “Wedding Crashers” scored such a surprise hit in the heat of 2005 and pioneered the way for a r [...]
Before getting into our educational double feature, I must warn you that the bar for movies set in high school (yes, I know, BAD TEACHER is junior high) was set by Alexander Payne’s ELECTION (1999) and Lorie Scherfig’s AN EDUC [...]
THE massively popular Transformers are back. And I am still trying to figure out why. The simple reason is that it is a money-spinner. This film franchise began in 2007 and was an instant hit with the generation that grew up with the acti [...]
New cinema from the new Congo. Suspend disbelief a bit for this one. Take a walk on the wild side with Riva (Patsha Bay) from the yeasty slums of seething Kinshasa to the isolated, fortified haunts of the ultra-rich. The slums are where t [...]
I love Pixar movies. I think "Wall-E" is one of the best animated movies of all time. In a column I wrote in early December last year, I named "Toy Story 3" the best film of the year. I also heaped praise on "Up&q [...]
Answering the question “where is God?” with “everywhere and nowhere” is usually a bit of a let-down, so it’s a sign of just how skilled a film-maker Terrance Malick (The Thin Red Line, Badlands) is that he do [...]
After a highly effective smutty wink of an ad campaign, one could be forgiven for thinking that the “bad” in “Bad Teacher” refers to a public school educator who fools around with her students. A lot of adolescent [...]
Cross-breeding pet antics from Ace Ventura with an absent-dad storyline from Liar Liar, this Jim Carrey and flippered-friends flick waddles unevenly through family comedy territory. Despite humor that relies too heavily on bird farting an [...]
The trailer for Jim Carrey's new family film, “Mr. Popper's Penguins,” looked awful, leading some to expect the worst. With its impending release, it seems entering with low expectations can be the best way to see a fi [...]
"Khel mein haarna ya jeetna maaine nahin rakhta, aisa usi nein kaha hoga jo hara ho. Khelna sirf jeetne ke liye hona chahiye, " quips Tabrez aka Tez (Gautam Sharma) while talking to Shroff (Kay Kay Menon) in a scene from the ava [...]
If there’s one thing Australians know how to do, it’s crime. Wait, that should have read, “if there’s one thing Australians know how to do on the big screen, it’s crime”. But this nation’s ability [...]
J.J. Abrams, a household name in the film industry seems like he has a long list of movie credits, but it's actually a rather small list. I knew J.J. Abrams directed the last Star Trek movie, and was behind the TV show Lost. I figured [...]
If there was one thing that struck me as I left the cinema after seeing the sublime Bridesmaids, it was "Thank god, finally a film that really depicts female friendship". Finally a film that shows how women interact with one ano [...]
Reading the press notes for writer/director Joe Cornish's feature debut, Attack the Block, and learning how the project came together is almost as much fun as watching the film itself. In very brief terms, the idea came to him after b [...]