Heleno Official US Release Trailer - Rodrigo Santoro

The biography of Heleno de Freitas, one of Brazil's greatest Football players. His life may have been tragic, but what a life.

It stars Rodrigo Santoro, superstar of Brazilian cinema. He won multiple awards for his role as Heleno at festivals where this was screened, including the Havana Film Festival.

Enjoy!

Skyfall Review Neither Shaken Nor Stirred

Director  Sam Mendes

Cast  Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes

My Rating  2.5/5

Sam Mendes is one of my favorite directors. His first film "American Beauty" is etched in my mind, scene by scene, frame by frame.  Followed by the crime drama Road to Perdition. Then came Jarhead, set in the gulf war, followed by Revolutionary Road, a multiple award winning intimate look at an extremely dysfunctional marriage. Away We Go, another favorite of mine takes you on a trip with a sensitive and satirical look at the American Family when a to-be parents couple goes hunting for a suitable "home" for their unborn child. He obviously knows America, Americans, relationships, intimacy and dark humor.

Cut to Skyfall. Celebrating 50 Years of Bond'age. James Bond, right, we love him. We love his dare-devilry, his hot persona, his panache, his British accent, his gadgets, his girls and his saving the day.

So when you mix Mendes with MI5, you expect nothing short of an engaging story, even if differently told.

Add to it the IMAX experience, where every frame is larger than life, every sound is magnified.

The opening sequence is absolutely phenomenal, pulsating, adrenalin pumping, shot fantastically. What a ride!

And then, the roller coaster faces a power failure and slows down... till it reaches a point where you feel stuck. The view is great, but you want more, you want the ride to continue, you want your gut to feel that whoosh. Sorry guys, Skyfall is a very well mounted film with some cool set pieces, but does it give you the thrill of a Bond caper? Well I say No.

The set up of one ever dedicated spy who despite a big let down by M is back and hungry for more, and another gone rogue who is out to destroy the very core of MI5 and Madame M with it sounded so good, but nothing is what it seems in this age of mega marketing blitzkrieg.

For me a weak villain has never worked, never will. Javier Bardem with all his nuances and veiled threats and theatrics, can not go beyond in a character which is surrounded by so many loop holes. He generates a good chuckle but not terror.

Daniel Craig is as expected, hands on action, some cool dialogues, but alas no babe! tsk tsk, no hot sex in this one. The so-called Bond girl in this one is just... Sad. In fact he is stripped off of a lot of Bond paraphernalia, thank god for the classy car in the end.

Sam Mendez has brought his touch, yes, but Bond has to be larger than life, he can not be ordinary, he was conceived as a Super Spy, a sexy Brit who is stylish, slick and smooth. Emotions are nice, but where is the thrill.

These things can only be turned around in a crisp tale, but here the movie actually takes off post interval. By then you have reached "I don't care".

Watch it if you must, like me, who can not miss a Bond film, even if it falls way beyond expectations like Skyfall.

Hope you are shaken and stirred, I was not.

Heer - Song - Jab Tak Hai Jaan

This video of Heer, released post the demise of Yash Chopra, was very well received as a song. Jab Tak Hai Jaan is eagerly awaited, the swan song of a director who made romance eternal.

Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana Undercooked

Director : Sameer Sharma

Cast : Kunal Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Vinod Nagpal, Rajesh Sharma, Dolly Ahluwalia, Rajendra Sethi

My Rating : 3/5

From the day I heard the name and saw the promo, I was really looking forward to this film. After all I am a true blue foodie and a Punjabi who loves the usual suspects like Butter Chicken and Dal Makhni. The fact that I cook with passion was another factor.

The story of a lip smacking chicken curry recipe gone missing... How intriguing.

Omi (Kunal Kapoor) comes back to Lalton, his village in Punjab, to hide from a London desi goon, whose 50,000 GBP he needs to return. Omi is a loser, ran away from home ten years ago after stealing money and chloroforming the daylights out of his Daarji (Vinod Nagpal).

He lost his parents and was brought up collectively by his Chacha, Chachi and Daarji. His cousin Jeet was his best buddy and Harman (Huma) was his childhood sweetheart. When he returns, they welcome him with open arms... The chacha is still angry at him for running away and Harman won't speak to him because he broke her heart when he left with just a note saying "sorry". Add to this Titu Mama, an insanely nuanced performance by Rajesh Sharma, who is the high point of this film. If you are from a large Punjabi family, you would definitely have a Titu Mama of your own.

Between the threats by Shanty the Goon and romancing Harman, Omi is left with the Chicken Khurana Dhaba by his Daarji in his will. His only option is to sell it to the arch rival Kehar Singh, who will buy it only if  the Chicken Khurana's elusive recipe is given along with it.

Will Omi be able to find the recipe, escape from Shanty's gun and get Harman, who is engaged to his brother Jeet now is the story that unfolds.

The set up is authentic, the locations real, the characters mostly believable. The Music of the film is another high point. My personal favorite being Kikli Kalerdi.

There are scenes which make you laugh out loud and some where you smile broadly, specially the ones involving Titu. "Bakwas na kar Titu" is the one which keeps coming up as Titu continues with his wisecracks and observations.


The film is pleasant enough, with some well directed sequences and likeable characters. But Kunal Kapoor was a big mistake, he is so dull and wooden, even in the best of scenes. Huma Qureshi is excellent. The story is predictable, and the pace just too slow. But my biggest problem are the scenes where so much more could have happened at the direction level. They just are so insipid. Yes there is Titu Mama and lovely Harman and crazy Bua ji, but they are not the film.

The length of the film is another enemy of this tale.

A chicken curry can be concocted by anyone, but to make it taste good comes with experience. I am sure the director Sameer Sharma will get there.

Taste it if you are in an indulgent mood and want to visit a Punjab while sitting in a theater eating Samosas.

Definitely not everyone's cup of tea or should I say piece of chicken.

Argo A dangerous Cargo Ben Affleck Bryan Cranston

Director : Ben Affleck

Cast : Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin & Tate Donovan

My Rating 4/5

The first time I really noticed Ben Affleck was when Good Will Hunting came out in 1997. Him and Matt Damon. Ben was 25 and Matt 27. And what a script which these two young men wrote and what a wonderful film. I was totally bowled over. Since then I have been following both, and truth be told, always had a softer spot for Damon.

Things changed ten years later when Gone Baby Gone came out. I loved this crime/mystery film and it saw the birth of Ben Affleck the Director. He followed it with The Town, and now Argo.

Based on an article "Escape from Tehran" by Joshua Bearman, the film is a dramatic recreation of a true  story that unfolded in 1979 in Tehran.

From the word go, the film is gripping. The chaos and terror in the US Embassy as an angry mob, baying for American blood takes over and takes the diplomatic staff as hostages sets up the tone for the drama and thrill to follow.

The story is of the six people who managed to escape from the Embassy and find shelter in the Canadian ambassador's home as the world watches in shock. And of Tony Mendez, a CIA specialist, played brilliantly and with great subtlety by Ben Affleck. How he comes up with the most bizzare plan. that seems like the best of worst plans ever made and then goes on a rescue mission is what Argo is all about.

To get these six out is impossible and extremely dangerous, but Tony Mendez comes up with an Idea that what if they were a Canadian film crew scouting for locations in Iran. He has to now create an entire fake set up, which has to pass as the real deal in Iran, with every eye watching closely and relentlessly.

The script that is chosen for this mission almost impossible is called "ARGO"

Argo scores big on the tight narrative, some crafty editing and the great ensemble cast. The volatile situation in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini has been captured very well.

Bryan Cranston as Jack O'Donnell is bang on as the straight shooting Boss of Tony, Goodman and Arkin (my favorite in the film) and the others playing the famous six, all do justice to their characters.

To adapt a real life incident is not easy. But Ben Affleck gets it so right. The length is 2 hours, but it whizzes past. The camerawork is very organic and serves the story well. The claustrophobia and fear of the characters waiting to be freed, hoping against hope is made palpable by the skillful direction.

What I really liked was the underlying humor and some really funny moments in this taut thriller. Specially the ones between John Goodman and Alan Arkin.

So is Tony successful in saving these six lives, go watch and find the answer. Its a ride you would very much enjoy.