The Game (1997)

Director: David Fincher
Story: John Brancato and Michael Ferris
Cast: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn
Music: Howard Shore
Time: 128 minutes
Bottom-line: Irresistible! 

Fincher’s second feature film, The Game is one where you have to realise, it’s not Michael Douglas who is playing, but it is you! Douglas plays Nicolas Van Orton, a wealthy investment banker, traumatised by his father’s suicide on his 48th birthday. On Nicolas’ 48th birthday, his brother Conrad (Penn) presents him with a voucher for a game organised by CRS (Consumer Recreational Services), with a promise that it will change his life! Nicolas reluctantly decides to give it a try. As the story progresses, Nicolas realises that CRS is toying around with his life – he starts to believe that his wealth and safety are at risk. He meets a waitress, Christine (Deborah Kara Unger) who also seems to be affected by CRS’ game. How do the two of them, and eventually Nicolas alone, encounter the dangers and play the game?

Douglas as Nicolas

This was a time when Fincher had just started to make a mark in the film industry. But despite his later success, The Game remains an underrated film. The story is highly entertaining, and I love the idea of how a man can get so terrorised by everyone and everything around him, believing it part of the game, trying to ruin him. The incidents occurring to him seem so natural, but everything seems to be part of the plan – someone spilling a drink on his dress, getting a taxi ride, even entering his own house (look out for the scene with the life size clown!). That is when you realise that you, as a viewer, are also part of the game; Fincher’s toying around with your mind! You are so involved that the climax hits you like a train hitting a fishbowl! The finale, like most Fincher films, is the debatable part. I, for one, liked the ending; it seemed logical, though it is practically impossible for such a thing to happen.

Penn as Conrad

Michael Douglas has done an outstanding job to play the lead role. He has the right look and temperament to play that character. I was amazed at the way he displayed all those emotions – fear, anger, the look of revenge, and every other emotion to show his transition from being a millionaire to a man roaming on the street. In the two hour long film, he is present on screen for over 100 minutes, and it is predominantly his performance that is the driving force. But the film does not have the usual trademarks of Fincher – no dim lit surroundings, no exploration of dark sides of people... rather it is a film about what all life can throw at you, either by fate or by someone else’s careful planning. This is about a man who is driven to the end of his wits, and how he deals with it.

So while the climax is a questionable topic, the rest of the film is exhilarating. Fincher and Douglas strike all the right notes to bring you a mesmerising mystery thriller, with no shortage of entertainment.

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 71%

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Director: James Wan
Story: James Wan, Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O’ Connor, Madison Wolfe
Music: Joseph Bishara
Time: 134 minutes
Bottom-line: Predictable; not frightening at all 

Horror films can be like The Exorcist – has barely any storyline, but does an exceptional job of scaring the daylights out of you; or like Yavarum Nalam amd Shutter Island – not frightening but somewhat “logical” horror films, and my favourite type. The other category is the films that try to scare you and tell a story, which in most cases, fail. The Conjuring 2 falls in the third category.

1974 – When paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga) are documenting the Amityville murders, Lorraine sees a vision where she relives the murders, sees a demonic apparition dressed like a nun, and also witnesses Ed’s death. The story shifts to 1977, England, where strange happenings occur at the Hodgson residence. The youngest daughter, Janet (Wolfe) is possessed by the spirit of Bill Wilkins, the man who had lived and died in the same house. As Janet shows more signs of being possessed, Ed and Lorraine are called to investigate. What they find, and whether or not they are able to relieve Janet of the spirit is what the story is about.

Wilson as Ed and Farmiga as Lorraine

The “horror” aspects of the film are all clichéd, and hence, the incidents become predictable quite often. This is why The Conjuring 2 fails as a horror film, but because of the mediocre storyline to support, it turns out to be a decent drama. The text in the beginning tells us that it is based on a true story, and the corresponding real life characters are shown along with the closing credits. One good thing the film did was to popularise Elvis Presley’s Cant’ Help Falling in Love, which is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard. The comments section on YouTube makes it clear that a large number of people heard the song because of the movie.

The acting was good, by all the actors. Farmiga and Wilson reprise their roles from The Conjuring. The former has done really well, in terms of body language and facial expressions, and the latter wasn’t so active on screen, but one highlight was his performance of the Presley song. Madison Wolfe is worth noticing in the film. She plays the possessed child Janet, and even if the makeup and acting don’t scare as much as Regan’s character in The Exorcist, this is a commendable performance too.

Connor as Peggy (left), Wolfe as Janet (middle)
and Lauren Esposito as Margaret

I still haven’t seen The Conjuring but I don’t think it is a necessity to see the prequel to understand this film. There’s nothing really unique in The Conjuring 2, except for the song. The story’s predictable, and it does not scare you to the amount you expect from a proper horror film. The sets and atmosphere aren’t really scary either because they’re old school (rainy nights, dingy cellars...). It’s a mildly entertaining movie at the most, but not really worth going to the theatre to watch.

My Rating: 2/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 76%

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Director: John Hughes
Story: John Hughes
Cast: Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, John Kapelos, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald
Music: Gary Chang, Keith Forsey 
Time: 97 minutes
Bottom-line: Funny, charming and relatable 

This 1985 coming-of-age drama film revolves around one Saturday in the lives of five high school students. Set almost entirely in one room, and a timeline of nine hours, this movie focuses on the interaction between the students and how they get to know each other.

March 24, 1984 (Saturday), Shermer High School: five students – Claire, the princess (Ringwald), Andrew, the athlete (Estevez), John, the prisoner, (Nelson) Alicia, the basket-case (Sheedy) and Brian, the brain (Hall) report for a full day detention. Each of them has been punished for a different cause, and none of them have similar traits. Claire is rich and pampered, Andrew is a champion wrestler, John is a bully, Alicia is a recluse, and Brian is a nerd. The principal, Richard Vernon (Paul Gleeson) assigns them a 1000 word essay on what they think they are, under the condition that none of them must leave the room, or talk to each other for the next nine hours. As time progresses, the students argue, interact, even smoke cannabis, and slowly, despite their different positions in society and different traits, they form friendships, and even romantic relationships.

The cast (from left): Nelson as John,
Estevez as Andrew, Sheedy as Alicia,
Ringwald as Claire, and Hall as Brian

Along with films like 12 Angry Men, The Breakfast Club is one that shows the power of communication. When you are stuck in a room of people with nothing else to do, then talking with those around you can make a lot of difference. The entire movie is based on this idea – at first none of them get along with another, so they keep arguing and hollering. Then slowly the students open up about their personal lives and their problems. They realise that one thing all of them have in common is that they face similar problems, and this leads to a new type of bonding. In the process they not only realise who they are, but also who the others are.

The acting is worth praising here. All five of them, as well as Gleeson, have done exceptionally well for portraying the characters in an authentic fashion. Whether it is in terms of body language, rendition of dialogue, their performance is very much like any high school student. This is what makes the movie more interesting – the fact that we can relate to the characters in terms of performance and the traits. In particular I liked Judd Nelson, who plays the obstreperous bully John Bender. The encounters between him and the principal are quite interesting to watch.

The message the film wants to portray is that conversing with the right people in the right manner can bring about a huge change in oneself. Perhaps the message is shown using high school children because that is the age where the maximum changes occur in one’s life – mentally and emotionally. Thanks to the performances, the dialogues and simple story, The Breakfast Club says this loud and clear. If you’re a teenager, this film is a must-watch!

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%

There Will be Blood (2007)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson (based on the novel by Upton Sinclair) 
Cast: Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano
Music: Jonny Greenwood
Time: 158 minutes
Bottom-line: There will be...a standing ovation for DDL!

By 2007 the world knew Daniel Day Lewis was undoubtedly one of the best Hollywood actors of all time, and in There Will be Blood, he proves it yet again. This historical drama by Paul Thomas Anderson is the story of a businessman/family man, who tries to balance his duties as both. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, winning two (Best Actor and Cinematography).

The film starts in the year 1898 but quickly shifts to 1902, when Daniel Plainview (DDL), a silver miner finds oil near Los Angeles. Soon after setting up a small drilling company, a worker dies, and Daniel adopts his son, and names him H.W (Dillon Freasier), thus becoming a “family man”. In 1911, Daniel is approached by Paul Sunday (Dano), who claims that his family property holds oil, and offers to sell it at a bargain price. However Paul’s twin, Eli (also Dano), is greedy and demands $10000 for the church for which he is a pastor. The remainder of the film is about how Daniel expands his oil business, and how it starts to affect the relationship with his son, his animosity towards Eli, and ultimately, his own life.

DDL as Plainview

There’s no clear cut plot in There Will be Blood. It is more of a case study of a businessman/father. We see the life of Daniel from 1989 to 1927, where he starts by being a silver miner all by himself, then slowly building up on his hard work in search of oil, in the process becoming a family man, and later dissolving all other needs to give full priority to his business, and finally becoming a raging solitary (but opulent) alcoholic. The timeline is chosen to match with Southern California’s oil boom; in fact, Sinclair’s book is based on the oil tycoon Edward Doheny (the basis for Plainview’s character). Throughout the film we see the change in Daniel’s character from a doting father, to someone who abandons his deaf son, and again establishes a relationship after accepting (in a humiliating fashion too) that he is a bad father, and finally cuts it off completely by informing his son that he is an orphan.

Dano as Eli

The best part of the film – and the reason why most people (myself included) choose to watch the film – is the acting. Daniel Day Lewis plays, with impeccable style, the oil merchant, and Paul Dano, in probably his career best performance, plays (mainly) Eli, the pastor/nemesis of Daniel. DDL did extensive research on the life of Doheny, and also modified his voice accordingly, to suit the role. The end result is yet another gem of a performance, and as a viewer you just automatically feel like applauding and showering praise for him. The body language, the accent, and overall presentation of Daniel Plainview set the standard for “good acting”. The final encounter between Plainview and Eli in the bowling alley will haunt you for a long time!

Admittedly Plainview's best quote from
the film. 

The cinematography and period settings are excellent. The background score is chilling at times, but suits the scene perfectly. Few scenes to look out for are the scene where Daniel insults Eli when the latter asks for money, the scene where Daniel is baptised, and the climax in the bowling alley. There Will be Blood is a masterpiece for both DDL and Paul Dano.

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 91%

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Director: Peter and Bobby Farrelly 
Story: Peter Farrelly, Bennett Yellin, Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly 
Music: Todd Rundgren
Time: 107 minutes
Bottom-line: A classic comedy; unforgettable! 

This cult comedy is probably the most famous Jim Carrey film, and arguably one of the most famous comedies of the 90s. Co-starring Jeff Daniels and Lauren Holly, the film is the story of buddies Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), the former being a limousine driver and the latter, a dog groomer. Lloyd gets the chance to drive Mary Swanson (Holly) to the airport, and he falls in love with her at first sight. He notices her leaving her briefcase at the airport terminal and immediately rushes to hand it over to her, without realising that it contains money for the kidnappers of her husband. Unable to meet her, Lloyd and Harry decide to go to Aspen – where Mary is going – to return the briefcase, hoping that she would return the favour by improving their lives. Following them every inch of the way are the kidnappers themselves, hunting for their briefcase. Watch how the road trip and subsequent events turn out to be life-changing for Lloyd and Harry, and for everyone around them!

Jim Carrey as Lloyd and Jeff Daniels
as Harry (in the scene where they mimic
Dr. Hannibal Lecter)

Dumb and Dumber is one film that will lighten you up and get you cracking up no matter what mood you are in. This is one laughter ride that impresses with nearly every bit of humour – be it the comic actions of the duo, hilarious dialogues and what not! There are innumerable scenes and lines to quote, and who can forget the body language of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels that none other can imitate so perfectly! The scene in the motel where the duo unknowingly kill the kidnapper, the scene where Lloyd drives the wrong way and Harry lashes out at him, the scene with Harry and Lloyd in the gas station, and the prank Lloyd plays on Harry on the night of his date are few memorable ones that come to the top of my head, but there is a long list of them!

Lauren Holly as Mary

The stupider the acting, the more hilarious it is to watch... and though how in real life dealing with stupidity gets on your nerves, in Dumb and Dumber it gets you cracking up even more! This was the film that solidified Carrey’s career and gave a strong entry into cinema for the Farrelly brothers. Jeff Daniels does a remarkable role, for in no other film has he brought out his funny side as much as he does here! Jim Carrey did a lot of improvisation to perfect his role too, including the idea of “the most annoying sound in the world”.

Yes, the jokes may be old, and yes you may have seen the same thing over and over again too many times in other films, but despite the continuous delivery of nothing but one gag after another, Dumb and Dumber strikes the right notes thanks to the chemistry of its lead actors, and the charm that they bring to the screen. With its more or less family friendly comedy, comic performances and a catchy soundtrack, this film is still one of my favourite comedies. In the words of Lloyd, “I like it a lot.”

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 66%