MOVIE REVIEW

TRANSCENDENCE

Director: Wally Pfister
Writers: Jack Paglen
Cast: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany
Runtime: 119 mins
Strength: Amazing effects, intriguing story
Weakness: Character development (lead character) is inconsistent, supporting actors not used well
Rating: 3.5/5
Plot: A scientist's drive for artificial intelligence, takes on dangerous implications when his consciousness is uploaded into one such program.
Review:  Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him. However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed-to be a participant in his own transcendence. For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they can...but if they should. Their worst fears are realized as Will's thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him. Transcendence plays with some complex ideas, and if one keeps an open mind, they'll see that the possibilities explored in the movie are very real. The irrational human reactions are more than realistic, and the future painted by the ending makes sense. People are scared of advancement, especially when advancement yields miraculous outcomes, and do their utmost to prevent them from happening. The film will be enjoyable to those who can embrace that possibility, and will seem farfetched to those who cannot. In either case, Transcendence, despite its very poor box office performance, is a must watch for sci-fi lovers.

Reviewed by Zakir Mushtaque

***

STRAY DOG (1949)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writers: Ryûzô Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji
Runtime: 112 minutes
Strength: Intense and engaging story
Plot: During a sweltering summer, a rookie homicide detective tries to track down his stolen Colt pistol.
Review: Talking about Japanese legend Akira Kurosawa's films Stray Dog (“Nora Inu” Japanese title) may not come at the top of the list. But, it definitely is one of the best works of Kurosawa – and it is probably one of his first masterpieces. Like every famous director, Kurosawa also had his favourite actor, Toshirô Mifune, who played the protagonist of many of his films. In stray Dog, Detective Murakami (Played by Mifune) is a rookie police officer whose pistol gets stolen by a pickpocket. The whole is movie is about the Detective frantically searching for his lost pistol. Being the crippling times of post-war Japan, guns are tough to come by and it will remind the audience of Vittorio De Sica's 'Bicycle Thieves', where the protagonist loses his bicycle. It was all about Toshirô, who masterfully carries the film to its end. Lack of any strong female or child artiste supporting Toshirô to gain sympathy from the audience is a major challenge for the protagonist. But as soon as the search for the pistol begins in a hot humid post-war Japan, we immediately get engaged and feel like we are too searching for the colt pistol with Toshirô. It is ironic that a downpour (Kurosawa's favorite on-screen weather condition) breaks the heat just as the tensions in the film mounts. How "Bicycle Thief" reflected the times of post war Italy, this classic does the same for post war Japan. If you like to collect classics, and haven't yet seen Stray Dog, do yourself a favour and get your hands on it now!

Reviewed by Zia Nazmul Islam

***

BOBBY JASOOS

Director:  Samar Shaikh
Writers: Sanyukta Chawla
Cast: Vidya Balan, Ali Fazal, Mahima A
Runtime: 121 mins
Strength: Good acting, family entertainment
Weakness: Music, background score and songs, slow plot development
Rating: 3/5
Plot: Bobby Jasoos starring Vidya Balan, is a film that celebrates the aspiration of Bobby, who wants to become the number one detective in the old city area of Hyderabad.
Review:  Be it book lovers (here I mean Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes) or ardent self-proclaimed cinema addicts — all are going to live the two-hour journey with Bobby Jasoos. Débutante director Samar Shaikh`s `Bobby Jasoos` is an out-and-out Vidya Balan film.  The city of Nizams — Hyderabad, plays a pivotal role other than the lead actress. The audience is let inside the typical Hyderabadi middle-class household; from proper `kaiyko aisa kartei` accent to the famous mouth-watering biryanis, you get it all there. The screenplay puts forward the unsaid, unspoken strained relationship between Bobby and her father, and does make you want to sort out the differences between the two. The turmoil in the father-daughter relationship is well depicted. Apart from the director, the male lead opposite Bobby, Ali Fazal too is just a few films old. The light romance brewing between super busy Bobby and a handsome TV anchor Tasawur Shaikh, played by Ali, makes you want to just enjoy watching them. There are no over-the-top lines to create unnecessary air around the characters. With the entry of villain Kiran Kumar, the tale gets interesting. He brings to the plot what usually a grey character is expected to, but there is a catch. Bobby hits off her career with his help no doubt, but Anees Khan, played by Kumar does have a past which brings back the memory of riots in Hyderabad. The movie is a must watch for Vidya Balan fans, just to witness, if not anything else, her acting prowess again!

Reviewed by Broti Rahman