Recently seen movies - 8 - Page 35

Originally posted by: Franco

I finally saw 2 States . The blandest , dullest , boringest movie of the year . IDK why I saw it . Yeah I know some jive ass jokers said it was one of 2014's best but it sucked. Arjun is the most one note actor on the planet . Alia is alright but nothing special . Parents are average . A few funny quirky moments but most of the time I was falling asleep . This is my worst film of 2014 . Over Rated rubbish 😲

Just hated it and was cursing myself after watching!😆

Originally posted by: Sano88

Just hated it and was cursing myself after watching!😆

Really I was cursing all the people who told me it was worth watching 😆😆😆😆

2 States

Watched Chak De india. IMO Best film of SRK and 1 of the 5 i liked. 😆

PK:
The best movie of this yr . Hirani is truly one of the best directors today and Aamir - man he completely redeemed himself for Dhoom 3😆 The whole movie was carried on his shoulders .
Anushka is now in the big league .Other actors were good too
5/5

The Imitation Game

Benedict Cumberbatch cracks a puzzle, wins World War II and saves the day. Enough said! That's the movie in a nutshell. Awesome sauce!

For the longer version, this is a wonderfully compelling story that is decades late in being told. Alan Turing, one of the most brilliant minds of the past century is someone who was not celebrated like he should have been. This was a man who was able to crack the German Enigma code that changed the course of WWII. It shortened the war by 2-4 years saving millions of lives. This was a man whose mind imagined the machine that we today know as computers. Without him, I may not have been able to type this here today. Yet, instead of being honored for his accomplishments he was punished and chemically castrated for being gay.

The Imitation Game focuses on Turing's team of code breakers working in Hut 8 at Bletchley Park as they strive to crack the seemingly impossible Enigma code. At a higher level this is a pulse pounding war thriller where the Allied intelligence struggles to keep up with the Germans. Even when the code is cracked, there is thrilling spy games that follow suit. At a deeper level this is a character study of Turing and his team. On the greatest scale it pays homage to Alan Turing and Joan Clarke who would play a role in how the world perceives homosexuals and women, especially in the sciences.

Benedict Cumberbatch is fantastic in his portrayal of Alan Turing. He proves why he is such a beloved celebrity. The man has a knack to bring to life any character. His rendition of Turing is compelling and convincing. He captures every emotion to perfection - the arrogance, the subtle humor, the dogged determination as well as the heartbreaking vulnerability.

Keira Knightly shines in another stunning role as Joan Clarke. She has a flair for historic characters. She is a woman torn between many things. A stubborn woman with a brilliant mind trying to prove herself as a cryptanalyst in a man's world, but a loving daughter who wants to do right by her parents as well. She also shares a complex relationship with the homosexual Alan Turing.

Matthew Goode has a small but significant role as Hugh Alexander a chess prodigy and cryptanalyst. Despite his small role, Matthew does manage to captivate. Cocky, abrasive and highly critical of Turing, his Hugh while disliking Turing the person does learn to respect Turing the genius.

The highlight of the movie is the chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Their relationship strongly proves that you don't always need a romantic or sexual angle for relationships. Theirs was one of true mutual respect and caring for each other.

Scenes I enjoyed
- When Joan argues that she is not there for a secretarial post but is there because she solved a puzzle
- Joan loosening up Turing and making him friendlier towards his coworkers
- Turing sneaking up at night into Joan's window to sit together and pore over Nazi telegrams
- Alan Turing proposing the Joan Clarke
- When Alan Turing confesses his homosexuality to his fiance Joan, and she is still willing to marry him because of how they mentally connect
- The final moments when Joan visits Alan after his conviction

Other poignant scenes were Turing's childhood flashback which was definitely moving as well as his first interview. Despite being a relatively serious film moments like his interview, his interactions and his eccentricities do infuse the movie with plenty of humor.

A must see movie.

Selma

Another gut wrenching and heartbreaking movie based on a true story. Based on Martin Luther King Jrs famous march in Alabama from Selma to Montgomery demanding voting rights for African American citizens, this movie could not have come at a more crucial juncture in modern America.

Personally, I didn't know much of the cast barring Oprah Winfrey, Lorraine Toussant (thanks OITNB), Niecy Nash (thanks DWTS), Martin Sheen and Cuba Gooding Jr. These celebrities play minor characters though. However, the ensemble cast convincingly brings some of the most courageous minds that shaped American history to life vividly.

We get to see a raw and real portrayal of MLK Jr. beyond his fiery speeches. We see the family man. We see the devout pastor. We see a thoughtful man who is not merely protesting for the sake of protesting but a shrewd mastermind who knows how to play and win at a political game. This is not to be taken negatively. The sixties were a trying time in America, especially for black people. The political atmosphere was not conducive to change. The deck was stacked making it impossible for MLK's dream to come true. Protest couldn't alone do it - one had to do it at the right time, right place and with the right people. Selma shows why MLK Jr, was such an enigmatic leader who made a difference.

David Oyelowo is completely mesmerizing as MLK Jr. He graces the screen with a powerful presence and brings to life the oratory skills of MLK. He is definitely an actor to watch for.

The movie is a great snapshot of American history - capturing the ugly head of racism in the South. If the movie doesn't move you between fuming rage and emotional tears, something is wrong with you.

Pay attention to everyone because even though this is about MLK, there are several black heroes in the film. The film also fittingly pays homage to white people who supported the cause including Frank Minis Johnson a southern judge who is credited to changing the south with his rulings and Viola Liuzzo a housewife who was killed by the KKK for supporting black people.

A very relevant must see movie. And I must add, both Imitation Game and Selma made me proud to be a bleeding heart progressive liberal. I don't care what people say about the liberals and how much they trash us, liberals have been on the right side of history.

PK: Undoubtedly one of the best movies of this year...

Gone Girl