Bollywood World

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 25th December, 2015
Time : 135 minutes
Director & Writer: JJ Abrams; Co-writers: Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Arndt (based on characters created by George Lucas); Music : John Williams;
Starring : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis




The best moments of this episode of Star Wars are due to nostalgia � the sight of the rascally Harrison Ford and Chewie, for example � rather than the story (ordinary, predictable), special effects / stunts / characters / weapons / ships (nothing great, unlike past editions). What does work though, are two fine, new, relatively unknown leads (Daisy Ridley, John Boyega) and some snappy humour, particularly between the two of them (& Harrison).




Luke, the last Jedi, has vanished. The Republic and the Resistance needs him and some new heroes as they are about to be over-run by the Third Force (powered by Adam, Andy and Domhnall, among others). The usual thrills and spills follow, with one sequence where Daisy, John flying in the Millenium Falcom, fight off some enemy airships, standing out in memory, the others being quite run of the mill and none of the characters really being sufficiently built up to make us truly care.




Spoilt on tales like Game of Thrones, even the �twists� seem strangely tame and the entire story very linear, straightforward. Maybe it was too much to expect from a storyline, which has been, right from inception, the classic tale of good vs evil (and how, quite deliciously, both reside in each one of us - perhaps an angle more relevant today, should be played up). Or, perhaps, they�re just moving the story on, for the next episode�

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 5th June, 2015
Time : 112 minutes
Director : Lee Toland Krieger; Writer : J. Mills Goodloe, Salvador Paskowitz; Music : Rob Simonsen
Starring : Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew



Age of Adaline makes you want to fall in love again. It reminds you, with all its bitter-sweetness, the heady rush of conflicting emotions that course through you when experiencing those intense moments � the pounding heart screaming yes, the logical brain yelling no � the looks, the tenderness, the chaos and the way everything around you seems more beautiful.




Blake Lively, in the title role, stopped ageing after a freak accident. And once you get over the obvious advantages of such a �gift�, you realize the inherent negatives � watching those you love age around you, the incredulous looks of friends, the suspicious looks of the authorities. And reaches the same conclusion as the central character in the little known film The Man From Earth. She realizes she has to live the life of a nomad, with no roots, away from her daughter (Ellen Burstyn)�almost a fugitive� until she meets Michiel Huisman�and his parents, Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker�





What was extraordinary about Blake�s performance in the film was her demeanour. Its one thing to look youthful, gorgeous but quite another to be all that and behave old, mature, wise beyond her�(well, not in this case). Whether its her all-knowing eyes (having seen it all), her confident posture (Without being assertive) or her measured dialogue delivery (wiser, without being condescending) � she was exceptional and lit up the film, made us believe its improbable premise.





It�s funny the thoughts such a film can provoke. The realization, like that of King Midas, about how a simple gift can have unexpected consequences. The wisdom that can come from years of living (as demonstrated by a game of Trivial Pursuit in the film). The choice of anonymity and its accompanying practicalities � in terms of choice of profession, the banking modalities, the homes chosen. And above all, the loneliness�the wistfulness� and the memories of heart-aches that don�t fade...