Three Hits, One Miss

When you love movies just as much as I do, it is no surprise that I recently watched four movies back to back.

We Are Your Friends

Any movie that is shot in Los Angeles excites me as I am now somewhat familiar with the city. Since We Are Your Friends is about a musician living in the San Fernando Valley in LA with four close friends, I was definitely intrigued. Much to my delight, I quite enjoyed it. 

Directed by Max Joseph (from the MTV show, Catfish, fame), the film mainly revolves around an EDM (Electronic Dance Music) DJ, played by Zac Effron, who gets a big break after a seasoned DJ, played by Wes Bentley, takes him under his wing. In my opinion, the plot was interesting, captivating and well-executed. As expected from a film about music, the soundtrack was really good. 

I think Effron is a good actor who just needs a breakthrough role to really showcase his talent just like Miles Teller was able to do in Whiplash. 

Phantom 

Directed by Kabir Khan, Phantom is a political thriller based on the book, Mumbai Avengers, written by Hussain Zaidi. The main premise involves a foreign intelligence agency in India that hires an ex-Army officer, played by Saif Ali Khan, to assassinate terrorists involved in the 11/26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. 

Though this film has been subject to controversy because it was banned in Pakistan, I thought it was very well-made. Usually, I prefer Bollywood films with lots of songs and a romantic element. However, despite this movie lacking such elements even with a female lead played by Katrina Kaif, I really liked it. With global terrorism being such a major issue, the story was relevant and moving. 

The Man From U.N.C.L.E

Directed by Guy Ritchie and based on the 1964 TV series with the same name, The Man From U.N.C.L.E had a riveting plot. This spy film showcased how a CIA agent, played by Henry Cavill, and a KGB operative, played by Armie Hammer, work together to bring down a criminal organization in the process of making nuclear weapons. It was funny and sexy just like the leading actors.

She's Funny That Way

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, She's Funny That Way revolves around six characters: an escort/ struggling actress, Broadway director, his wife who is also the leading actress in the play he is directing, the playwright, his girlfriend who is also a therapist and the leading actor of the play. Despite a good cast including Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Kathryn Hyne and Will Forte, this comedy film didn't quite hit the mark for me. It was quirky but wasn't that funny or interesting.