High Expectations Lead to Disappointment

Lately, I've been having an extreme bad luck with movies. Read on and find out why.

Written and directed by George Nolfi, The Adjustment Bureau stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt as the leading cast. Damon plays the role of David Norris, a young, rising politician running for the US Senate, who falls in love with a ballet dancer Elise, played by Emily Blunt. However, the "Adjustment Bureau," a team of people making sure that everyone acts according to the "plan" set for each of them, is insistent on keeping them apart because she is not part of the "plan" for him. Will David be able to overcome the obstacles presented by the Bureau or will he loose the love of his life forever? Watch and find out.



I think the concept of the movie was interesting because it deals with the idea that you can change your destiny or your fate through free will. However, the comparison of this movie to Inception is absolutely absurd because this is more of a romantic movie and doesn't even compare to Inception in any way. No doubt, I am a huge fan of romantic films but the ending was too good to be true, which made the whole movie experience extremely disappointing. I had really high expectations from this film because of Damon and the trailers looked promising but I was definitely let down. The performances by the leading and supporting cast were indeed note-worthy. Damon and Blunt had strong on-screen chemistry. However, I would still recommend that you not waste $11 on this flick; just wait and watch it on DVD.

Cedar Rapids starring Ed Helms, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, and John C. Reilly is the story of a nerdy, naive, pushover insurance agent, who gets in touch with his wild side and learns to stand up for himself with the help of fellow insurance agents that he befriends at a conference he attends.




This movie may be relatable to some but my question is - what was the point of this film? And why would anybody enjoy watching ugly naked men on the screen - how is that funny!? The nudity in this film was absolutely unnecessary and didn't add value to the story at all. It had some funny moments but overall, it is not even worth watching on DVD. So skip this one completely - trust me, you won't be missing anything. The only good thing about this film was Anne Heche - she looks extremely beautiful and quite good for a 41-year-old! This flick once again proves my point - just because a movie is different doesn't mean it's good.

Among the streak of bad movies, how can we leave our Bollywood friends behind? Directed by Nikhil Advani, Patiala House starring Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, and Dimple Kapadia is the story of Gattu (Kumar), whose dream of playing for the England cricket team, is suppressed due to his dad's strong wishes. His dad is against him being part of the cricket team because of the racism he and the Sikh community faced by Britishers. At the age of 34, Gattu is presented with another chance to fulfill his dream but he is too scared to disappoint his father. Will Gattu be able to stand up to his dad or will his dream remain repressed? Watch and find out.




I appreciated the relatable spirit of the film because it highlights the fact that most Desi kids suppress their own dreams and lead their lives according to their parents wishes. Those enthused with the ongoing 2011 Cricket World Cup will like this movie because it is mostly focused on cricket. However, it did not meet my expectations because I feel it was centered too much around the sport. If you are a huge cricket fan, you can watch this on DVD; if not, you can skip this one too.

Pleasantly Surprised

Based on the 1969 film, Cactus Flower, the new romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, Just Go With It is directed by Dennis Dugan, who also directed Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, and Grown Ups among others. The story revolves around Danny (Sandler), a plastic surgeon, who uses a fake wedding ring and pretends to be married to an abusive wife, to pick up girls. When he meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), who he believes he has a very strong connection with, he requests his assistant, Katherine (Aniston) and her two kids, to pretend to be his wife and kids so that Palmer can know for sure that he is getting divorced. Will the lies work on Palmer? Will Danny and Palmer end up together? Watch and find out.



Having been extremely disappointed with Sandler's 2010 flick, Grown Ups, and Aniston's 2010 flick, The Switch, I had really low expectations from Just Go With It but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was interesting and the script was well-written and funny. Aniston and Sandler had great on-screen chemistry. For me the highlight of the movie were the young actors, Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck, who played Aniston's kids, as they delivered excellent performances. I highly recommend this movie for all chick flick lovers.

Instant Netflix Recommendations

Are you bored with nothing to do? Here are two movies that are available on Netflix Instant Queue that I highly recommend you watch to get over your boredom.

Shades of Ray is a cultural film written and directed by Jaffar Mahmood. The movie starring Zachary Levi revolves around a half-Pakistani, half-white man named Ray Rehman, who is struggling with his mixed identity. Just as he is waiting for his white girlfriend, Noelle, to respond to his marriage proposal, his Pakistani father introduces him to a half-Pakistani, half-white girl named Sana. Since Sana shares a similar cultural background, Ray is drawn to her and gets confused as to which is the right girl for her. Will Noelle accept Ray's proposal or will he end up with Sana? Watch and find out.



Beauty and the Briefcase is a romantic comedy directed by Gil Junger. This film starring Hilary Duff is based on the novel Diary of a Working Girl by Daniella Brodsky. The story revolves around Lane Daniels, a fashion journalist, who receives an undercover assignment from Cosmopolitan magazine to get a business related job and date "men in suits" in the quest to find her perfect guy and write an article about her experience. Will she be able to find the "magic man" who meets all the criteria on her "checklist" in the business world? Watch and find out.




Shades of Ray accurately demonstrates how South Asian parents raise their children in an American environment but then try to impose South Asian cultural traditions on them. The leading and supporting cast do a tremendous job in making this movie believable and relatable for all those who struggle with mixed identities. ABCD's or American Born Confused Desi's - the term coined for South Asian's born and raised in America but confused about whether they are white or brown will easily be able to relate to this well-written and well-directed film.

Beauty and the Briefcase is a bubbly, fun movie for chick flick lovers. Hilary Duff looks extremely beautiful and delivers an excellent performance in the film. All women will be able to relate to this film as whether they admit or not, all women are seeking for the perfect guy, who fits certain criteria. This movie proves that you will find love when you least expect it.

For those of you who don't have a Netflix subscription, Beauty on the Briefcase is also available at Blockbuster. Shades of Ray is also available on Amazon or iTunes. Enjoy!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

And the Oscar goes to.....

Here are my predictions for the main categories of the 83rd Academy Awards:

Actor in a Leading Role: As much as I loved Jesse Eisenberg's performance in The Social Network, I don't think he stands a chance to win, neither does James Franco for 127 hours, or Javier Bardem for Biutiful. I think the main competition is between Colin Firth for The King's Speech and Jeff Bridges for True Grit. I believe Colin Firth will take home the Oscar.

Actor in a Supporting Role: Following his Golden Globe win, I think Christian Bale will take home the Oscar for The Fighter beating his main competitors: Jeremy Renner for The Town and Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech. Mark Rufalo's chances for winning for The Kids Are Alright are slim to none.  Who is John Hawkes? From Winter's Bone - when did that come out? Exactly, no chance this obscure film will win.

Actress in a Leading Role: No doubt, Natalie Portman has this Oscar in the bag for Black Swan. The other nominees are not even worth mentioning.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Now this is a tough one. I think Hailee Steinfeld will beat Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, and Helena Carter and win the Oscar for True Grit.  Jacki Weaver who? Animal Kingdom - what? when?

Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3 or How to Train Your Dragon? Another tough one, I say the latter.

Art Direction/ Cinematography/ Sound Editing/ Sound Mixing/ Visual Effects: I think Inception will bag all the technical awards. After all, it deserves to after getting zero wins at the Golden Globes.

Costume Design: Again, I think the main contenders are True Grit and The King's Speech. This is a tough one too since both are time period films. I would say True Grit will probably win.

Directing: Christopher Nolan (Inception) got snubbed - shocking! This is the another tough category. I think except for Black Swan, all nominated directors are equally deserving but I believe The King's Speech will win.

Film Editing: I think The Social Network will take home at least one Oscar and it will be this one. 

Best Picture: I think the main contenders are True Grit and The King's Speech even though I think The Social Network, Inception, and The Fighter are equally deserving. I believe The King's Speech will win the Oscar.

Adapted Screenplay: I would personally like to see The Social Network win but I think True Grit will bag this Oscar.

Original Screenplay: I personally think Inception should win but The King's Speech will most likely win this one.

See a complete list of the 2011 Oscar nominees at http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/83/nominees.html.

Don't forget to watch the Oscars on February 27th to see whether any of mine or your own predictions come true!

So what was the point, Kiran Rao?

That is what you will be saying as you walk out of the theater after watching Dhobi Ghat (outdoor laundry in Mumbai), also known as Mumbai Diaries. This film marks the directorial debut of Kiran Rao, actor Aamir Khan's wife, and revolves around four characters whose lives are intertwined. Shai (Monica Dogra), a U.S. banker who is on a sabbatical in Mumbai, befriends a laundry boy and aspiring actor, Munna (Prateik Babbar), so he can show her around the poorer parts of Mumbai for a photography project. They have a mutual acquaintance, Arun (Khan), a depressed painter, who gets inspired by a bubbly newly wed housewife, Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra), whose video diaries he finds in the new apartment he moves into.



Since it was not a musical, this movie was quite different than typical Bollywood flicks, which I appreciated but just because a film is distinct does not mean it is good. Unfortunately, it was slow, dull, boring, and lifeless just like its characters. Additionally, this abruptly ending film was poorly edited as it switched from character to character without a smooth transition.

As much as I admire Khan's work, this was definitely not one of his best works - I don't think it is his fault though, I think it was his poorly developed character by Rao that did not give him much scope of demonstrating his usual riveting performance. So Khan fans, take my advice, don't waste your time and money watching this pointless movie. Thankfully, I only wasted $6!

Ryan Reynolds At His Best!

Buried, the latest DVD release starring Ryan Reynolds, is the story about Paul Conroy, an American contractor working as a truck driver in Iraq, who has been kidnapped and buried alive in a coffin in the middle of the desert with nothing but a cell phone and a lighter. Will he able to get out of the coffin and survive? Watch and find out.



This movie reminded me of Danny Boyle's 127 hours starring James Franco but it is much darker and much better than 127 hours. Reynolds demonstrates his remarkable acting skills through this film - he proves that he is quite a diverse actor and can pull off not only romantic comedies but also thrillers. The only actor you see in the movie is him but yet you don't get tired of seeing him. The entire film was shot in a coffin but the story continues to progress through his phone calls with his family, his employer, his kidnapper, and the U.S. Government as he struggles to have someone help him get out of the coffin so he can survive and be reunited with his family. This brilliant film proves that you don't need elaborate sets and a lot of actors for a film to be good.  Directed by Rodrigo Cortes, this is a must-watch, gripping suspense thriller! Go watch it on DVD now!

Poorly Executed and Poorly Written

No Strings Attached is the new Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman flick, which explores the idea whether friends with benefits can remain as such or will one or both of them fall in love with each other? This film was slightly different from usual romantic comedies because in this case, the guy does the chasing rather than the girl; this time the girl (Emma played by Portman) is the commitment phobe and just wants to have casual, emotion free sex without committing to a serious relationship rather than the guy (Adam played by Kutcher), who wants more. So what happens in the end - does their casual sex relationship last or does the girl finally get over her commitment phobia? The real question to ask is - could this romantic comedy really be that different than usual romantic comedies? I guess you will just have to watch and find out.



The concept of this movie was interesting; I liked the premise and the twist from usual rom-com's but I was extremely disappointed with the execution of the film. I think it was poorly executed and the screen play was poorly written. Some of the supplemental stories and some of the supporting characters were completely unnecessary, irrelevant, and stupid. For example, I don't understand the need for Ludacris's character as Adam's friend or Guy Branum's character as Emma's gay roommate - they did not add any value to the movie. The most disappointing aspect of the movie was the lack of chemistry between Kutcher and Portman.

This film somewhat reminded me of Kutcher's A Lot Like Love; however, that movie was much better and he had much better on-screen chemistry with Amanda Peet. As much as I love Kutcher's boyishly handsome looks, his last films, Killers and Spread were also extremely disappointing. I hope that his streak of bad movies ends soon.

My advice for all chick flick lovers - don't waste $12 on No Strings Attached, just wait for the DVD to come out.

Yay or Nay?

I recently watched two DVD releases: Going the Distance and The Other Guys. Read on and find out which movie I recommend for you to watch.

Directed by Nanette Burstein, Going the Distance is a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. The main premise of this film is long distance relationships and how hard they can get.  Garrett (Long) works in the music industry and lives in New York. Erin (Barrymore) works as a summer intern at a newspaper in New York. When they both meet at a bar and hit it off, they decide to have a fling because Erin has to leave for California to finish her grad school in six weeks. Six weeks later, they decide to maintain a long distance relationship because they have fallen in love with each other. Will their relationship be able to survive the long distance? Will they ever overcome the long distance and be in the same state together again? Watch and find out.



Directed by Adam McKay, The Other Guys is an action comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg), two NYPD detectives who are disrespected by their fellow officers, face various obstacles in their attempt to solve a financial fraud case. Will they be successful in solving the case and earning the respect of their peers? Watch and find out.



Two thumbs up for Going the Distance because it was interesting and entertaining. Long and Barrymore had good onscreen chemistry. So for all the chick flick lovers out there, I recommend this movie - go check it out on DVD.

On the other hand, two thumbs down for The Other Guys as it was stupid and unnecessarily long due to a poorly written screenplay. So ladies and gents, I recommend that you save two hours of your life by not watching this film.

Realistic and Believable

Blue Valentine revolves about a married couple, whose relationship is shown over time, with the film shifting in between time periods when they first met and at the present time.



I went into the movie thinking I was not going to like it but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the movie was quite realistic - it shows that if you marry someone for the wrong reasons, you will eventually start to resent your spouse, causing your relationship to deteriorate. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as the married couple gave outstanding performances, which made the characters seem quite believable. I highly recommend this film directed by Derek Cianfrance and written by Cianfrance, Joey Curtis, and Cami Delavigne.

Charming and Romantic

After watching two bad movies in a row, it was refreshing to watch Anjaana Anjaani (Male Stranger, Female Stranger), a Bollywood movie starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. The film has been written and directed by Siddharth Anand, whose directorial ventures include Salaam Namaste, Ta Ra Rum Pum, and Bachna Ae Haseeno. The plot revolves around Aakash (Kapoor) and Kiara (Chopra), who meet when both of them are attempting to commit suicide. After several failed suicide attempts, they decide to live life to the fullest for 20 more days. Why do they want to commit suicide so desperately? Will they be successful in their attempt to commit suicide together again after 20 days or will they find a reason to live? Watch and find out.



I really enjoyed the film as it was charming and romantic. The plot was fresh and interesting and the screenplay was well-written. The soundtrack by Vishal-Shekhar was also fun and melodious. Kapoor and Chopra had great onscreen chemistry and performed their roles well. I highly recommend this movie to all Bollywood movie lovers; go check it out on DVD.

Unusual Romantic Comedy

Written, directed, and produced by James L. Brooks, How Do You Know revolves around a softball player, Lisa Jorgenson (Reese Witherspoon), who gets kicked off her team as she crosses the age of 30. Her boyfriend is a baseball player, Matty Reynolds (Owen Wilson), who is a peculiar man. She befriends a corporate executive, George Madison (Paul Rudd), who is being indicted for fraudulent financial reporting to the SEC and finds himself falling in love with her. Will George be able to save himself from the criminal charges? Will he be able to win Lisa's heart? Watch and find out.



I appreciated that this film was not a stereotypical romantic comedy. The movie did not have the typical romantic dialogues - the romance was shown more with actions than words, which was refreshing. But I didn't like it as much because the plot was unusual and it seemed to be missing something. I would have liked to see more romance between the leading characters. I don't know if it was Owen Wilson himself or his character that was annoying - I am just so tired of seeing him doing the same type of roles again and again. On the other hand, Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon were charming as usual.

I wouldn't recommend wasting $12 on this movie. Just wait for the DVD or skip the film all together; believe me you won't be missing much.

Extremely Disappointing!

Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts is based on Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir titled "Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia." This is the story of Gilbert, who had everything a woman dreams of: a house, a husband, and a successful career but was lost and confused, causing her to be unhappy, and therefore, decided to get divorced. After her divorce, she developed a relationship with an actor, but was still searching to find herself and therefore, ended that relationship as well. In order to find herself, she decided to travel for a year to eat fine foods in Italy, to pray and get in touch with her spiritual side in India, and to find inner peace and love in Bali.



I have not read the memoir so I am not sure how close the movie is to the book. Nonetheless, director Ryan Murphy delivered an extremely disappointing, slow, and boring film that fails to captivate the audience. I am so glad I didn't waste $12 on this one by watching it in the theater. If you haven't seen it yet in the theater or on DVD, don't bother as it is a sheer waste of time.

Yet Another One Based on a Book!

Based on Ben Sherwood's fictional novel, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, the romantic drama film Charlie St. Cloud stars Zac Efron, Charlie Tahan, and Amanda Crew as the leading cast. Directed by Burr Steers, this film tells the moving story of Charlie St. Cloud, who has to choose between keeping a promise to his dead brother or to go after the woman he loves. Watch and find out what choice he ends up making.

This movie is not only about grief and dealing with the loss of someone you love but also about second chances. Even though Charlie's brother dies in the car  accident, he survives and gets a second chance at life. It takes him a long time to realize why he was given a second chance at life. Watch and find out why.



Not at all depressing, this is a touching and well made film about the strong bond of love between two brothers. Efron did a really good job of portraying the lead role of Charlie St. Cloud. I highly recommend this movie for those of you who didn't see it in the theaters. Go check out the DVD.

Dark and Creepy

Black Swan is a psychological thriller about a ballerina, Nina, who is selected to play the lead roles of the innocent White Swan and the seductive Black Swan in the ballet production of Swan Lake. The undue pressure and stress to perfect the portrayal of these roles lead her to get in touch with her dark side and to hallucinate, which proves to be quite dangerous and self destructive for her.



Except for Natalie Portman's commendable and award-worthy performance in the lead role of Nina, this film is just as dark and creepy as it appears to be in the trailer. I would not recommend wasting $12 on this one, just wait for the DVD to come out or avoid it completely unless you like watching disturbing sexual content. Director Darren Aronofsky, I want my money back!

Formulaic But Charming

Why is every other movie releasing these days based on a book? Are screenwriters in Hollywood running out of original ideas?

The latest flick based on a non-fiction novel, Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman written by Jamie Reidy, is Love and Other Drugs directed by Edward Zwick, who also directed Legends of the Fall and The Last Samurai. The plot revolves around Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway). Jamie is a pharmaceutical salesman, who works for the pharmaceutical compnay, Pfizer. His professional life takes a boost when Pfizer develops Viagra and his love life takes a boost when he meets Maggie at a doctor's office. However, how will any romantic comedy be complete without conflict between the two main characters?

Every rom-com has the same formulaic plot whereby boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, a conflict between boy and girl causes drama, boy and girl resolve conflict and live happily ever after. So what conflict will cause drama in Jamie and Maggie's love life? Will they be able to resolve this conflict and live happily ever after? Watch and find out.



Gyllenhaal is extremely sexy and adorable in the movie and shares great onscreen chemistry with Hathaway, who gives a remarkable performance. Josh Gad, who plays the role of Jamie's brother, Josh Randall, is extremely funny.

Apart for the nudity, which was a little too much for my taste, I enjoyed the film because it was charming, funny, and romantic as every rom-com should rightfully be. I recommend it for all rom-com lovers. So don't wait for the DVD to come out, go spend $9 or $12 and watch it.

Different Yet Uninteresting

Based on Aron Ralston's autobiography, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Danny Boyle's latest directorial venture, 127 hours depicts the real-life incident in 2003 in which Ralston, while on a hiking trip, got trapped in Blue John Canyon in Utah for five days because his right arm was pinned against the canyon wall by a rock. As those of you familiar with the incident may know, he eventually had to cut his arm off in order to survive and get out of the canyon.



The only reason to watch this movie is James Franco's remarkable performance as Ralston. Other than that, I don't think the film has much to offer. It is no doubt different than usual cliche and formulaic plots but that's only because it's based on an unusual real life incident and just because it's "different" doesn't mean it's interesting. Watching a guy struggle to free his arm that is pinned by a rock is not exactly my idea of a "fun" movie night. Some may find this film inspirational as it is about survival in the toughest of times; others may be discouraged to ever go hiking or mountain climbing again. The moral of the story is: don't go on a dangerous adventure without telling someone close your whereabouts.

If you don't watch this film, I don't think you will be missing much. However, since professional critics seemed to be raving about it as it is "different", I think it might get nominated for Oscars. So if you wish to watch a potential Oscar nominated film, watch it on DVD or spend $9 on a matinee show. It's definitely not worth spending $12 on.

Strong Lead Performance Fails to Overcome Stale Plot

Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks star in The Next Three Days, a thriller directed by Paul Haggis and a remake of the 2007 French film, Pour Elle (Anything for Her). Professor John Brennan's (Crowe) life is turned upside down when his wife, Lara Brennan (Banks) is convicted of murder. All his appeals are denied and the chances of his wife being set free seem bleak. So he takes matters into his own hands and devises a plan to help his wife escape prison. Will John be successful in reuniting his family or will he and his wife get caught during their escape? Watch and find out.



I was intrigued when I saw the trailer. However, I feel like most of the movie was shown in the trailer and there was not much new in the film except the ending. I am not a huge fan of Russell Crowe but he is no doubt a brilliant actor as he once again proves in this film.

Overall, the movie was not as good as I had expected it to be because it didn't seem fresh and had nothing new or exciting to offer. But it does make one think: what kind of message is this film trying to convey? That it is ok to break the law? Or that our legal system is flawed because innocent people are convicted of crimes, which forces people like John Brennan to take matters into their own hands?

Just wait for the DVD to come out; this film is not worth spending $12 on.

You better check yourself before you wreck yourself!

Todd Phillips, the director of the brilliant 2009 comedy The Hangover that won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, is back with his latest directorial venture, Due Date, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The story revolves around Peter Highman (Downey) who has to reach LA so he can be present at the birth of his first child with his wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan). However, due to an argument with Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis), they are both kicked off the plane and end up taking a road trip together to LA. The plot progresses with the various mishaps the duo experiences during the trip caused by Ethan's unusual and annoying behavior. Will Peter be able to reach LA in time for the childbirth? Watch and find out.



This film has its funny moments but it's no Hangover. I expected a much funnier film from Phillips after the comedic genius he brought to us in 2009. The main highlight of the film is the pairing of Downey and Galifiankis, who have perfect comedic timing. Downey is quite believable as the headstrong and short-tempered architect and so is Galifiankis as the weird struggling actor. I think the first half of the film is strong but the second half especially the ending is disappointing due to a weak script.

I recommend that you wait for this movie to come out on DVD. But if you are really eager to see it, go watch a matinee show and don't spend $12.

One Word: Sexy!

Christina Aguilera seems to have faded in the background with the rise of musical stars like Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Rihanna, and Katy Perry. But ladies and gentleman, Aguilera is surely back with a bang! In her first feature film Burlesque, Aguilera plays the role of Ali Rose, a small town girl who moves to LA to fulfill her dreams of becoming a musical performer. Due to her persistence and determination, she lands a waitress job at a club called Burlesque, owned by Tess (Cher), which is in financial trouble. Keen to become a stage performer at the club, Ali convinces Tess to give her a chance and soon becomes the lead performer due to her amazing voice. Will Ali as the new voice of Burlesque be able to save the club from its financial doom? Watch and find out.



The storyline may not be fresh but this musical is still very captivating mainly because of the sexy musical performances and amazing choreography. Cher and Aguilera's strong lead performances are well complemented by the supporting cast including Stanley Tucci as Sean, Tess's confidante and stage manager, Eric Dane as Marcus, a charming businessman who wants to buy the club, Kristen Bell as Nikki, the lead performer at Burlesque before her jealousy causes her downfall, and Cam Gigandet as Jack, a handsome waiter at the club and Ali's love interest. Hats off to Steve Antin for writing and directing such a sexy film!

I usually don't like English musicals but I was intrigued by the trailer and it was $9 surely well-spent. I highly recommend that you watch this charming musical and make your holiday weekend even more fun!

A Visual Treat

The much awaited Part I in the seventh and final saga of the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is finally here. Unlike the last movie based on the sixth installment in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was very disappointing, this movie will be quite a treat for all the HP series fans. Directed by David Yates, who also directed the fifth (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and sixth film, this film is visually excellent with impeccable special effects.



I have not read the books (only seen the movies) but I hear from those who have read the series that this film is very close the book, which I am sure will make the fans very happy. The movie was really captivating and therefore, I didn't even notice that it was two and half hours long and wanted to see more. For a moment I forgot that it was only Part I and was quite sad when the closing credits rolled because now I have to wait seven and half months to watch how the series ends.

The only disappointing part for me in the film was that Hermoine and Ron have yet to profess their so-obvious love for each other and kiss. I hope I will not be disappointed yet again in Part II, which releases on July 15, 2011.