Insidious: Attempting to terrify our non-physical bodies

One of the most fascinating theories of the ancient world is astral projection. Astral projection is an out-of-body experience which involves leaving the physical body behind to travel to higher planes in the form of an ‘astral body’. It is fascinating to think that in the modern world, in spite of science and the requirement of solid facts, there is place for belief in such ideas as astral projection; a form of living beyond the bounds of the physical body to experience more.

The Lambert family has recently shifted into a new house. The family consists of the patriarch, Josh, his wife, Renai, their two sons Dalton and Foster, and their newborn daughter. Dalton is an adventurous boy who likes to play with action figures and imagine new worlds as their battlefields. He does not lose a chance to explore new things and it is this curiosity that brings him to the attic of their new house. In trying to reach the light switch in the attic, Dalton has an accident and suffers a mild concussion. He goes to sleep that night as usual but unfortunately does not wake up the next morning. The doctors reveal that he is in a comatose state but medical science has no reason to explain his grave condition. Renai takes care of him for 3 months but finds it difficult to continue to live in the house which has an ominous presence. The family shifts houses but the hauntings continue. Finally, consulting with a paranormal expert, the family discovers that it wasn’t the house that was haunted but Dalton himself. Josh must take matters in his own hands to make sure his son comes back to his normal state safely.

The film begins with the story of an ordinary family who have just started their new life by welcoming a new member and moving into a new house. From there, the story goes into a tragedy of a mother taking care of her son before turning on its heels to become a horror about a paranormal condition of astral projection. The film starts decently and becomes quite interesting with the theories of astral planes and travelling beyond physical existences. The expectation of watching the characters take on what is called ‘The Further’ in the film, i.e. the astral plane where non-physical persons roam, becomes quite exciting. Unfortunately, the manner in which it has been dealt is quite disappointing. Towards the end of the plot, the horror elements in the film actual become quite ridiculous.

The film is not really terrifying. It does use a few scare tactics with good costume and makeup alongside quick cuts and sound effects, but that is as far as it goes. Overall, the film would have been more interesting if the astral planes were dealt with better and if the film maintained its consistency.

Queen Live at Wembley

When it comes to a music concert, all the elements have to come together on the day to have a perfect show. There are many small factors like avoiding technical glitches and excellent weather conditions, and much more, which come into play, but the main elements to have a grand success of a show are inextinguishable reserves of energy from the band, a well rehearsed set list and amazing audience participation. One of the best examples where everything has come together perfectly for a great concert is Queen Live at Wembley.

The concert film begins with visuals of the entrance to the stadium and shots of the stage and equipment being set up with a background instrumental track. Following this, Freddie Mercury walks out onto the stage with his microphone in his hand and drives the crowd wild by leading the band into their first song, the energetic track titled One Vision, which is followed up with Tie Your Mother Down. Here Freddie takes a break to speak to the audience and welcome them before continuing with a few more songs including the hit A Kind of Magic. Once again, Freddie takes a break from the music as he leads the 72,000 plus fans into a session of chanting for which he receives an amazing whole hearted response from the crowd. The band continues with the performances of classics Under Pressure, Another One Bites the Dust, Who Wants to Live Forever and I Want to Break Free before having an impromptu jam session on stage followed by guitarist Brian May’s solo performance of Brighton Rock which leads into the song Now I’m Here. The concert moves forward with a small acoustic set which includes both originals and covers. After this, the band puts in a stellar performance of Bohemian Rhapsody as they leave the stage during the third section of the song which has them singing in the style of an opera. During this bit, the video of the empty stage is shown with a translucent video and audio from the music video of the song. Just as the fourth part of the song kicks in, the band comes back on stage with fireworks, flashing lights and Brian May wearing a long white jacket as he plays the guitar solo followed by Freddie belting out his powerful vocals. This song is followed by the powerful and energetic Hammer to Fall before Freddie brings out a guitar to perform the last song of their set list, Crazy Little Thing Called Love. After leaving the stage for a few minutes, the band then returns for an encore which starts with a cover followed by the song Radio Ga Ga, a performance of We Will Rock You which has the audience full of energy and singing in unison with Freddie and a soul-riveting performance of We Are the Champions when Freddie goes backstage to return dressed in a crown and cape. The band then takes their leave as the instrumental of God Save The Queen can be heard with the crowd singing the anthem.

The concert shows the band in all their glory, especially vocalist Freddie Mercury. It has been hailed as one of the best concerts ever performed. Freddie Mercury brilliantly brings out his onstage persona to give the audience a great show which also allows him to engage the crowd. His pauses to speak to the crowd are riffled with mild humour as he treats his fans as friends by calling them his ‘beauties’ and speaks to them openly about matters of the band breaking up which were falsely reported in the newspaper.

The concert has some of the best performances by the band and is in fact one of the best live performances by any artiste. It is not only amazing from the perspective of the effort put in by the band but also from the full bodied participation by the fans in most of the songs and during the interludes. This concert is a phenomenon that can be a guarantee for goosebumps on more than one occasion.

Cosmopolis: A cross-city journey which takes a lifetime

A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order. These were the words once uttered by a legend of cinema, the French film critic turned filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. What Godard was implying was that a plot can go around a theme and the story can be broken up to be used in an innovative style of storytelling without following a particular format.

Eric Packer is a high profile asset manager who is a 28 year old billionaire who can have whatever he wants. He lives aloof from the common man and when he decides to do something, he uses every resource required to get it done. This is the same reason that he decides to take a cross city trip to his favourite barber to get a haircut on the same day that the President of the United States is in the city and there is an assassination threat. Packer is adamant on getting the haircut at the same barber come hell or high water and sets out on the journey with his posse of white limousines which are equipped with his security personnel. Since he isn’t in his office, Packer conducts his business from his limousine which is set up as a travelling base of his operations. Along the way, he is visited by his business associates and many other people as he makes his journey across the city at a snail’s pace.

This 2012 film was written and directed by David Cronenberg. The inspiration for the script is derived from a novel of the same title as the film which was written by Don DeLillo. The film is very heavily dialogue based with little to no action being done by the main characters in the plot. Majority of the film takes place within the space of the protagonist’s limousine as the world carries on around him with traffic, riots and bloodshed.  The protagonist is oblivious to the world around him as he is successful in his own life, he gets what he wants and he doesn’t concern himself with the problems of the common man.

Going back to the words of Godard, a film should have a beginning, middle and end, but the order of which is not necessary. Quite a few films break away from normal plotlines to mix up the story for a desired effect. Unfortunately, Cosmopolis has no storyline. While the plot can be defined as ‘the story of a billionaire who takes a journey across town to get a haircut and meets people along the way’, the story falls apart since there is no real sense of progression and no cause-and-effect relationship which brings about the desired finale. Though it can be said that the story is a compilation of vignettes of meetings, there is still no relation between the individual occurrences to the final plot. The story of the film has no course and just hangs in the air with no explanations of why things happen and why the protagonist lands up in a questionable position at the end of the film. The dialogue orientation of the film and lack of action means that the pace of the film is exceptionally slow. The film practically makes no sense because the main focus of the film, the dialogue, happens without any real circumstance between characters which drift in and out of the plot at random intervals. The film breaks the cardinal rule of filmmaking – do not be boring. Although, arguably, it can be considered as the director portraying his views of the world through what he perceives as art, it is terribly self-indulgent and prophetical. It does not make arguments or highlight points of importance, it only shows the audience the world as seen through the eyes of the director. It is a film made for the sake of expressing the director’s opinions which must be accepted by the audience as the gospel truth while watching the film. The dialogue delivery of the actors and the minimal action that occurs is extremely boring. The lack of expression from any of the actors adds to the overall dragging feel that is emitted from the film.

While it can be argued that the film was made boring by way of intention on the director’s part since it is a reflection of Cronenberg’s views of the world, it would only be adding fuel to the flame that Cosmopolis is just a self-indulgent film which doesn’t care about its audience. It is one of the extremely rare instances when a film is just downright terrible and doesn’t deserve to be watched.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: It’s all about the blonde temptress – Marilyn Monroe

Looking back to the pop culture references of the past 50 or so years, it would be easy to say that the most universally accepted and iconic of all sex symbols has to be Marilyn Monroe. She was always portrayed as the dumb blonde with the beautiful figure who was easy to please and was wanted by every man that had the pleasure of having her in their sights. This exact persona was used by Howard Hawks in his 1953 classic musical film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Lorelai Lee and Dorothy Shaw are best friends and co-stars of their very own cabaret show. Lorelai is a beautiful blonde who loves men based on their wealth while Dorothy is a brunette who falls for every good looking man she meets. Lorelai is set to marry Gus Esmond, the heir to a large fortune which sparks Lorelai’s interest. However, Gus’ father is against the marriage and sets a private detective to follow Lorelai and collect incriminating evidence as she and Dorothy take a cross-Atlantic cruise to France where she hopes to ultimately tie the knot with Gus. As Lorelai vies for other options of rich men, Dorothy slowly drifts into the arms of a handsome and charming young man who turns out to be the private detective. Lorelai lands in a fix as a married man on the ship falls for her charm leading to unfortunate circumstances.

The film is considered a classic musical film which was remade from a classic Broadway musical. The star cast of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell carry the film with their femme fatale identities shining through their onscreen characters. The film truly accentuates the sex symbol that is Marilyn Monroe, from every detail of her lips and talking to her shaking hips during dance routines. It was a big break for her since it was one of her first starring roles in a big musical production.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a light-hearted musical which spins together elements of drama and few comedic dialogues. All-in-all, it is a fun movie to watch for its standout songs and style which reeks of a classic 1950s Hollywood film.

Breakfast at Tiffany's: Falling in love with a beautiful and confused socialite – Audrey Hepburn

Most people do not find themselves in a face-to-face circumstance with a mentally unstable person. To come across a neurotic person is more common and produces unexpected situations, but this too is rare. So falling in love with a neurotic person must of course be quite a rare instance, and such is the story of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a 1961 film which was directed by Blake Edwards and stars Audrey Hepburn as the protagonist in one of her most successful roles.

Paul Varjak is a writer who has stumbled upon a block for the past five years. His last published work was a book of nine short stories and he hasn’t had any luck with his writing ever since. But all that is going to change as he moves into a building with Holly Golightly for a neighbour. Holly is a young socialite who spends most of her days sleeping and nights out at parties with her high society friends. As the two form a bond of friendship, Paul soon realises that Holly puts on a completely different persona as a socialite, that of a confident young lady, and is completely different when it is just the two of them as she is a vulnerable, sensitive woman. Every interaction between Paul and Holly ends differently and Paul comes to terms with the fact that Holly is a confused and neurotic person he is falling in love with.

The film perfectly portrays the feminine beauty of Audrey Hepburn. From her style and manner of speaking to her dressing sense and confidence, the films hits the hammer on the nail when it comes to bringing her best foot forward. She has also put in a stellar performance as a neurotic, undecided individual while showing off her beauty which is absolutely mesmerising. The supporting role by George Peppard shows a patient man who enjoys being a voyeur most of the time while only playing a part in proceedings when they concern him. There is, however, a terrible portrayal of a Japanese character speaking broken English and stumbling like a fool all at the expense of igniting a flame and adding fuel to a fire of a stereotype for the sake of comedy.

The film’s execution has quite a few striking positive points. In the scene where Holly is informed of the death of her brother, she lays havoc to her bedroom and an overhead shot shows the mess in the bedroom which is a perfect symbol for the mess in Holly’s life. The low angle, almost-360 degree pan shot which captures Holly and Paul discussing her future in Brazil is well filmed. There is also meaning in the lack of naming of Holly’s cat which can be seen as Holly’s lack of having a proper identity for herself and thus failing to provide one for her pet. Holly’s adopted family name of Golightly can be seen as a tongue-in-cheek representative of her lifestyle as well.

The film shows Audrey Hepburn in a great light. Her performance of the song Moon River in this film is also quite special. The film’s biggest negative point is its racial stereotyping of a Japanese character which was played by a non-ethnic person. However, the film is like an old grandmother; although it is wrong, it is easily forgiven with the understanding of it being done in a different zeitgeist without any malice, and you can love them in spite of it.

Sherlock Series 2

Quite often, we are faced with a dilemma of sorts when it comes to sequels. When we enjoy a certain show or film, it forms a benchmark in our heads for its sequel and many-a-times it does not live up to its own standards according to our expectations. This causes the problem of not wanting to watch the sequel or series in fear that it will cause disdain for the film or television show. But thankfully, the second series of the British television show Sherlock has no such problem.

Series two of Sherlock starts where it left off in the end of the first series. The cliffhanger is closed and Sherlock is faced with a new case in the first episode which is titled A Scandal In Belgravia. In this episode, Sherlock is forced to deal with a dominatrix called Irene Adler to retrieve vital data in her possession which can leave top officials in Britain with a red face. The second episode is called The Hounds of Baskerville where Sherlock must uncover the mystery of Baskerville which is reported to be haunted by huge hounds that have killed the residents of the town in the past. The third and final episode of the series is titled The Reichenbech Fall where Sherlock must battle with his arch nemesis, James Moriaty, as Moriaty proceeds to wipe out all traces of Sherlock’s credibility and leave him with no other option but to kill himself in order to save the lives of his family and friends.

Series two of the instalment does not necessarily outdo the first series. It lives up to the expectations which were set in series one and establishes the characters firmly within the context of the 21^st century adaptation. It plays on the ideas established in the first series and takes them forward, for example, Sherlock continues to place his faith in his homeless friends and trusts their network in the London underground to bring him information he finds necessary. There is also a greater exploration of Sherlock’s character and an emphasis on him being human. It does not show Sherlock as being an absolute mystery but shows a side of him which is mortal and fallible. The series shows that Sherlock needs his friends and confidants around him. It also shows that he can be wrong and make mistakes, that he is not a person without flaws and that his flaws can prove almost fatal. On more than one instance in the series, his mistake or his inability to arrive to the right conclusion on time proves to be a problem to himself and other people around him.

The series places less of an emphasis on Sherlock’s observation and deduction abilities. While they do play a major role in his crime solving as he goes about being a consultant detective, the first series had a lot more of Sherlock showing off to the audience using his quick and delicate observation powers. The series also has a tongue-in-cheek view of the relationship between Sherlock and Dr. Watson. While it is apparent that they are merely roommates and work together, Dr. Watson shows a sense of concern for Sherlock and his wellbeing while Sherlock admittedly enjoys Watson’s company; during this time, numerous reports keep popping up questioning their intentions of living and working together.

Series two of Sherlock is probably one of the most awaited television series of the year, especially after a viewing of the first series. Written by the same duo of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, this series is very interesting and entertaining all the same. It is quite original with its 21^st century relevance of an age old character that is Sherlock Holmes.

Skyfall: For the twenty-third time, it’s Bond, James Bond

Everyone gets excited at the mention of the words, ‘Bond, James Bond’. The character created by Ian Fleming is well known around the globe and everyone loves him. The knowledge of sitting down to watch a Bond film is like an unmentioned promise of a thriller, spy-based action flick with tantalising special effects, death defying stunts, exquisite high tech gadgets and on screen romances with beautiful women.

Skyfall is the twenty-third instalment in the James Bond movie series. It begins with the opening chase where Bond and his female accomplice, Eve, are trying to retrieve a data card which has information of NATO officials who are working undercover in various terrorist organisations across the world. If the information falls in the wrong hands, it can lead to deaths of multiple officers and a waste of months of work conducted by espionage organisations. Eventually it does fall into the wrong hands, someone who is also infiltrating MI6’s security and able to breach their online systems. Bond must chase down this new foe, who is suspected to be someone from within the organisation, before he leaks the information on the NATO officers and before he destroys MI6 and all the people working for it.

The movie tears through the polished exterior of James Bond to reveal the man behind the spy as he takes on his latest foe, Raoul Silva, a former operative of MI6 who was burned by M and goes rogue on his own organisation. The film goes ‘old school’ bringing back Bond’s old Aston Martin from previous films as well as digging into the person that is Bond. The final showdown takes place in his ancestral home in Scotland which is in the marshes of the place known as Skyfall, where the title from the film is derived. The film reveals Bond’s lack of sentiment for his life prior to being recruited by MI6 when he was an orphan living in a castle on a large estate. The film also delves into his affection for M as not only his boss but also the closest person he has had as a parental figure.

The performance put in by Javier Bardem as the antagonist is both good and bad. He plays the role of a psychotic villain well but lacks when it comes to portraying the passion and anger of the character. On the other hand, Daniel Craig as James Bond is always a debatable topic since his portrayal of the quintessential English gentleman spy isn’t always convincing. The most consistent is Judi Dench in her portrayal of M as the head of the organisation who is at the mercy of the skills of her best trained operative for her defence.

The main problem with Skyfall is: it is not a Bond film. Sure, it does have the protagonist of James Bond and other elements which are required to make a Bond film; the MI6 agency, M, the vodka martinis which are shaken not stirred, the self introduction of “Bond, James Bond” and the subordinate characters like Q. But it lacks some of the key components like the numerous gadgets and the persistent presence of a Bond girl. There are women in the film who are shown as Bond’s love interests, but their presence is a mere in-and-out sequence, just like Bond’s romances with them. There is no continuous female lead apart from M. The film also lacks for a good script. The script is simple and transparent with Bond realising his enemy, chasing him down and having a confrontation in the end. Apart from a literal stab in the back, there isn’t much going for the script with a poor showdown at the end and just 2-3 action sequences in total.

It is a different take on what is normally looked at as being James Bond. Skyfall is about the man behind the suits with multiple insinuations of James Bond becoming old and being past his prime. It also celebrates the 50 years of James Bond in films with the return of his old car and the visit to his ancestral home in Scotland. It also looks at how the character has developed and the world around him has changed with mentions of technology taking over from international espionage and the change of characters which this film has witnessed and which future James Bond films will witness.

Skyfall is not a typical James Bond film. More or less, it is just another action flick. But the excitement of watching James Bond take the screen once again is not easily lived down.

Sherlock Series 1

Sherlock Holmes is without a doubt one of the most recognisable fictional characters of all time in the literary world. The character is one of the most well-defined and intrinsic characters to have ever graced the written pages of books and has now found its way onto the television screen through the scripts of the well known Steven Moffat, with the assistance of Mark Gatiss. Of course, recreating an iconic character such as Sherlock Holmes is no walk in the park and Moffat has done it justice in his own right with his modern adaptation of this great classic.

Each season is made up of three episodes, each with a runtime of approximately 88 to 90 minutes. The first episode, titled A Study In Pink, is the tale of multiple deaths, all of which appear to be suicides. Sherlock is under the impression that the suicides are in fact a series of murders and sets off on his hunt for a serial killer. The second episode is titled The Blind Banker and begins with a break in at a corporate office. A case of vandalism and later murder arouses Sherlock’s interest as he takes on the case to try and decipher codes that will solve the mystery. The third episode is titled The Great Game and is a revelation of Sherlock’s archenemy as he is left clues by a psychopathic bomber who has rigged up helpless people with explosives and uses them as a mouthpiece to send Sherlock chasing after and solving puzzles to ultimately lead to a final showdown and cliffhanger.

Sherlock is introduced to Dr. John Watson in the beginning of the first episode when he is in need of a roommate and Watson is looking for a home to move into. The script then revolves around the cases that Sherlock takes on as ‘the only consulting detective in the world’ as he helps Scotland Yard in and around their abode at 221 B Baker’s Street.

Sherlock Holmes is represented as a modern image of his classic being. He is an eccentric character, which is a trademark from other characters crafted by Steven Moffat. He is never at ease with living a mundane life which drives him to find new and interesting puzzles for him to solve. He is constantly on the lookout for excitement to keep his mind occupied and ignores any cases he believes he would be able to solve easily. He is a modern adaptation who uses the assistance of cell phones and the internet to crack down his cases and has a network of underground informants which includes graffiti artists and homeless people to keep him updated. Dr. John Watson on the other hand is a rudimentary character which goes along with everything Sherlock says and hangs on his every word.

Sherlock is portrayed as a character who is very confident and self assured with everything he does. He has a keen sense of observation and deduction which helps him solve cases and arrive at conclusions at a faster rate than most other people. However, he is portrayed as a character that is fallible and does not necessarily know about everything. His dependence on technology and informers is a nice modern touch to a classic character. He is brought to life by actor Benedict Cumberbatch whose only flaw may be during dialogue delivery when Sherlock cracks a case and rants about his findings. At times like this, it becomes difficult to follow what Sherlock is saying, but then again, that is a classic Sherlock Holmes trait; minus the gloating that comes with this modern adaptation.

A great viewing experience that brings a classic character to life in the modern world with relevance, the television series is no let down. In fact, as mystery television shows go, it may be one of the best available. It must go down as a classic.

The Hunt (Jagten): The hunt never ends

The hunt never ends. It can be explained in multiple ways but amounts to the same thing, the hunt never ends. It changes, it progresses, it regresses, but it never ends. So to speak, it’s like saying once a smoker, always a smoker. Once you are seen in a particular light, it becomes very hard to shake off that perception. A bad reputation catches on faster than a good one and is also very difficult to change.

Lukas is a divorced (or separated) father of a single son who works as a handyman in a kindergarten after losing his job as a teacher in a high school that shut down. He is only allowed to meet his son a few days a week and is trying to convince his ex-wife to allow his son to visit more often and stay a few days longer or possibly live-in with him. Lukas continues to perform the odd jobs at the kindergarten and stay connected with his group of friends whose favourite pastimes are hunting deer and drinking alcohol. His best friend’s daughter also studies at the kindergarten where he works who develops an infatuation for Lukas around the same time he starts a relationship with one of the staff at the kindergarten. Times get tough for Lukas as a small lie takes precedence over trust and friendship eventually creating havoc in their small town and, in particular, wrecking Lukas’ life in the process as he is just about to receive a second chance to reconcile with his son.

One of the most brilliantly crafted movies in recent times, The Hunt (Jagten) directed by Danish director Thomas Vinterberg has elements of a small town story which affects lives in a big way. It may not be a film that everyone can relate to owing to the gravity of the situation that is created in the story, but it does have a plot which can be reasoned with and understood. The film doesn’t overdramatise scenes in spite of their thought provoking content, it merely places emphasis by taking the audience through the motions of the thoughts and the emotions that the characters will be witnessing. It tells the story from the point of view of a helpless man caught in a scandal with nowhere to go and almost no aid by his side. It also highlights how simple misplaced facts or half truths can have a drastic affect on any one person’s life.

Vinterberg has a way of picking out one-to-one peoples relationships and show them in retrospect with the big picture. He takes the audience up close and personal with the characters that play an important role in the outcome of the plot and allows them to understand each characters perspective. His style provides the perfect balance from human emotions to light background scoring and interesting, mostly handheld, shots that provide an insight into how the characters are feeling. The role of the protagonist is played to perfection by the actor Mads Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen seems to be a perfect fit for the role since he mirrors the same persona as Lukas which is a sense of being responsible and hapless at the same time.

Vinterberg highlights the plight of a helpless man more than anything in this film. He also places a light on friendship and family, showing that one must be sacrificed in order for the other to grow. The plot also shows how people can be gullible and that one thoughtless action can result in the destruction of another person’s world as they know it. In the end, Vinterberg shows that perceptions, especially bad ones, are hard to shake off, and this forms one of the key messages at the end of the film.

This film may be one of the contemporary greats; a brilliant film which has come along after a very long time. It is an example that it is not necessary to have a large budget to produce an excellent film. It may not strike a chord with everyone since it is a little difficult to relate to and it may not challenge for the greatest of honours, but it does have an appeal of its own by bringing the audience into the action and providing an excellent film experience on the whole.

The Magic of Belle Isle: A family drama about imagination

Coming across inspiration isn’t easy. It is quite difficult to get inspired and come up with a piece of work which is sublime while we are troubled with everyday affairs that bring us down. It becomes difficult to carry on and quite often people try to move away from what they normally do to think out of the box and get creative ideas to supplement their work.

Monte Wildhorn is an accomplished writer who has lost his way with his gradually fading passion for writing. Years after his wife’s death, he still struggles to get on with life and copes by drowning his sorrows in alcohol with every chance he gets. It has resulted in him becoming sloppy in everyday life with a dwindled passion for his work. He moves into a small town called Belle Isle to gather himself and spark his imagination with a hope that he will be able to fuel his new writing project. Once settled, he is warmly greeted by his closest neighbours, a single mother and her three daughters. While Monte’s asocial tendencies make him uninviting to everyone in general, he finds a soft spot in the heart of the middle daughter, Finnegan, and decides to take her on as an apprentice to teach the art of imagination. He slowly finds his way back into writing and the hearts of the family as he warms up to life once again.

This film, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Morgan Freeman, is a family oriented story. It has its elements of comedy with intelligent dialogues from the protagonist and is a fair family drama overall. Morgan Freeman as the handicapped Monte Wildhorn is a good fit but produces no magic. As the story progresses, it delves more into a relationship between an old man and a young girl and fits into a cliché of how trying to help someone eventually leads to helping yourself; in this case the young girl helps the old man find his way in life. The slowly building love angle of the mother and the old man is quite appalling, especially considering her separation from her husband which has caused tension in her family which she is finding difficult to deal with. Overall, it’s a sloppy affair but just another Hollywood family script.

There may or may not have been potential for this film, but it doesn’t really show. It is a good option for a Sunday lunch with family, but no more than that.