Indian Releases

Tanu Weds Manu

Studios – Viacom 18 Motion Pictures (Debut), Paramhans Creations And Movies N More Pvt. Ltd.

(Previous Film: Bas Ek Pal),

Director - Anand L. Rai (Previous Film: Strangers)

In a nutshell....

Manu is a plain, simple man who is a doctor from London. He is intelligent, temperate and belongs to a very cultured family, a perfect groom that brides and their families look for. But because of his family pressure he has to go to Kanpur from Delhi to meet a typical small town girl, Tanu, for his marriage. Tanu is smart girl but also a rebel and does everything against her parents' will. She is completely against arranged marriages and tries to be in the bad books of all men who come to see her. But Tanu and Manu's paths cross again and again, and their diverse personalities lead to a comic ride.

Although the story isn't fresh and the actors aren't huge stars, this film does have a spark and looks very real in terms of being true to the setting. Such films have their limited budgets, audiences, and also expect a limited collection on the box-office which this film should manage to do despite the ongoing Cricket World Cup. Besides, R. Madhavan is an actor of calibre and can pull off a nice performance on his own. Whether this film is liked by all remains to be seen.

Runtime - Unknown

Genre - Comedy/Drama

Rated - U/A

Principal Cast

R. Madhavan – Manoj Sharma (Last seen in: Jhootha Hi Sahi)

Kangna Ranaut - Tanuja Trivedi (Last seen in: No Problem)

Jimmy Shergill - Raja (Last seen in: A Flat)

Principal Crew

Himanshu Sharma - Writer

Chirantan Das - Directors of Photography

Hemal Kothari - Editor
Krsna - Music Director

Film’s USP

Unique story

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C66LHx9uZTw

Anticipation Rating - 3.5/5

---

Satrangee Parachute

Studios – Wonderworks Films (Debut)

Director - Vineet Khetrapal (Debut)

In a nutshell....

Pappu runs away from his house in Nainitaal, along with his five friends, to Mumbai, leaving the parents angry and worried about their missing children. The kids wish to see a colourful parachute and in this pursuit roam about on the streets of Mumbai. The kids are held hostages by a terrorist group and all they need is a little hope and somebody to save them. Does Mumbai have a harsh destiny in store for the kids?

Once again there's a small budget film with a few known faces, having a debutant director and production company, and children at the centre of the story. There have been many attempts in the past and none have impressed. I just hope for the sake of the kids, the debutant director and other people involved in the film, that this one does well, atleast recovers the money. However, it seems an uphill task for Satrangee Parachute as it has competition from all quarters, more from abroad, leaving it no chance but to collapse and perish, especially during this frantic World Cup weekend, and with exams about to commence. I hope atleast it's a decent attempt so that such films have more hope in the future. Certainly a bad time to release.

Runtime - Unknown

Genre - Comedy/Family

Rated - U

Principal Cast

Jackie Shroff – (Last seen in: Maalik Ek)

Kay Kay Menon - (Last seen in: Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu)

Zakir Hussain - (Last seen in: Payback)

Rajpal Yadav - (Last seen in: Mirch)

Siddhartha Sangani - Pappu (Debut)

Principal Crew

Pulakesh Bhowmik - Writer

Soumik Haldar - Directors of Photography
Pranav V. Dhiwar, Sanjib Dutta - Editors
Kaushik Dutta, Shamir Tandon - Music Directors

Film’s USP

A film for children

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0gFGJy1sNQ&feature=related

Anticipation Rating - 1.5/5

---

True Grit

Studios – Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, Mike Zoss Productions

(Previous Film: Little Fockers, The Social Network, A Serious Man)

Director - Joel Cohen and Ethan Cohen (Previous Film: A Serious Man)

In a nutshell....

14 year old Mattie Ross is a farm girl who seeks revenge from Tom Chaney, a henchman, who killed Mattie's father. To chase him down, the girl hires the toughest U.S. marshal, Rooster Cogburn, whose drinking, laziness and reprobation puts Mattie in doubts about his grit. Thus she wishes to join him in the pursuit of the killer. They are joined by a Texas ranger, LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio face dangers and surprises on their journey, as each person's grit is tested.

10 Oscar nominations are more than enough to make this a must watch. Besides, this is a remake that seems to be much better than the original. Joel and Ethan Coen are gifted and talented writers and directors who have already won 4 Oscars each. And, with Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges involved, this film promises to give even more than it can deliver. True Grit will without a doubt do well on the box office, as it has been very successful in the US, despite the western setting, and should certainly be the pick of the week.

Runtime - 110 mins

Genre - Adventure/Drama/Western

Rated - Unknown

Principal Cast

Jeff Bridges – Rooster Cogburn (Last seen in: Tron:Legacy)

Matt Damon – LaBoeuf (Last seen in: Green Zone)
Josh Brolin – Tom Chaney (Last seen in: Jonah Hex)

Hailee Steinfeld - Mattie Ross (Debut)

Principal Cast

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Charles Portis (Novel) - Writers

Roger Deakins - Director of Photography
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen - Editors
Carter Burwell - Music Director

Film’s USP

Coen Brothers + 10 Oscar nominations

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUiCu-zuAgM

Anticipation Rating - 4.5/5

---

Drive Angry 3D

Studios – Millennium Films, Nu Image Films, Saturn Films

(Previous Film: The Mechanic, The Expendables, The Sorcerer's Apprentice)

Director - Patrick Lussier (Previous Film: My Bloody Valentine)

In a nutshell....

Milton is a vengeful father who has broken out of hell, to hunt down the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his grand daughter. The Accountant, a supernatural operative of Satan, has been sent to bring Milton back to hell. Whether Milton succeeds or gets chased down by the Accountant forms the crux of the film.

Nicolas Cage has been doing a lot of fantasy stuff in recent times and most of them have been average but entertaining. Drive Angry also seems to belong to those pool of films he's done. It's fully loaded with action and car chase sequences, and a bit of humour here and there. The trailer's impressive, and with a worldwide release, the film will see a great opening especially because it is shot in 3D, which the trailer and poster boast about. A 3D treat awaits for all Cage fans.

Runtime - 104 mins

Genre - Action/Fantasy/Comedy

Rated - A

Principal Cast

Nicolas Cage – Milton (Last seen in: Season Of The Witch)

Amber Heard - Piper (Last seen in: The Ward)

William Fichtner. - Ronald Wilkes (Last seen in: Date Night)

Principal Crew

Todd Farmer, Patrick Lussier - Writers

Brian Pearson - Directors of Photography

Devin Lussier, Patrick Lussier - Editors
Michael Wandmacher - Music Director

Film’s USP

Shot in 3D

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2-hiHUh4UQ

Anticipation Rating - 3.5/5

---

The Fighter

Studios – Closest To The Hole Productions (Debut), Fighter (Debut), Mandeville Films (Debut),

The Weinstein Company (Previous Film: Piranha)

Director - David O. Russell (Previous Film: I Heart Huckabees)

In a nutshell....

The Fighter is based on the real life story of a boxer, Micky Ward, who journeys on an unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His half brother Dicky, an ex-boxer, trains him to fight the odds just like he fights against his own involvement in drugs and crime.

This film has done superbly in the US and the other nations where it has released. Fabulous, marvellous and such other adjectives have been used to describe the performance of Christian Bale who's already won the Golden Globe for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Besides, Melissa Leo's also won the Golden Globe for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role. With 7 nominations for this year's Academy Awards, this film has to be the pick of the month.

Runtime - 115 mins

Genre - Biography/Drama/Sport

Rated - A

Principal Cast

Mark Wahlberg – Micky Ward (Last seen in: The Other Guys)

Christian Bale – Dicky Eklund (Last seen in: Public Enemies)
Amy Adams – Charlene Fleming (Last seen in: Leap Year)

Melissa Leo - Alice Ward (Last seen in: Conviction)

Principal Cast

Scott Silver, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy - Writers

Hoyte Van Hoytema - Director of Photography
Pamela Martin - Editor
Michael Brook - Music Director

Film’s USP

Bale's performance + 7 nominations for this year's Oscars

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPlWLnR-es4

Anticipation Rating - 4.5/5

---

Hereafter

Studios – Amblin Entertainment, The Kennedy Marshall Company, Malpaso Productions

(Previous Releases: Letters From Iwo Jima, The Last Airbender, Invictus)
Director - Clint Eastwood (Previous Work: Invictus)

In a nutshell....

Hereafter is a drama centred around mortality and how it haunts 3 people in different ways. George, a blue collared American, has a special connection to the afterlife. Marie, a French journalist has a near death experience which shakes her reality. Marcus, a schoolboy from London, loses somebody closest to him because of which he seeks answers. Each of them set on a path to search for answers as their paths intersect.

Well one obviously expects a lot from a Clint Eastwood film and this one isn't an exception, especially when you consider the presence of Matt Damon. It was a treat when the last time the two had come together in Invictus. Hereafter deals with knowing what awaits after death which is an interesting subject especially when you 're not dealing with horror. The trailer had some good moments and my eyes lit up when I saw the Tsunami coming. The film released in the US last year and got decent reviews. Therefore I have hopes from this one and think it wouldn't disappoint.

Runtime - 129 mins

Genre - Drama/Fantasy

Rated - Unknown

Principal Cast

Matt Damon – George Lonegan (Last seen in: Green Zone)

Bryce Dallas Howard – Melanie (Last seen in: Eclipse)
Cecile De France – Marie LeLay (Last seen in: L'incstict de mort)

George/Frankie McLaren - Jason/Marcus (Debut)

Principal Crew

Peter Morgan - Writer

Tom Stern - Director of Photography
Joel Cox, Gary Roach – Editors
Clint Eastwood - Music Director

Film’s USP

Clint Eastwood + Matt Damon

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFBXzWTL9N4

Anticipation Rating - 3.5/5