The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Writers: Peter Morgan (screenplay), Jeremy Brock (screenplay)

Stars: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker and Gillian Anderson

My Review:

                The last king of Scotland is a film based on a novel written on the same name as that of the film by Giles Foden. This film stars Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin and James McAvoy as Dr. Nicholas Garrigan respectively. This film interweaves fiction with the historic past. This film depicts the brutality of Idi Amin, President of Uganda 1971-79 with the help of a fictional Character Dr. Nicholas Garrigan. Nicholas Garrigan who has just been qualified to practice medicine travels to Uganda to perform clinical duty and for adventure. There he befriends Idi Amin, a military commander who overthrows the president of Uganda and brings the country under his dictatorship.

                As the story moves on, the true face of Idi Amin is revealed to Dr. Garrigan. What does Dr. Garrigan confront is the rest of the film. Whitaker portrayed the role of Idi Amin, brainless brute as a Humorous person with pumped adrenaline which I liked very much. Both Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy have delivered their best performances. Their performances were praised by the critics all over the world. Whitaker for his role of Idi Amin claimed all the prestigious awards for acting- The Academy award, The Golden Globes, BAFTA and the SAG award. Kerry Washington’s performance was also good in the film.

                Kevin MacDonald made his directorial debut at the big screen in this film. He has taken a number of documentaries but this one took him to the next level of direction. The screenplay adapted in the film was good.  

My Review: 7.6/10

Crank (2006)

Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor

Writers: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor

Stars: Jason Statham, Amy Smart and Carlos Sanz

My Review:

                Crank is a cent percent pure action film. This film stars Jason Statham as Chev Chelios who is a professional assassin. Chelios is injected with a poison by the villain Verona which is going to kill him in hours. Chelios comes to know of this and urges the issue to his doc friend Miles. Miles asks Chelios to keep his adrenaline in an upper level to survive. Chelios with the help of his girlfriend Eve tries to stay alive and seeks Verona at the same time to kill him.

                Action in this film takes the vantage point. Every minute you can hope for a fight scene to come out of nowhere. Jason Statham who is known for his performances in Lock Stock and Two Smokin Barrels, Transporter series and The Bank Job has given action pumped performance in this film. The stunts and the climax of the film were the best parts of the film. The MPAA has given the rating R for the film for Sexuality, Nudity and Drug use. The film was a blockbuster hit in America and is rated above 7/10 in IMDB which is quite a feat for an action film.

My Rating: 7.2/10

The Condemned (2007)

Director: Scott Wiper

Writers: Scott Wiper (screenplay), Rob Hedden (screenplay)

Stars: Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones and Nathan Jones

My Review:

            The Condemned is film based on the plot of the famous series Survivor but with extremely dangerous rules and special contenders. A wealthy television producer purchases 10 convicts who are condemned to live on this planet and are awaiting their death penalty. One of them is Jack Conrad (Stone Cold Steve Austin), a ex-US military personal lost in mission is a death row inmate in a corrupt prison. Now the ten convicts are dropped in an island with a rigged anklet in their leg and are asked to kill each other. The only one who survives after 24 hours will have his death penalty revoked.

            The film is full of action and the stunts were really good. Stone Cold Steve Austin was great as an action hero. His fighting scenes were best. My personal best scene is where he takes on a giant psychopath. The screenplay was good. Overall a nice action film to watch

My Rating: 6.2/10

The Blind Side (2009)

Director: John Lee Hancock

Writers: John Lee Hancock, Michael Lewis

Stars: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw

My Review:

            Well this film is one of the best films of 2009. I saw this film only after the Oscar was awarded to Sandra Bullock. Sandra Bullock’s performance was awesome. This film is based on the life incidents of Michael Oher, one of the best offensive tackles in the world of Football. Michael Oher, a giant kid from Mississippi who has no one to take care of him and no place to stay, is admitted in a school because of his ability to score hoops from anywhere.  Leigh-Ann Tughy (Sandra Bullock), the mother of SJ Tughy and Collin Tughy finds about Michael and provides him shelter in her home. She gets impressed by his behaviour and she brings him up.

            SJ Tughy (Jay Head) is the cutest of the cast. His role in the film is a big boost for the film. Whenever he and Michael appear in the screen, it’s like David and Goliath but in a comedy show. Sandra Bullock was great when she does anything for Michael. Quito Aaron who played the role of Michael Oher was also good. The scenes of his interview and Leigh-Ann teaching him how to play were excellent. Sandra Bullock won the three big awards for this film- The Academy Award, Golden Globes and the SAG Award.

My Review: 7.8/10

Kick-Ass (2010)

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writers: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn

Stars: Aaron Johnson, Lyndsy Fonseca, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage

My Review:

                Kick-Ass is one of the best films of 2010. This is a super hit action-comedy film starring Aaron Johnson, Lyndsy Fonseca and Nicolas Cage. Dave Lizewski (Johnson) is a geek studying in High School. Being a fan of comics and having suffered at the hands of muggers, Dave thinks of becoming a superhero and buys himself a costume and names himself Kick-Ass. Kick-Ass becomes popular when his ass gets kicked trying to save a complete stranger from three punks. Dave loves Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca) but she does not. One day Katie asks him about comics and asks him out for a coffee. Dave and Katie become friends and many of Dave’s dreams come alive just because of one lie.

                When Dave tries to do a favour for Katie, he meets two other super heroes namely Hit Girl (Moretz) and Big Daddy (Cage), who are really good at fighting and also the villain Frank D’Amico is introduced. Big Daddy was an ex-cop who was framed and arrested for Drug Trafficking by D’Amico. Hit Girl was his daughter and he takes revenge against D’Amico.

                The performances were above average but the plot and the comedy sequences were hilarious. The chemistry between Dave and Katie was good. The stunts and action scenes were also good. The film was well directed by Matthew Vaughn. The stunts at the climax were great. So to sum it up, Kick-Ass is a good film, worth watching.

My Rating: 7.7/10

Conviction (2010)

Director: Tony Goldwyn

Writer: Pamela Gray

Stars: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Peter Gallagher

My Review:

                Conviction is a film based on a true story directed by Tony Goldwyn. Kenneth Waters (Sam Rockwell) is arrested and convicted for murder in the first degree and sentenced for life. Betty-Ann Waters (Hilary Swank), the little sister of Kenny and a mother of two, is not giving up on her brother and firmly believes that her brother is innocent. Betty-Ann decides to pursue law to become the Attorney of her brother. This film is all about the obstacles Betty-Ann faces in pursuing her penance of 18 years. Was her penance fruitful or a waste of life and career? Watch the movie to get the answer.

                Hilary Swank, the two time academy award winner was tailor made for the role. Whether it was a Mother, a Sister or an Attorney, she was impeccable and flawless. I loved every bits and pieces of her acting in this film. This film adds another feather on her cap.  Sam Rockwell was also good for his role of Kenny. He was great at scenes of his protest in the jail. Pamela Gray wrote the story very well. The way she described the characters was really good. The way the screenplay was adapted for the movie was great. Chipping in the clips from the past at right moments added spices and decorations to a beautifully served dish.

                Tony Goldwyn has directed this film to perfection. Paul Cantelon’s music was also good throughout the film. Especially the BGM when the credits roll off and the one before it were great. So Folks Conviction is one hell of a movie to watch and do not miss it. Feel the love for/of brothers and sisters, in fact it the only relation that last longer than any other. I being a little brother loved this film very much.

My Rating: 8/10