The Skeleton Twins (2014)

The 'Skeleton Twins' is a story about twins, Milo (Bill Hader) and Maggie (Kristen Wigg). While Milo lives in LA, where he hoped to make it in the movies, Maggie stayed close to home. Living in Nyack, New York, Maggie has been married to Lance for about two years and they are trying to start a family. Having lost touch with each other the Fates finally intervene to bring the estranged siblings together. A suicidal Maggie is just about to pop a fistful of pills, when a phone call interrupts her. The call is from a hospital in LA informing her about Milo's suicide attempt. After a brief visit Maggie is able to convince Milo to head back to NY and live with her till he's stable.
After 10 long years the twins finally catch up with each other's lives .. a gay Milo admits to having failed to make it in the movies and is still single. Maggie admits to using birth control to avoid having a baby with Lance, while she sleeps around with the instructors for the numerous courses she is signed up for. What a mess!
But blood runs thicker than water and after putting aside their differences , the 'Skeleton Twins' are now stronger than ever.
The name conjured up images of a thriller of some sort. Surprise, surprise it turned out to be a great family movie. Now that's my kind of movie.

About Schmidt (2002)

All through school and into our growing years, we are geared towards securing a sound future. As per the cycle of life school is followed by college, a job, marriage, kids ... But it doesn't end there now, does it? Then it's on to their education and when they fly the coop, you hope to take a breather. But the excitement is back. It's now their turn for marriage, grand kids ... Hopefully you've been there and done it all and you wisely chose your path. Because time is fragile and it skips by real quick. Before you know it, retirement will be upon you and time will slow down, enough for you to question your choices in life. Fingers crossed, you are happy with the ones you've made.
This is the story of Warren Schmidt's (Jack Nicholson) life. Warren showed great promise right from school and it followed him all through to college. He hoped to start a business of his own but with marriage and fatherhood came responsibility. So he chose to play it safe and worked as an Actuary for Woodmen of the World instead, a life insurance company. But like anyone else, Warren is now retired and boy, is it hard! He is getting himself aquainted with day-time television and through a commercial seeking sponsors for under-privileged children, Warren senses a new purpose. He finds himself a foster-father to Ndugu, a 6 year-old Tanzanian. However, Warren's life takes another twist when his wife passes on. After a period of moaning, Warren is on a mission. He embarks on a road trip from Nebraska to Colorado to visit his only daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis) and hopefully convince her not to marry the water-bed salesman she is engaged to.
Take a journey with Warren in his RV as he sets out to find his purpose in life. Hilarious but deeply moving, this is Jack Nicholson at his best, I would say. 

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Aboard the luxurious Darjeeling Limited travelling through India, are three brothers who had last met at their father's funeral over a year ago. They have now reunited in a bid to get reaquainted with each other and are on a quest to find spirituality.

Francis (Owen Wilson) is the oldest and the controlling one who still insists on ordering food for his brothers and even making their sleeping arrangements. He decides to keep all three passports to ensure that no one can cut their journey short.
Then you have Peter (Adrian Brody) the only one of the three who is married and is an expectant father. However he doubts his ability to be a good husband and parent.
And the youngest is Jack (Jason Schwartzman) who is unable to get over his break up with his girlfriend.
Their mother has left it all behind and is now a nun residing at the foothills

of the Himalayas and the brothers hope to catch up with her while there. The three of them brave insane rickshaw rides amid wandering cows and the chaos of Indian streets and even get their shoes stolen. But undettered and armed with an itinerary and a Cobra the three are thrown off the train. But they must each bear his own baggage and work at building their relationships.
Hilarious and fun, enjoy the journey with the three amid the melodic strains of the sitar in Incredible India with monkeys gazing down from rooftops.

As Good As It Gets (1997)

Now there could be only one person who would make the following introductions and still get away with it ~ "Carol the waitress meet Simon the fag". 😐 What! Ha ha ... 😂Get acquainted with Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) who has been labelled "a horror of a human being" and probably worse. A novelist living alone in upscale Manhattan, Melvin could be described as being uptight, obnoxious and stuck up. Apart from having an OCD, he is a germophobe too. Some of his many quirks include avoiding sidewalk cracks while schlepping on the busy pavements of NY, having breakfast at the same place, eating the same thing and at the very same table and with his own cutlery brought from home. As if that wasn't hard enough he insists on being served by Carol (Helen Hunt), a single mother of a child suffering from chronic asthma. Carol is the only waitress who can brave up and face the restaurant's most difficult patron.

Now Melvin's gay neighbor, Simon (Greg Kinnear), an artist by profession, is found robbed and severely injured, and until he recuperates it's Melvin who must care for his dog, Verdell - an adorable Brussels Grifon. But soon a surprised Melvin and an equally surprised Verdell are sharing some love and bacon and when Simon returns its difficult for Melvin to part with Verdell. Eventually, Melvin, an absolute angel, proves that there is a heart that beats under a cold exterior. Watch how the lives of these three charcters are gently intertwined. A beautiful tale of people from different strata of society, with equally difficult lives, all coming together to magically touch and transform the lives of the other.

 

After I first watched "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest"  I have adored Jack Nicholson ever since; proving his skills as an accomplished actor is the Academy award he won for the Best Actor in a lead role for this film way back in 1975. 👏

Baton Baton Mein (1979)

How could I have taken so long to write about a movie of one of my favorite stars, Amol Palekar ❤ - Amol of  the Golmaal, Naram Garam, Choti Si Baat, Rajnigandha, Chitchor, Rang Birangi fame! Gosh ... His films are light and funny, being simply complicated 😉  and is the result of fine film making and story telling accompanied by fun music and song. Whew!!! I think I got it all ... 😟

Baton Baton Mein revolves around two unmarried Goans whose parents are on the lookout for the perfect match. Now what Indian mother wouldn't want her daughter to be married to someone with a permanent job and earning a "good salary"! (If you like "Pride and Prejudice", like I do, you would be able to relate to this). Mrs. Rosie Pereira (Pearl Padamsee) is one such mother! Nancy (Tina Munim), her spinster daughter, takes the 9:10 am train daily to Churchgate where she works in a private firm. Nancy is pretty but wears an air of aloofness - she suffers from some trust issues after her heart was broken in a previous relationship and that is the reason she is not actively looking for Mr. Right, just yet!
Travelling on the same train is Tony Braganza (Amol Palekar), a cartoonist in his spare time who loves drawing caricatures of his fellow passengers. Tom, Nancy's uncle who almost always accompanies her on the train ride, introduces Nancy to Tony and soon they're good friends. Now there is a sparkle in Rosie's eyes as she sees Tony as the eligible bachelor who has met all the criteria for marriage. But he is in no hurry to pop the question. Why is it taking Tony so long ..
I love this movie for how retro it feels and how the memories come rushing back - memories of a time when things seemed less complicated, the marginally less crowded streets and beach fronts of Mumbai, the time of the cha cha and jazz, simple home parties.... Do you get where I'm going with this?
I adore this number.

The film is hilarious and absolutely fun!

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Pat (Bradley Cooper), a diagnosed bipolar, has been discharged from the psychiatric facility where he was admitted.  Things aren't looking up for him at the moment though - having lost his job and his home, he has had to move in with his retired parents - his father, Patrizio (Robert De Niro) siezes this opportunity to better his relationship with his son. To add to his woes Pat has a restraining order keeping him from his estranged wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), whom he still loves. But Pat is determined to win it all back!

Pat dedicates gallant efforts towards his recovery and starts reading, he takes up jogging around the neighborhood (albeit in a trash bag) and keeps his appointments with his shrink - Dr. Patel (Anupam Kher). Pat even accepts invitations to dinner from his friends, in their bid to set him up. At dinner he meets recently widowed and equally troubled Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who claims to meet Nikki on occasion and Pat intends to use her as his means of communication. Nothing in life is free and Tiffany, who uses dance for therapy, is looking to partner up with someone for an upcoming dance competition. This could be Pat's ticket to prove to Nikki that he is on the mend. An added motivation is a parlay that has put a lot at stake - his parents home, that he hopes to win back to help them live a dream of opening their restaurant. Changing priorities might just be Pat's saving grace. Fingers crossed!

The movie is light and fun and Robert, Jennifer and Bradley rock this film!     

Blackbeards Ghost 👻 (1968)

Godolphin College has a track team replete with misfits. Steve (Dean Jones), their new track coach arrives at the little coastal town blissfully unaware of the challenge ahead of him. On his first night he attends a charity bazaar at the Blackbeard's Inn, hosted by the Daughters of the Buccaneers (the surviving descendants of the Pirate's crew). All proceeds gathered will go towards paying off the mortgage on the inn or else risk losing it to Silky Seymour (Joby Baker), the local crime boss. He has elaborate plans of replacing the decaying inn with a casino.
At the auction Steve wins a bed-warmer that was previously owned by Aldetha, believed to have been a witch and the 10th wife of the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Peter Ustinov). Steve happens upon a scroll hidden in the handle of the bed-warmer and unbeknownst of what might happen he reads out the spell, unleashing Blackbeard's ghost that is trapped in limbo. Blackbeard's only hope of freedom is to perform one good deed. He is brash, has a fondness for rum and is an avid gambler! To top that he is a ghost only his new friend Steve can see. An honest Steve who believes in playing by the rules is inspired to use Blackbeard's unseen presence to help the weak Godolphin track team win the meet and use the reward money won in a bet to pay off the mortgage. That's two birds with one stone - a good deed and liberation from an age-old curse.
A warning here, watch out before you recite the spell - "Kree kruh vergo gebba kalto kree"....
The outcome is hilarious and a total riot and you've got to love Walt Disney!

Here is one clip of what's in store ... This you can't miss!




Word for the day :-
indolent - wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy

Tom Sawyer (1938)

I know this movie goes way back, but it's precious. Growing up, I've watched it countless times and believe me, it never gets old. Cuteness factor on a scale of 1 to 10 - a mighty 10! The movie Tom Sawyer is based on the 1876 novel by Mark Twain. And I for one love the 1938 version!
Tom Sawyer (Tommy Kelly) lives with his aunt Polly, half-brother Sid and cousin Mary and as adorable as Tom is, he is high up on the mischief quotient. Aunt Polly keeps a hawk's eye on him and rightfully so - playing hooky from school, running away from home, getting the kids in town to paint the fence and getting paid in return to do so and such audacious mischief ... When Tom sets eyes on the beautiful Rebecca Thatcher, the daughter of the newly appointed county magistrate who's just moved to town, he is instantly smitten.
Things turn sinister when Tom sneaks away one night and visits the graveyard with his friend, Huckleberry Finn, convinced they have a remedy to cure warts. However they soon realize that they are not alone. Hidden amongst the branches of a tree, they see Dr. Robinson with Potter and Injun Joe, the two hired help to steal bodies. Injun Joe attempts to blackmail Dr. Robinson and in an ensuing scuffle Dr. Robinson is murdered. As a witness to this crime Tom testifies against the infamous Joe who is soon on the run.
During a class picnic to McDougal's Cave, a place rumored to have hidden pirate

treasure, the newly engaged Becky and Tom wander off from the rest of the group and are lost in the labyrinth of caves and tunnels. But they are not alone! It's a run for their life with a rewarding escape.
An amazingly fun movie - a perfect blend of laughs, mystery and romance.

Word for the day :-
fallible - capable of making mistakes or being wrong

Chef (2014)

Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) is a gifted cook but his culinary talents feel restrained at the Gauloise in California, where he is head chef. The food that he is being forced to cook and serve at the restaurant for about 10 years now has turned boring and predictable. The repeated classics have caused food critic, Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt) to publicly criticize Carl's work and after a heated altercation with Ramsey and Riva (Dustin Hoffman) his boss and restaurant owner, Carl quits his job. Carl who is divorced feels he has failed as a father, he is old with no money and now no job! Down and out of his luck a fortuitous visit to Miami, rekindles of his love for Cuban food. And hence the birth of food truck, El Jefe. With some help from his ex-wife, Inez (Sofia Vergara) and her ex-husband Marvin (Robert Downey Jr.) Carl is soon selling good, wholesome Cuban food. He is travelling across the country with  his good friend and cook Martin (John Leguizamo) and his son Percy (Emjay Anthony). El Jefe is soon a household name and what started out as a seeming disaster is his window of opportunity. A successful restaurant, a great relationship with his son and the probability of finding love again!!!  How good can it get!
Funny and playful, Jon Favreau as both director and actor has served a gastronomic masterpiece and has nailed it!  

The Intern (2015)

Ben Wittaker (Robert DeNiro) continues to live his retired life with a military precision, honoring a time bound schedule. He should be enjoying his retired life but sadly that is not the case! Boredom threatens to smother him until he happens upon an advertisement at the local grocers. A fashion start-up, "About the Fit" is looking for senior interns for an outreach program. Ben doesn't need any goading and he is soon waiting to be interviewed. Upon selection, Ben is informed that he will be mentored by the seemingly formidable Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), the CEO. But at the very onset, Jules finds Ben unsettling although Ben's perceptiveness soon makes him popular among his colleagues. His doggedness though win her over, and Ben is promoted to personal assistant. But an insightful Ben soon notices fissures in Jules seemingly uber-successful life. The company's charts do not scream the huge profits that were predicted and Jules is torn with the fact that they may have to hire a new CEO. Her seemingly happy family seems to be tottering on the verge of collapse leaving Jules grappling with time constraints. Unable to spend quality time with her adorable daughter, Paige and her husband, Matt (Anders Holm) Ben is soon privy to the fact that Matt, a stay-at-home dad who gave up a successful career in marketing, is having an affair.
Jules and Ben form a bond like no other, helping the other grow! So the big question is -  who is mentoring whom?

A warm film that gives you a deep insight into human relationships, proving that we all need one another and we cannot stand alone.  

Word for the day :-

bacchanalia - drunken celebrations

I don't know how she does it (2011)

It is the 21st Century and we still seem to live in a misogynistic world. Kate Reddy is here to prove that women can successfully do what men can and do it even better! 

Kate (Sarah Jessica Parker) is a wife, a mother of two and a finance executive with an investment banking firm in Boston. She seems to be able to do it all  and is a powerhouse of efficiency, diligence and energy. She is a devoted wife, a loving mother who plans birthday parties and an accomplished employee who can deliver powerful power-point presentations, winning projects for the firm she works for. Her husband (Greg Kinnear) fondly calls her the "juggler". However, can Kate successfully keep all her plates spinning and not bring them crashing down?
Are you working hard and in need of a break? You've got to dial the baby-sitter or find a play-date and call the girls over, sit down with this adorable flick, kick-back and relax.

Salud to all hard-working women and working mums

"Trading Places" (1983) with "Soul Man" (1986)

Need a good laugh and it's mission accomplished with both these films. A high-five to the perfect duo!

Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) and Mortimer ( Don Ameche) Duke are two rich brothers who own a

successful brokerage firm in Philadelphia. Louis Winthorpe ll (Dan Aykroyd) works for the brothers as a commodity broker and leads a privileged, upper-middle class life. On the opposite end of the social scale is Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), a street opportunist looking to make a quick buck. The Duke brothers encounter Ray and an opportunity opens up for a bet. They believe that under the right circumstances even a poor person like Ray could make good and become another Louis Winthorpe. Soon Ray is living Louis's privileged life - a company owned home, a butler at his disposal, a chauffeur driven car and entry into an elite tennis club while Louis is out on the streets having lost his home, friends and fiancé and all his money. Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis), a prostitute, after hearing his story feels sorry for him and takes him in. From here on starts Louis's mission to get his life back on track. A perfect cocktail of "gigantically hilarious" proportions with Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Trading Places is based on Mark Twain's "Prince and the Pauper", an early 19th Century publication.
                                          ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Mark Watson's (C. Thomas Howell) dream has come true - he has been accepted into law school at Harvard. But this comes at a cost! When Mark Watson gets his college acceptance letter his happiness is short-lived. Even though he is from a wealthy family Mark is forced to pay his way through college and this seems highly improbable. So Mark decides to apply for a  scholarship, which is incidentally only for African American students. Surprise, surprise - Mark is as white as they come. But a man's got to do what a man's got to do and Mark decides to cheat. Mark exceeds a tanning pill dosage and  now seemingly Black he must face Harvard life. On his scholastic journey he meets and falls for Sarah Walker (Ray Dawn Chong) and is greeted with a few surprises that forces him to question his ways.
Soul-searching and funny!

Dennis the Menace (1993)

It's a beautiful, crisp morning filled with the sound of chirping birds and peaceful enough to want to enjoy the morning paper. But if you listen carefully, you'll hear the dreaded rattle of a bicycle, the sound scary enough to frighten away birds, cats and squirrels alike. Oh and Mr. Wilson too! Who else can it be but Dennis Mitchell - the next door neighbor's pesky son. And you better watch out! The blond haired little Dennis, always armed with a slingshot, is no angel and that's what most people who've dealt with Dennis will tell you. All of his good intentions don't amount to much as it ends up bringing nothing but misery to Mr. George Wilson. On different occasions, Dennis has shot an aspirin down Mr. Wilson's throat, broken his dentures, ruined his barbequed chicken successfully getting the chicken to taste like paint, dropped a burning marshmallow  on Mr. Wilson's forehead- and the list is exhaustive.

Mr. Wilson has been chosen to host this year's garden party, an event he has been eagerly waiting for. The showpiece will be his 'mock orchid', a rare plant that blooms once every forty years, only to wither in a few seconds. Unfortunately, Dennis's parents have to be out of town at the same time and Dennis is now living with the Wilson's. Mr. Wilson is only too convinced that Dennis will somehow mess things up. Will Dennis be able to redeem himself and save the day?
Absolutely fun and rib-tickling.

 "Dennis the menace" by Source. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dennis_the_menace.jpg#/media/File:Dennis_the_menace.jpg

Word for the day :-
leonine - of or relating to the lion

Pretty Woman (1990)

'Pretty Woman' is the ultimate fairytale.

Edward (Richard Gere)  is a successful and ruthless, albeit handsome, businessman. He is in LA on business and finds himself lost on his way to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. So he picks up a prostitute, Vivian (Julia Roberts) who is only too happy to help him find his way for a fee. What starts out as one night in a swanky hotel penthouse suite turns into a week of romance. Under a tough exterior forced on by difficult circumstances, Vivian is like any other girl. Does Vivian's dream come true and does the knight she has always dreamed of arrive on a white horse to rescue her from the tower? 

Escape into the world of shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive, take a flight on a private jet with the gorgeous red-head dressed to the nine to watch the opera, catch a game of polo with the elite of LA ...

Feast your eyes on the drop-dead gorgeous Edward and beautiful Vivian as their story unfolds!



Word for the day : -
afebrile - not feverish

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Now this is a movie that I can most relate to.

A dysfunctional family makes a road-trip from New Mexico to California. The youngest member, Olive (Abigail Breslin), is taking part in the Little Miss Sunshine contest to be held in Redondo Beach. The VW Bus making the journey has on board father (Greg Kinnear), a struggling motivational speaker and life coach, color blind brother (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence, suicidal maternal uncle (Steve Carell), paternal grandfather (Alan Arkin) who is Olive's pageant talent coach and last but not the least is mother (Toni Collette) who is trying, albeit unsuccessfully,  to somehow keep it all together.
Tragedy strikes when grandpa "gives up his ghost" enroute and the family has to lug him around till the funeral arrangements can be made. And the showstopper - Olive's little bawdy dance number that steals the show! An absolute hoot!

Word for the day:-

troubadour - a French medieval lyric poet composing and singing especially on the theme of courtly love

Runaway Bride (1999)

And I'm in love with Julia Roberts! 
I did play hooky from school to watch this movie.

Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) from Hale, Maryland, is notorious for making a quick escape just as she is set to walk down the aisle. And she is soon planning her fourth wedding. Ike Graham (Richard Gere) a New York columnist, writes a report on the 'Runaway Bride' that contains a number of errors that costs him his job. Seeking vindication he is determined to get to the bottom of things and he is sure Maggie will stay true to her reputation and she will flee for the fourth time as well. He is not prepared to when he faces the beautiful Maggie and the sheer possibility of falling head-over-heels in love.

The movie has some amazing soundtracks with one of my favorites - 'Blue Eyes Blue' by Eric Clapton.


Word for the day:-
loquacious - tending to talk a great deal

Leap Year (2010)

Hidden among the rolling hills of the beautiful Emerald Isle is a lore - a man has to accept a wedding proposal that has been made on Leap Day. Anna (Amy Adams) has to be in Ireland, come hell or high water on the 29th. Having reached a little Irish village she now has to find her way to Dublin. So "Anna from Boston" hires an innkeeper (Matthew Goode) to drive her and her trusted Louis (her Louis Vuitton, in case you're wondering) to her fiancé. Her journey is not an easy one, her path being wrought with obstacles like storms, superstitions, thieves, stubborn cows, hailstones and even gate-crashing a wedding. As she traipses through the picturesque country of bubbling brooks, ancient cemeteries, picturesque hills and valleys  she hesitates as she nears her destination. The eventful journey has her at a crossroad! A tough choice is hers to make- to marry the cardiologist she has travelled over 3000 miles for or the charming Irish innkeeper?

To be honest, it's not one of the greatest movies I've seen, but I could still watch it a few times since I like Amy Adams.

Word for the day :-
eschewed - deliberately avoid using; abstain from

Bawarchi (1972)

When the golden threads binding each relationship gets tarnished  with the dust of ego, arrogance and unforgiveness, the resulting lack of communication and misunderstandings that arise thereof leave in it's wake a dysfunctional  and unhappy family. This movie is about the Sharma household, residing in Shanti Niwas, in other words an 'abode of peace',  which is anything but peaceful. This joint family is notorious for not being able to retain a cook  or a bawarchi for more than a month. Unexpected and a welcome surprise is Raghu's (Rajesh Khanna) smiling face early one morning, knocking at the door seeking employment. He is intelligent, a jack of all trades and bubbling with wit and humor. Raghu soon wins over the family and peace and happiness descends on Shanti Niwas. But hiding behind all the laughter and cheer Raghu seems to have a hidden agenda. An Indian take on the affable Mary Poppins.

A light, delightful movie, inspired from a Bengali film, this movie was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

My happy number -

Word for the day :-

effete - over- refined

Julie & Julia (2009)

"Is there anyone out there who's reading this?", says novice blogger, Julie.

Julie and Julia is a beautiful tale of two women who couldn't be more different. They hail from different backgrounds, different worlds and even different time periods but both lives are inextricably intertwined by one common passion, their love for food. 

Julie Powell (Amy Adams) has  moved to Queens and is not loving it there. The apartment that she and her husband are renting over a pizzeria is small with a tiny kitchen and that doesn't help. She feels stuck in her job that seems to be going nowhere, cramped in a cubicle day after day, listening to heart-rending stories of callers reeling from the 9/11 tragedy. To break the monotony that's become her life, Julie takes on a bold project of cooking 524 recipes over a period of 365 days - all recipes inspired from her favorite cook, Julia Child.
Going back many years we follow the life of Julia in her youth. While Julia (Meryl Streep) was in France, while on one of her sojourns with her husband, she starts culinary school to become the only woman to join Le Cordon Bleu in the 1940's. She became an accomplished cook and published author of  "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Her passion and perseverance making her a legend.
This movie is about love - the love for food and sharing it with the ones you hold dear and of course butter, something that defines good French food. 
Kick back with a lovely glass of red🍷, roasted garlic with some brie on baguette and as the French say, "Bon Appetit"!

Word for the day :-
carrion - dead and decaying flesh