Babylon AD

The future is bleak with wars and refugees. The world is fit only for hardened mercenary Toorop (Vin Diesel) who lives by a simple code; kill or be killed. The XXX star in this film meets a new challenge as he plans to smuggle a ‘parcel’- a young woman Aurora - from a convent in Kazakhstan to New York City.

Toorop, Aurora (Melanie Thierry) and her guardian Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh) embark on a journey from delipidated Europe, through a refugee camp in ‘New Russia,’ across the Bering Strait, Alaska and Canada, and finally to New York. As Toorop gets to know more about Aurora during their journey he must now decide whether he should handover Aurora - who is the only hope for the survival of mankind - to her ruthless mother. There’s a lot of reasons not to love this film: it’s too shallow. The plot is unclear. We have a young woman with psychic and telekinetic powers but from where she came is a script entirely gone awry. The climax is most upsetting as it makes no sense. The fight scenes suffer from an extremely confused editor. However, the film boasts of the most unpleasant grainy set which is really effective in sending a message that this is not a world that any of us would like to live in. It implores mankind to act and start changing things.

The camera takes are pretty good with characters almost coming down on your face. There are a number of shots to take your breath away.

Overall, the film is supposed to be an action flick with morally binding tale of struggle for survival. But it misses the former while negotiating the latter
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Babylon A. D.
English (A/U)
Cast: Vin Diesel, Gerard Depardieu, Michelle Yeoh, Charlotte Rampling, Melanie Thierry
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz

Hellboy - II: The Golden Army

English (U/A)
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss
Director: Guillermo del Toro

Remember the gentleman from hell with horns who was trying to save mankind from wicked forces? Yes, that's the Hellboy we know since 2004 when he first makes his big screen debut in Hellboy. In this second edition of Mike Mignola's Dark Horse comics Oscar nominated-director Guillermo Del Toro brings back Ron Perlman and Selma Blair together as Hellboy and his girlfriend Liz Sherman.

As the world witnesses the rise of a despot ruler Prince Nauda (Luke Goss) the ancient armistice between mankind and the invisible kingdom of the fantasy world is broken. Unless that is fixed the Earth will turn hell again.

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Deception

A film with two hot male actors, Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor, plus hosts of sexy women is definitely equals to a racy melodrama-suspense thriller.

In this film of cat-and-mouse game a bored accountant Jonathan (Ewan McGregor) meets a suave corporate lawyer Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman) who compels him to take time off and have some good fun. As the two explore New York’s night life they developed a deep friendly relationship, so deep that a new chapter awaits Jonathan’s life.

When the two ‘accidentally’ swap their mobile phones Wyatt told Jonathan that he could use his mobile phone since he was out of station. On repeatedly hearing all the “Are you free tonight?” tantalising ladies call from Wyatt’s mobile Jonathan is finally drawn into an anonymous sex club. There he falls for a woman named “S” (Michelle Williams), which is against the rule of the club. As “S” disappears mysteriously Jonathan discovers that Wyatt is not what he seems to be. What then follow is a saga of kidnapping, murder and blackmail. For once this is a film which one can safely say that there are too many turns making it difficult to straighten them in the end. Some of them just snapped into silliness.

But in terms of aesthetic value Deception is gorgeous to look at. The camera work, editing and sound are first-class, and so are the actors. Deception is an escapist entertainment. So you can expect a fair amount of sex and some skin. However, remember this is India — you can’t get a decent scene.

Even as the film falls apart in the plot and screenplay it looks fabulous.
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Deception
English (A)
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Natasha Henstridge, Maggie Q, Charlotte Rampling
Director: Marcel Langenegger

A Wednesday

The message is loud and clear — the aam admi (common man) is angry with serial blasts. Debutant director Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday maybe fictitious but it draws inspiration from the realities of our time.

The film concentrates on the strange encounter Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police Prakash Rathod (Anupam Kher) has with a frustrated common man with no name, played by Naseruddin Shah.

Shah plants four bombs and demands the release of four dreaded terrorists, all of whom are languishing in jail after being convicted for various blasts across the country.

Shah plays his game through a mobile phone and a laptop from a rooftop and makes the police believe that he wants the freedom of the terrorists.

However, when the police comply to his demand he does something which surprises all.

As for the casting, Shah, Kher and Jimmy (as a die-hard policeman) are all convincing, but Deepal Shaw as TV reporter Naina Roy looks totally out of place. If one looks carefully into the set you will also notice certain flaws, like the wireless phone antenna being up in one scene and then pulled down in the next.

However, the best part of this film is that it makes you think as to who this common man is and what are his real intentions. Finally, unlike many typical Bollywood film A Wednesday gives you the opportunity to reflect and be your own judge when it comes to terrorism.
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Hindi (U/A)

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir, Deepal Shaw, Gaurav Kapoor nklageDirector: Neeraj Pandey