The Waterboy (1998)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Sports

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Fairuza Balk, Jerry Reed, Henry Winkler

Robert 'Bobby' Boucher Jr. (Sandler) is probably the most simple, grounded and innocent individual you would ever find. Not just that, he is also extremely immature, dim-witted and slow which makes him the butt of all jokes wherever he goes and is ignored by the entire world. Bobby's behaviour is much to be blamed because of his 'Momma' (Bates) who treats him like a child, does not offer him any liberty, and expects him to be around for her every time. Bobby works as a Waterboy for the local football team and is often tormented by the players. With the coach siding with the players, one day, Bobby gets fired for no fault of his own. Having nothing else to live for, Bobby desperately tries to find a replacement and lands up working for a rival team under Coach Klein (Winkler). Klein has been on a losing streak and has failed to ever win a game with his team, although he was once a celebrated coach who soon lost his touch. The constant leg-pulling that Bobby experiences finally crosses the line when he aggressively tackles a player out of frustration and Coach Klein makes him a part of the team. The movie is a very typical Adam Sandler comedy and is made for pure entertainment. Do not try to criticise the plot, the acting or anything else apart from Sandler's humour. The movie is one of Sandlers all time classic comedies that is sure to make you laugh on multiple occasions and it is a movie you can never go wrong with.

Thumbs up: Adam Sandler and his humour

Thumbs down: Purely for a one-watch entertainer and nothing more

Rating: 6.3/10

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The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009)

.Genre: Crime/Action/Drama

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Xzibit, Tom Bower, Jennifer Coolidge, Val Kilmer

A New Orleans police sergeant rescues a prisoner when hurricane Katrina hit the city and the prison cells were fast filling with water. Terence McDonagh (Cage) was later promoted to Lieutenant for his act of bravery but also caused permanent damage to his spine whilst rescuing the prisoner. After having to go on life-long painkillers, Terence starts becoming a drug addict and a regular consumer of cocaine, crack and marijuana. His dope comes from a hooker, Frankie (Mendes) who is also his girlfriend and he is extremely protective of her. When five illegal immigrants from Senegal are executed, Terence is assigned to the case and find out who did the fateful murder. With Terence increasingly using his power to obtain drugs and bully people, he falls into more and more trouble which slowly starts interfering with his personal as well as professional life. The movie might come across as just another cop story, which it is, but it still has the edge that makes it different from the rest. A doped-up, corrupt and disrespectful cop whose life is in a mess and gets even more messier can make a decent storyline. The biggest let down in the movie was Nicholas Cage and his style of acting. He just seemed to take too much screen presence and after a point becomes difficult to watch. Although he does add the limp and hunchback, it seems to be inconsistent in appearance. The movie borrows its title from a 1992 film, although the makers of the movie do not classify it as a sequel or a re-make but a 're-thought' of how they think the movie should have been. Not a movie to be proud of but a decent cop story to watch, but only once.

Thumbs up: A bit different from the rest

Thumbs down: Nicholas Cage's extra screen presence

Rating: 6.0/10

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Ladri di biciclette (1948)

Genre: Drama/Adventure

Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carrell

English title: Bicycle Thieves. In the lives of simple folk, there is often a single object that plays a very crucial role for the individual to carry out their daily activities.Without that object, one is handicapped and is unable to carry out his duties. For Antonio Ricci, that element was a bicycle which was essential for him to carry out his job as a poster boy. After being unemployed for a long time, Antonio finally managed to get this job, provided he have a bicycle. After pawning some family bedsheets, Antonio manages to get himself a bicycle for his first day of work. Unfortunately, the cycle gets stolen on his very first day and a distraught Antonio does not know what to do. With help from friends, his son Bruno (Staiola) and some confidence from his wife, Maria (Carrell), Antonio sets out to finding his bicycle the next day. Most of the movie involves Antonio's hunt for his bicycle and the adventures that come along with it. The movie is the critics' delight and is an example of how early cinema can have a contemporary treatment. Every aspect of this movie has a touch of finesse and it would be hard to find anything technically incorrect about it. Possibly the only drawback of the movie is the simple story that does not lead to an exceptional climax. If you seek entertainment then perhaps this movie may not be able to deliver but if you seek to watch a fine movie from the days of early cinema, then this movie will certainly fit the bill.

Thumbs up: An example of good movie-making from the older days

Thumbs down: Simple story that lacks an interesting climax

Rating: 7.3/10

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Finding Fanny (2014)

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Adventure

Starring: Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Arjun Kapoor

In Pocolim, a lazy town of Goa, India, time is an element that no one counts or cares about. Life is slow, easy and modern day problems do not haunt the residents of this village. One night, Ferdinand (Shah) a retired postman receives a letter returned to back to him, a letter that he had written to his lover 46 years ago and asking for her hand in marriage. He was always under the impression that Stephanie Fernandes aka Fanny was never really interested in him but is now distraught after knowing that his love for her never actually reached her to begin with. Angie (Padukone) takes pity on him and convinces him that they should go look for her so that he may confess her love for her. One thing leads to another and ultimately the road trip witnesses more passengers than expected. Don Pedro (Kapur), a celebrated artist seeking the right inspiration; Rosie (Kapadia) an old lady who has self-proclaimed herself as the 'lady' of Pocolim, Savio (Kapoor) a young man who has recently returned after making it big in Mumbai and Rosie's cat. The five odd-balls each have their own personal problems to deal with and this trip is not just about finding Fanny but discovering far more than what they expected they would. This movie is a classic example of something that was exceptionally over-hyped and failed to deliver or a movie whose trailer was more enjoyable to watch than the actual movie in itself. The movie does have some humour, albeit a bit urban and dark, that does the job of making you laugh. The movie in itself does not seem to have any character or objective and seems a little 'unrestrained'. The story foundation movies too fast, the climax is a complete letdown and some scenes just don't make sense and even if they do, it is far too profound for the average audience to understand and appreciate. A good entertainer that will give you a few laughs but if the movie had a more solid story, then this review would have been completely different.

Thumbs up: Good humour and cast

Thumbs down: Weak story

Rating: 6.5/10

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