Failure Groupies - A short that is making news!

Short films, when made well, end up leaving a long and lasting impact. One such fine example of the shorter version of cinematic storytelling is Director Mandira Chauhan’s short ‘FailureGroupies’ which is the story of a group of tweens who are set to get their temperamental teacher fired after they failed in a school assignment. With running length of just about 12 minutes, this film is a fantastic take on some serious issues, but in a comic way. The film shows the kind of exposure the kids have in this era, be it the latest gizmos or some serious subjects like racism or kidnapping.

A still from Failure Groupies

One of the strengths of the film is the excellent screenplay by Rosalie Tenseth, who also happens to be the producer of the film. The writing is top notch with funny yet brainy dialogues one after another. In fact at one point the film grasps you so tightly you almost forget that it’s a short film and which is the only thing you wished should not have been a part of the film, that’s its short length.

Danny Davis as Zach in Failure Groupies

Of the cast, all the kids are in terrific form and deliver a steady performance; however Danny Davis who plays Zach is outstanding. He does get the benefit of delivering some lines with quality humor, thanks to the brilliant script, however he also adds the perfect color to the canvas by his amusing expressions and reactions. The rest of the gang that includes Samara Fishkin, Morgan Miller, Sydney Sieb and Allyson Stevens are also superb and make it a fun watch. A very serious point about the film is that though it includes kids in the prime cast; however it is not a kid’s film. The film provides ceaseless entertainment, however it does pitches some serious notes also in regular intervals and does not restricts itself to only kid’s audience. The Director does a fine job by keeping things simple yet effective. I really liked the sober camera angles which allows the audience to stay focused on the film and avoid any miss in those terrifically written lines.

Trailer - Failure Groupies

The film has started creating buzz in various film festivals already including the Montclair Film Festival, Hoboken International Film Festival, California Independent Film Festival, San Diego International Kids Film Festival, Golden Door International Film Festival and most recently the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and the run continues. I am going with two thumbs up for Director Mandira Chauhan’s Failure Groupies. It’s a commendable attempt and one fine example of telling a story when time is a factor. Do watch if you get a chance!

To check more details about the film you can log on to its website at www.failuregroupies.com

Failure Groupies - Official Movie Poster

Read More

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises in Style

Director: Christopher Nolan
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cottilard, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Morgan Freeman.

In The Dark Knight Rises the first light hits the screen as we see Gotham city has moved after Harvy Dent (Aaron Eckhart) passed away eight years ago and Batman took this crime on his name to maintain the trust of the people of Gotham in Dent’s sacrifice which only Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) knows is Batman’s sacrifice in reality. Batman along with his real identity Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has disappeared as he believes the city does not need him anymore and lives with his loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) in exile. A lot has changed in Gotham in these eight years as no one believes in Batman but only Detective John Blake (Joseph Gordon Levitt) who still waits for the Batman to return and is unaware of another storm, Bane (Tom Hardy) who is heading towards Gotham with the aim to destroy it forever. Will the Batman be able to protect Gotham and its people from Bane and retain his glory is what conceived beautifully by Christopher Nolan in this last part of his Batman trilogy.

But if you think it’s only the ‘Men’ affair we have in TDKR then you are mistaken, as Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and Miranda Tate (Marion Cottilard) are two gorgeous ladies who really add to the beauty of the film. Where Selina is a smart butt kicking independent burglar, Miranda on the other hand is a confident businesswoman who is the last ray of hope for Bruce Wayne as he makes way for her new role of the lead of Wayne Enterprises. Morgan Freeman reprises his role of Lucius Fox, the head of the Applied Sciences wing of Wayne Enterprises and as always he comes with some new machines ready for the Batman.

TDKR does have some weak points too including weak subplots like the scene where Bane attacks the Stock exchange to forge all the shares of Wayne Enterprises; and the slow pace of story in the first forty minutes of the film. But to me it isn’t a flaw but a demand of a hurricane of incidents which are about to follow. It’s a test of patience for the audience who are awarded with a roller coaster second half and a marvelous finish with the most unpredictable climax of the Batman series under Nolan’s banner. TDKR stands out as a winner in the end as it completes the story of Bruce Wayne in style.

Of the performances Bale once again shines as Bruce Wayne and his hidden identity the Batman. Playing Bane was always going to be a big challenge for any actor after the standards set by the late Heath Ledger who excelled as the Joker in The Dark Knight. It would be unfair to compare the two characters as Bane relies more on physical strength while Joker was more of a spontaneous psyche. Tom Hardy does works hard to get into the hulk skin of the character and his unclear vocals add new dimensions to the character. Michael Caine as Alfred is exceptional especially in his sarcastic one-liners with his Master. His performance is undoubtedly one of the best of the stellar cast as he convinces the audience effortlessly that Batman has made the ultimate sacrifice for the people of Gotham. Commissioner Gordon and Lucius Fox are two critical characters again well essayed by Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman respectively. If at all any sequel to TDKR is written then it can’t be without John Blake played by Joseph Gordon Levitt who is shown as one of the most anticipated characters in the Batman series in the climax of the film. As already stated the women are the highlights of the film as they both share the love/hate moments with the protagonist at certain parts of the film.

TDKR has its moments of gray humor well handled by Nolan which makes even the slower parts of the film interesting. The action scenes are effectively engaging especially the aircraft hijack scene and the entry scene of the Batman where he is chasing Bane on his sizzling two wheeler. Hans Zimmer’s score keeps the tempo high and helps the film to a great deal. In fact TDKR without Hans Zimmer’s score would not have been so effective. Similarly Lee Smith is the perfect editor in Nolan’s squad of extraordinary artistes. Nolan yet again proves why he is one of the most influential directors of his age. I go for a 4 out 5 and two thumbs up for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. As flaunted as the last chapter of the series TDKR has an end that gives a potential hint of another part to follow. Well for the fans…they would love that.

Read More

LOVE DOSTI aur DHOKHA

LOVE DOSTI aur DHOKHA
Writer/Director : Ashish Sharma

Cast : Ayush Tiwari, Tushar Dhaundiyal, Kuldeep Singh, Jyoti Chamoli and Neeraj Baswani.

LDD Page on facebook

Website : http://ashishsayz.blogspot.com

First time writer Ashish Sharma brings Love Dosti Aur Dhokha, a comedy set in contemporary India with the conventional plot of two guys, a girl and a love triangle. But what this comedy offers are a lot many confusions and silly but shocking moments and that's what makes it a worth watch. It was voted highest in People's Choice category in Top20Week1 of Short+Sweet Delhi2011held at Epicentre Gurgaon during 16th-18th November 2011 and thus qualified for The Gala Final at Stein Auditorium - India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 26th November 2011. It received nominations for Ayush Tiwari and Tushar Dhaundiyal, both in Best Newcomer category. Please LIKE if you Enjoyed!

Read More

DESI BOYZ : Trailer and Posters

featuring Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone and Chitrangda Singh

Read More

Inception : Movie Review

Inception is cinema with brains.

Director : Christopher Nolan

Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cottilard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao and Michael Caine.

         5 minutes through and you realize that Christopher Nolan has something amazing to offer with Inception and believe me it's a piece of craft that's beyond excellence. As you spend a little more time you learn that its not just a simple spectate this film demands but some serious attention so as to enable one an easy passage through the World Nolan has created. The World which is notional and full of whimsical situations, with things hard to believe...made believable by the ace director and by the end of which you are bound to say that no one on Earth but only Nolan could have pulled this one off and that too in such a fascinating manner. So what is that makes Inception stand out of the box. First things first; The plot revolves around Dominic 'Dom' Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is a professional thief, specialized in conning secrets from his victims by infiltrating their dreams. Cobb is hired by a business tycoon named Saito (Ken Watanabe) with the goal of influencing competitior Robert Fischer's (Cillian Murphy) actions via his dreams. Cobb along with his partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) assembles a team consisting of Ariadne (Ellen Page) - a young architecture, Eames (Tom Hardy) - an identity forger and Yusuf (Dileep Rao) - a chemist who formulates the drugs needed to sustain the dream state. But there is someone who will challenge Dom's abilities as an extractor who is none other than Mal, Dom's projection of his deceased wife who is a manifestation of his guilt about her real suicide. 

Inception is a path breaking film for sure, not because of the spectacular visual effects or a mind boggling background score, but for the sheer imagination of the director. The very original concept of Infiltrating someone's sub-conscious is honestly showcased in the film. Which is hugely supported by a very strong screenplay again by Nolan himself. I recon Inception one of the most original pieces of Imagination ever brought on screen in a long time and easily one of my all time favorite films.


The hugely talented Christopher Nolan is at his best with Inception. In fact with the kind of movies he has made including the likes of Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige and The Dark Knight have made him the best director of his generation. He continues his association with his best crew members like Hans Zimmer, Wally Pfister and Lee Smith. Where Pfister and Smith do their best in Cinematography and Editing, Zimmer comes up with a unique musical score with variety. Infact Zimmer's work is undoubtedly one of the best things in Inception. The visual effects will blow your mind, but in a good way.


Inception shows the range of Nolan's imagination and tests the concentration and intelligence of audience every other moment. No second thoughts on the fact that you will miss the lead if you miss a single scene in this Sci-fi Thriller Heist Action movie. Hence I recommend just fasten your seatbelts and set yourself for this exhilarating ride, since the strong screenplay will never allow you to have a break in this 150 mins movie. Of the cast, Leonardo DiCaprio raises the character of Dom to next level. Inception is a film that's made on a huge scale, similar to that of DiCaprio's earlier film Titanic. The remaining cast also does a nice job but frankly speaking it's Nolan who took my all attention throughout the film. My rating for Inception is without a buzz 4.5/5. Watch Inception to enjoy cinema with brains. Such films are rarely made.

Read More