50 Shades of Grey (2015)

Based on E L James book by the same name, this was one of the much awaited movie of the year. After a friend recommended, I managed to read all the not only this book but the sequels as well. If you are in to Mills and Boon, you won't find the books difficult to read. It's got a sense of romance and its got a story line with several other characters apart from Christen and  Anastasia.

Though this movie is banned in India ( I wondered Why !!! ) , I managed to harness the online resources and get hold of the movie. I was looking forward to watching this movie since there was so much hype about the casting and of course the entire movie. But disappointed ...I was ...

The underlying element of this movie is  BDSM. This movie is all about Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

Christian Grey is a super rich industrialist. He is young, drop dead gorgeous and he has a secret. Anathalisia is spirited and innocent young girl who has just graduated from college.

The " Boy Meet the Girl " happens when Anasthasia is requested by her best friend and roomy , Kate Kavannah to interview Christian Grey for the college magazine since she was unwell. Christian is instantly attracted to the simple, beautiful and gawky Anasthasia Steele.

Anasthasia is soon drawn into Christian's magnetic and mysterious world and soon falls madly in love with him. She tries her best to come to terms with Christian's dark world of sexuality.

Dakota Johnson, in her role of Anastasia Steele was just perfect, but Jamie Dornan passed off as a 27 year old millionaire but failed to exude the magnetic aura.He was a disappointment

Unfortunately, the movie was not able to capture the essence of the book. The several other characters that were prominent in the book sort of faded away in the movie. All the focus was on Dakota and Jamie leading the movie towards the status of "soft porn".

Tonnes of skin show and hence not a family movie by far stretch of imagination.

Verdict :- 5/10. Watch it if you are looking for some skin show...and nothing else....

My Sister's Keeper ( 2009)

This movie is based on Judi Picoult's novel, " My Sister's Keeper and revolves around the Fritzgerald Family.

Genetic sciences have improved dramatically, making the impossible into a possibility. Designer babies are a reality. This movie revolves around one such designer baby, Anna (Abigial Breslin ) who was created as a medical intervention to save her Sister Kate ( Sofia Vassilieva ).

Kate is ill with Leukemia which disrupts the Fritzgerald family which otherwise could be an advertisement for a perfect family. Mom Sara ( Cameron Diaz ) leaves her successful law practice to devote her time and total energy towards keeping Kate alive. Dad Brian ( Jason Patric ) a fire chief is fighting a constant battle in keep some semblance of normalcy in the family.

So intense is Sara's determination to keep Kate alive that she conceives and gives birth to daughter Anna whom she turns into a medical aid for Kate.

From the time she was born, Anna has donated blood, bone marrow and stem cells to her sister, Kate. Now she has been told to donate a kidney.

Brother Jesse ( Evan Ellignson) is ignored most of the times and he feel left out.

Anna engages lawyer Campbell Alexander ( Alec Baldwin ) decides to file a law suit against her parents for ' Medical Emancipation ". Sara is appalled and decides to represent herself. Father is shocked but respects Anna's view points.

Fritzgerald's are otherwise a close knit family and there is ample love between the three siblings..

Will Anna win the case ?

How long will Sara take the battle of keeping Kate Alive ?

This movie is not too much of a tear jerker and is a regular family drama.

Verdict :- 7/10. One time watch.

Phoring ( 2013)

This Bangla movie of Indranil Roy Choudhury is of children but not for children. Indranil, through the character of  "phoring" has explored the journey of the young boy from the innocence of adolescence to the complicated world of the adults.  The story is told with a lot of simplicity and is bound to bring you back a memory from your school days.

Phoring ( Akash ) is a boy of 15 who is in the early rung of adolescence who is gawky small town boy struggling with the realities of life. An physically abusive father, inability to do well in school and poverty continue to add to his miseries. But none of these is successful in deterring his highly imaginative mind from fantasizing. Phoring is like the ugly caterpillar stuck in a pupa and dying to emerge to explore the world as a beautiful butterfly. He find companionship in his best friend Lattu ( Saurav ) with whom he shares his fantasies

Life changes for Phoring with the arrival of Doel Mitra, his new history teacher. Doel, a graduate of Presidency college with modern ideas wakes up the sleepy little town. She notices the spark in Phoring and takes him under her wings. She starts to give him private tutions at her house.

Phoring basks at the attention being bestowed on him by Doel. This proximity to her stirs up confusing feeling in Phoring He starts to fantasize about her. His focus keeps getting diverted to the occasional glimpse of her bare legs and he sees red at the mere mention of her boy friend. 

But Phoring's happiness does not last too long and his world comes crashing down when Doel suddenly disappears under a cloud ambiguity. 

This movie is simple and well made and is bound to stir up some small little memories from school days covered in layers of dust.

Verdict :- 8/10. May not be suitable for children.