The Possession

***DISCLAIMER*** The following review is entirely my opinion. If you comment (which I encourage you to do) be respectful. If you don't agree with my opinion (or other commenters), that's fine. To each their own. These reviews are not meant to be statements of facts or endorsements, I am just sharing my opinions and my perspective when watching the film and is not meant to reflect how these films should be viewed. Finally, the reviews are given on a scale of 0-5. 0, of course, being unwatchable. 1, being terrible. 2, being not great. 3, being okay. 4, being great and 5, being epic! And if you enjoy these reviews feel free to share them and follow the blog or follow me on Twitter (@RevRonster) for links to my reviews and the occasional live-Tweet session of the movie I'm watching! You never see atheists being possessed in these films or in real life.  It's almost like these possessions are just untreated psychological issues...

The Possession ? 3 out of 5

Every time I review a supernatural film that is supposedly based on true events, I feel the need to establish that I don?t believe in anything supernatural. Ghosts, ghouls, demons, angels, gods, devils, the female orgasm or the concept that non-douche bags use Axe body spray are just things that exists solely in the world of fiction. When I?m home alone and I hear a noise, my mind goes towards the simple. I think, "Oh, that?s either our two dogs or our cat," and I don?t go towards the "There must be a spirit in the house." My girlfriend is the opposite and is one who believes in that stuff and her minds goes to those places?we?re a ying and yang couple. However, like I say all the time, even though I don?t believe in these things I do think they make for great stories and The Possession was a fairly decent representation of why these things can be interesting.

Okay...that is actually really creepy.

Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his wife Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick) are recently separated and Clyde finds himself getting a new house so he can provide a stable home for his two daughters; Em (Natasha Calis) and Hannah (Madison Davenport). At a garage sale near this new home, Em becomes infatuated with a strange wooden box and Clyde buys it for her. Soon, the box starts whispering to Em and it?s revealed that it contains a violent spirit, called a dybbuk, that wishes to inhabit Em?s body. Now Clyde must team with a young holy man named Tzadok (Matisyahu) in order to banish the dybbuk back to the box and save his daughter.

Man, if only there was some all powerful creator watching over us to stop demons
so we wouldn't need to trap them in wooden boxes...

My hopes for this film were not the highest due to some bad word of mouth I heard before I sat down with it. The fact it is just another name on a long list of supernatural horror/possession films that claim it?s based on real events was just another hit that gave me cause to worry. I don?t buy any of the "based on a real events" films because, usually if you do a little digging, you find out that 90% of these claims are either total bullshit based on complete hearsay (or made up completely in order to get a book or movie deal) or the writer and production took a single aspect of the story they are adapting and wrote a complete mythology based on that single thing?and, often, that single thing is a minute detail. So, needless to say, I wasn?t foaming at the mouth with excitement to watch this film but I was a little surprised by the final result.

He's in the middle of an exorcism and the demon pushes furniture at him so he stubs his
toe.  That demon is pure evil in every sense of the word.

?

You can tell by my score that I didn?t think The Possession was spectacular?it has its problems. There are some plot points I had a problem with; like how easily the character of Clyde believes his daughter is being tormented by a demon despite the fact he never really sees anything that couldn?t be explained with science or the fact that his daughter could be acting out because of the family drama going on. Additionally, there is a boyfriend character played by Grant Snow who is removed from the story in a weak way and it?s never established what happens to him after he leaves. Granted, his existence in the story is meant to show that Stephanie is moving on and it kinda/sorta pays off when you see Clyde still cares for Steph and isn?t too happy with another man moving in on his wife but this drama feels unnecessary since it never really takes off and doesn't add anything.  Ultimately, the boyfriend character just feels like he was put in for no other reason than to have two creepy scenes with the demon taking over Em?but those scenes don?t pay off in anyway where it creates substance for the film or characters. He could have easily been rewritten into a housekeeper or family friend and have provided the same outcome?and, not to mention that if they went that route, you wouldn?t have the awkward final thoughts about what happened to the character and how (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Stephanie was so easily able to forget about him and get back with her husband.

?

"My gums are bleeding!  No, it's not from the demon but from my poor dental hygiene."

As far as the scares in this film are concerned, they are pretty mediocre. They?re not bad, they?re all just way too telegraphed. The film doesn?t venture out into areas unseen by horror films and the end result from director Ole Bornedal are gags and jumps that can not only be seen coming a mile away but are just tired old scares that are no different than a million other horror films made over the decades. Bornedal stated that he was inspired by the subtlety of The Exorcist when filming this movie and, honestly, that inspiration is really only seen towards the end when they are trying to free Em from the demon. It would have been nice to see more subdued and subtle scares in this film but, instead, the film settled for the tired trope of the jump scare.

"I wonder how my two demon hunting sons from my other family are doing...
I could probably use their help."

At this point, I want to make it clear that I?m not just slinging hate at the film because, as you can see from my score, I didn?t think the film was entirely bad. There were things that just didn?t work for me but there were also items that I felt worked very well. For example, the entire cast is great. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is awesome and proves why he needs to be in more products and the children as Em and Hannah were very impressive. Finding talented child actors is really hard and had Em been played badly it would have destroyed the atmosphere and made a horror film into an accidental comedy. However, Natasha Calis was very good as Em and really made for some creepy moments.

Horror movies have definitely proven to me that my decision to not be a father
was a smart one.

The biggest highlight I enjoyed about this film was the actual exorcism to get the dybbuk demon out of Em. This sequence starts out pretty by the books and then ventures into predictable scare territory when Em escapes the ritual and Clyde has to chase her down but when the excrement really hits the fan and Tzadok is getting all godly on the demon in order to trap it back in the box is pretty amazing. The sequence is so well constructed with a cacophony of sound and a strobe effect that shows you just enough but obscures enough of the demon to make for a creepy scene (this also helps because the demon looks a little silly). This was easily the best moment in the film for me and it really helped stop this film from being something worse and maybe getting a 2 out of 5.

The demon seems to just be a very pale short dude who is balding.  What's scary about that?
The sports car he'll eventually buy when he's 40?

The Possession isn?t the most memorable horror/demon possession film out there but it has elements that work. The story is your basic horror film affair but it's effective, the cast are all great, the visuals are fantastic, and the final sequence is really awesome. The film may falter with a plot that skips in places and the scares didn?t really do anything for me but the parts that work are functional enough that it kept the film from being boring or feeling the film was a waste of time.

Movie Review: Bhoot Returns..yawn..really I hadn?t noticed..

 

At the outset, I would like to state that I haven?t seen Bhoot which I?ve heard is a decent watch. In fact, I avoid horror movies altogether as a genre but have been rather intrigued by it off late. So when ?Bhoot? decided to make a ?return? I thought I?d check it out. 90 minutes later it was pretty obvious I had made the wrong choice

Remember Aahat? That TV series that was a standout on Indian television for so many years and provided some real spooks? Well, even though I haven?t seen much of it, I can still safely say that even Aahat was much better than the rubbish you get with Bhoot Returns and even that?s putting it lightly.

Most of the first half of the movie is spent in..yawning. I think they shot about 3 scenes and then decided to run them at a quarter of the normal speed. So in extra slow motion you?ll have characters ascending and descending stairs, over and over again. And then there are the regular clich?s ? the creaking doors, the clock ticking (boy that clock ticks and ticks like there?s no tomorrow) and the jarring sounds that are supposed to shock and awe. Well they don?t ? all they do is hurt the eardrums and jolt you just as you were planning to get into peaceful slumber

Worse is, the second half doesn?t make up for it either, going into a tangent of unnecessary humour and bizarre action with a pathetic climax. There are pretty much only one or two sequences which you are willing to admit are nicely pulled off..but that too would be on a relative scale

When the movie is this bad, the performances generally make it watchable. Well sadly that?s not the case here..there?s pretty much amateur acting by everybody and the panic and shrieking is rather forced than genuinely felt by the characters. The 3D effects will make your eyes hurt and there is a huge amount of blurring of images across scenes- lot of catching up to do in that department as well

All in all, Bhoot Returns offers you very little by way of a spooky experience and with the ear splitting background effects you can?t even plan to take a nap in the theatre as well ? I can?t think of any reason you should catch this. Bhoot was better off lone and distant ? this is an unnecessary comeback

Movie Review: Argo..Just Go!!!

After long last I can describe what has been a near-perfect movie viewing experience watching the masterfully directed Argo. Oh! What a relief.

Based on a true story, Argo has a rather ordinary plotline for a movie. Even if I shared it with you, you?ll probably say..are you sure this?ll be worth a watch? I mean, it sounds rather like a documentary considering the situation it is set in?and I couldn?t blame you. But wait till you enter the theatres and the siege begins. You?ll feel like you are in it, part of the mayhem..maybe even one of the six..ah, but I get ahead of myself.

Despite having a pretty good hunch on how it?ll turn out well ahead, you still can?t be too sure?that?s the kind of underlying tension Argo creates. Most scenes are close up shots and camerawork as well as editing is superlative. The movie may tend to slow down but its just the right pacing for the narrative to be told and once it picks up you?ll probably feel the adrenalin rush. There are practically no explosions or death defying action stunts, yet the movie sends your pulse racing and a plane taking off may never have mattered more

Despite not looking it, Argo is a sure thrill ride. This is achieved through brilliant direction, excellent use of background sounds, great camerawork and slick editing ? there?s little one can complain about. The performances are great as well especially from Affleck and Bryan Cranston (from Breaking Bad fame). John Goodman and Alan Arkin provide the satirical humour and most of their lines will make you chuckle
Oh! and be sure to stay back for the credits where you can witness the level of detailing and research that was put in to make this movie what it is or you?ll really miss something

On a side note, What does Argo mean? Well ?I am tempted to respond to that but then I?d probably have to use an expletive in this post (something, I try and avoid as a rule)?so go ?find out for yourself?

Movie Review: Cloud Atlas..doesn?t scale much heights

There is an interesting TV series these days, called The Touch..which covers how we are all connected in ways we can?t imagine and while its nothing out of the ordinary it beautifully creates all the links to put across a coherent story at the end of 45 minutes. Cloud Atlas..is the exact opposite to that

What Cloud Atlas delivers is a journey that transcends multiple lives across centuries and then keeps flitting back and forth between them enough to make your head spin. When you tell such a complex tale you need to help the audience connect the dots and follow the plot in wondrous fascination (read movies like Crash and Inception) but Cloud Atlas is merciless in that department. After spending an agonizing 164 minutes, you are still as clueless as ever and wondering what to connect with what. In fact, you would be forgiven to believe that if you took any 6 random lives and drew them up together like this you?ll probably see this much connect anyways

The real hero of this terribly long tale is the, often ignored, make-up department. Most of the time your favourite activity while watching the movie is figuring out who amongst Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Halle Berry and the others are you really watching right now. So marvelous is the make up and presentation, that it takes a while to realize that the punk writer you are watching is really Hanks or that the savage you see on screen now is really Hugh Grant under awesome make up and prosthetics. Two thumbs up for that

With such a stellar cast the performances are bound to be good and they are. The entire cast play their multiple complex roles to perfection, no exceptions. The music and background score which ideally should have played a more integral role given the context of the movie is beautiful but limited.

At the end of it all, Cloud Atlas may be a wonderful story penned by British author David Mitchell(in all fairness, I haven?t read it yet). But the lack of connect and the rather ambitious attempt of telling too much of this tale all at once, makes this movie a rather tedious and unsatisfying watch. Other than the make-up, Cloud Atlas didn?t scale much heights for me..whether this journey is still worth your while is up to you

Movie Review: Skyfall..is Bond Shaken And Stirred!!

What I thought would be an easy verdict is probably one of the toughest to call. Skyfall is Bond as you would have never seen it before?but is it the best? is it the worst? Well that?s where it gets difficult

Skyfall is not the adventure popcorn action you and I have come to associate with Bond over recent years. It does not rely on adrenalin pumping action or fancy gadgets. Come to think of it, it doesn?t even have a very convoluted plot. By all these counts, this movie should be a no-go for all Bond fans..but it isn?t.

What needs to be kept in mind while watching Skyfall is that this is a franchise that has completed 50 years and this movie is meant to be a tribute to that franchise. The popcorn adventure could?ve been and has been played out many times over..Skyfall chooses to go deeper and take a real, hard look at Bond, M and the entire franchise itself. I won?t say anything further than that

In the hands of Sam Mendes, a director not really known for action adventure movies, Bond and Skyfall receive completely different treatment and in its own way it works. Landscape shots and focus on expressions replace gunfire and explosions. I won?t say its all great ? there are times where you wish there were more incidents, more mayhem, more action sequences, more of the Bond you were attuned to but once you are willing to slow down, you begin to appreciate what?s there. Like Casino Royale was different and took some time to digest..Skyfall again makes you swallow a bitter pill and it takes some time to appreciate the sweetness within

As for the performances, Daniel Craig is just okay as Bond, Dame Judi Dench is in vintage touch as M and the villain of the tale is convincing but isn?t given enough air-time. With a little more work this villain could have established himself on a far greater plane but for some strange reason the film doesn?t go for that

I won?t say I am completely sold to the film. I would?ve liked some things to be different and there are other scenes that tempt, tease but don?t deliver. However, whatever is delivered is in a class of its own and seen at  its own merit, Skyfall takes the Bond legacy to new heights

Movie Review: Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana..is a completely ordinary recipe

This is one recipe you don?t want to try. I know variety is the spice of life but this is taking things a bit far. Despite a decent premise, Luv Shuv.. completely fails to bring home the gravy. Instead what you get served is rather raw and unappetizing

Firstly, its not as funny as it should be. In fact, the only laughs that are to be had are provided by the character Titu Mama, played to perfection by Rajesh Sharma and that?s about the only reason you manage to sit through the movie. For the rest, well, it all stands out for the wrong reasons. The plot, if you can call it that, is abysmal and its almost as if the director was thinking on the fly while shooting the scenes, for all the thought that?s gone into it. I don?t know in what addled state this movie was put together but it simply doesn?t make sense

In fact, given the recent success of simple movies that focused on a particular culture and brought out the laughs from therein, Luv Shuv had all its ingredients laid out. However, its not the stuff you use but the way you mix it together that prepares the meal and that spells indigestion for this particular movie. While it intermissions with some promise, the second half starts oblivious to the little that has already been told. Most of your time gets spent in watching how a meal is made, a meal which by now you would happily avoid

Finally, after considerable agony, the movie crawls towards what can be called the climax or maybe the anti-climax ? one can?t be too sure. In terms of acting, there is further misery as no one other than Rajesh Sharma really stand out. Huma Qureshi looks pretty as ever and puts in a decent performance for the limited scope her character gave her. Kunal Kapoor was given more scope to perform but he is still not ready to take on a mainstream character and fails to emote convincingly when it matters most

As per its ingredients Luv Shuv..could?ve been told simply, with a little more sanity with maybe a decent and clear message. By not doing all that and making a pot pourri of events, this dish is best avoided

Movie Review: Jab Tak Hai Jaan..doesn?t take your breath away

Jab Tak Hai Jaan is not your timeless classic of a tale well told and a story unfolding in a manner that would make for repeat viewings. It is your formula Bollywood movie, a formula that has been perfected over time by a master storyteller..well, at least on some counts. On others, its best if you go prepared to make certain concessions.

If you are willing to give up on logic/ believability of certain scenes, go mentally prepared that the movie would seem endless and runtime would be excruciatingly long, there?ll be plenty of unnecessary song and dance that could easily have been avoided ? if you are willing to overlook all that well, then Jab Tak..provides another story of eternal love made quite watchable by the veteran himself. If not, then its best strike to this one off your list at this stage itself

The first half of the movie plays like a musical. With three songs and a long dance sequence crammed in, there?s little room for anything else. There is precisely one moment in the entire first half that would cause some stir and that?s where the master wields his magic wand. Other than that, its pretty much all about the song and dance. While the music itself is decent, one still expects more from A R Rahman, and considering it does nothing to progress the story line, it becomes frustrating

The second half provides more of the story though the twists and turns (if you could call them that) are less palatable. Each new sequence is less convincing then the earlier one and the movie lurches towards a rather delayed climax. Somehow, somewhere things happen and by the end of it all, Yash Chopra manages to convince you that this is yet another story of eternal, never-ending love, but only just, this time round

As for the performances, Shahrukh is predictable as ever and one really can?t see him for the character he portrays. While the same could be said for Katrina, given her historical record, this is probably one of her better performances. The real star of the movie though is Anushka Sharma who brings a natural ease to her character and a lot of freshness to the proceedings. That and the wonderful cinematography of exquisitely shot landscapes are some of the best reasons to watch this movie

So what?s the verdict? Well, Jab Tak Hai Jaan certainly doesn?t take your breath away but despite its flaws its a decent one-time watch especially considering this was Yash Chopra?s swan song and this is a man who has literally immortalised love on the bollywood mantelpiece ? its worth a watch if only to honour his memory