The Terminal

I have seen this movie a couple of times and I could watch it again over a weekend with friends or even family. 'The Terminal' is a Steven Spielberg movie starring the talented Castaway famed Tom Hawk and the ravishing Catherine Zeta Jones. The movie is a sweet love story within an airport (in-fact there is not one but two of them).

The Story is essentially about a man called Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) who is flying from his home nation Krakozhia (fictitious) where a civil war breaks out after  he leaves which prevents the US officials from letting him enter New York and he spends more than nine months at the  J F Kennedy airport. Unable to leave the airport or return to Krakozhia, Viktor instead lives in the terminal, carrying his luggage and a mysterious Planters peanut can. During his stay at the airport, he befriends Enrique (Diego Luna), Gupta Rajan (Kumar Pallana), Salchak (Eddie Jones) and also meets flight attendant Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who asks him out to dinner but being the gentleman that he is, he cannot go because he has no money, even the 25 cents that he earned by retrieving vacant baggage trolleys is stopped by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Head Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) who wants Navorski removed from the airport but Victor wouldn't leave until he gets that autograph of a tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, who his Jazz enthusiast dad loved until his death.

I love the way Navorski tries to find means to earn for himself at the airport to take Amelia out for dinner, specially the scene where he is waiting for the call from the Discovery store where he would have applied for job and when finally he learns that the vacancy is filled he runs off to the washroom. The story is extremely touchy at times and with a fine humor. It is very rare that I find such innocent clean humor in movies lately.   

Catherine though has rather smaller role but stands out as an actress with good acting & looking stunningly beautiful as ever (from all the movies that I have watched I find her most beautiful in this one). A confused 39 years old flight attendant Amelia, who could possibly get any guy she wishes, eventually gives up on her seven year existing relationship with a married man to fall in love with Victor. Also the way Enrique seeks Victor to help woo the  female Customs and Border Protection officer (Zoë Saldana) in exchange for food, who he ends up marrying later on, is really adorable.

After much battle with the authorities at the airport, Victor fianlly manages to step out in NYC and get that autograph but it costs him his love.

So if you like love stories and want to watch one with family or your sweetheart over a holiday, this is the best suited one for you. I wouldn't call it the most romantic exactly but a very nice movie to watch. To know what happens to Victor in the end do watch the movie. This movie will leave you in tears and happiness at the same time :).

Confessions of a Shopoholic

Till I reached my graduation college I never ever went shopping let alone like it but then suddenly even before I realized I had started shopping. Shopping would make me feel nice, in fact make me feel really good. My friends would call me a shopoholic and I would tell them that they knew not what joy lied in shopping. So when I am here writing my reviews on movies how could I not have written about one of my all time favorite movies - "CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPOHOLIC"  :)

This movie is kind of an mood elevator. It is completely feel good, happily-ever-after, my-kind of a movie. The lead character Becky (Rebecca Bloomwood) is an extensive shopper who loves nothing more than shopping. Because of her boundless shopping spree she falls into debt even before she happens to realize.When her job as a journalist at a mediocre magazine is jeopardized she finds herself hiding from the debt collector 'Derik Smith' with her most hilariously absurd excuses. She then finds job at a financial magazine and meets Huge Dancy (Luke Brandon).

The movies depicts a number of shades of Becky's character - her shopping quest, her trouble prone incidents,the irony of her new job at the financial magazine, her love for her best friend Suze, her envy for Alisha long legs and her versatility which finally wins her the love of her life Luke. It is kind of a movie so many could relate to one way or the other. All the emotions are so naturally portrayed that she connects to her audience very effectively.

The extremely trendy designer (expensive) dresses and the handbags are all worth watching the movie for. The movie has been very well adapted from  the novel by Sofie Kinsela. The book and the movie are both equally entertaining so your pick on what to go for (that is if you have the likes for such a genre)

Dosti - One of the best movies on friendship

I was at home a few days back. Was visiting my parents after a long time. Since it was a regular weekday, everyone at home were busy with their routine and I was left all alone at home. Considering what a great movie buff I am it is not surprising that I ended up watching a movie till everyone was back home. Zee Classic is one channel which airs mostly old Hindi movies and I happened to come across this movie there.


Dosti is a classic movie about two destitute physically challenged friends (One blind & other crippled) who support each other to make their lives better. The movie does not posses a popular star cast (or at least I have not known those actors) but the storyline is extremely strong and captivating. It is not very common in contemporary films to have an appealing message at the same time be entertaining. I think that is what makes the old movies such unforgettable classics. Even with ragged clothes and minimal makeup the characters in the movie stand out distinctly.


The movie starts with the destiny bringing the friends together and advances exhibiting the course of their undying friendship- their good times, misunderstandings, struggles & sacrifices. Even the supporting characters of the movie carry such a demeanor that one can feel their presence strongly.


The Laxmikant Prarelal music is as melodious as ever with absolute astonishing lyrics. Mohammad Rafi's voice is completely mesmerizing and adds the extra emotional touch to the songs. My personal favorite song from the movie is "Gudiya humse roothi rahoge" - a cute song by the queen of melody Lata Mangeshkar herself . According to me the impeccable simplicity works for the movie in its favor. It was apparently a huge hit of its times without even a heroine. If such a movie was to be released in today's time I feel its fate would have been very different.


A few emotional scenes may seem little too mushy for the likes of contemporary viewers specially considering it to be shot on friends. There is a particular scene where the two friends hold hands and cry when they finally meet after long separation for certain reasons which may seem rather too cheeky for today. This maybe very uncommon for today's generation but the whole flow of the movie blends these scenes with the concept very well and does not make them seem awkward. For those who fancy meaningful movies and like being taken back to the black & white era of Hindi cinema one can definitely watch this movie for the concept of friendship and unconditional love which is depicted in such appealingly lucid way that it is sure to touch its viewer's heart.