Dungeons and Dragons

A very fine movie , where everything on the platter is served in the right quantities , a good dose of humor , loads of adventure with a right amount of emotions .

A queer band of adventurers embark on a heist to retrieve a lost relic , which brings back people from the dead . What they think could be a straight forward heist turns out to be an adventure filled with danger , dungeons and dragons . Chris Pine and Hugh Grant steal the show with their charm in this hilarious adventure based on the popular immersive role play game .

The action sequences are amazing and dialogues are very witty , overall a good family watch.

There is no big plot , though the emotional core is solid . If you like fantasy , quests , heists and adventure, do not miss this movie .

Rating : 👍👍👍👍

The Adjustment Bureau

I watched this movie in my flight back home . This one is my favorite genre , romance and action and well , it has Matt Damon . He plays a successful politician , David Norris , who is on the verge of winning an election . The future looks bright and rosy , and he is all set to be a presidential candidate.

He meets a contemporary dancer , and instantly falls in love . What ensues is a bunch of freak accidents . There are a group of mysterious men who are hell bent to keep him apart from the woman he loves . David learns that he is up against the powerful agents of fate themselves . He gets a glimpse of his own future when they decide to confront him and tell him that he is not destined to meet the woman again . David is forced to either accept the destiny as it is or defy fate to be with the love of his life.

This movie is more than a decade old , nevertheless I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is mostly a chase , race against fate , he has to be at the wrong time in a wrong circumstance to cheat destiny . An action fantasy tale, too good to be true . The lead pair is terrific , visual treat to the eyes . The screenplay is taut and gripping . Overall a great watch .

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍

 

Ticket to Paradise

Beautiful people , beautiful place and a beautiful vibe . Julia Roberts went alone to Bali in Eat, Pray and Love to do some soul searching and found love . After more than a decade she goes to Bali again with her on-screen soul mate , George Clooney and they have a blast together, both on screen and off screen .

They play an estranged couple , married briefly . When their daughter , post graduation goes to a vacation to Bali and falls head over heels in love with a local sea weed farmer , the parents join hands and come running to stop the marriage. They think their daughter is doing the same mistake they did years ago and her marriage will also end soon like theirs . “However beautiful this place may be and however pleasant you may seem , it’s not going to be enough .”

Overall It’s a very easy and feel good movie , no big plot , just some silly , dramatic moments in between . Clooney and Roberts dominate the show completely , their chemistry is amazing .

The dialogues are really witty , few quite poetic , and few very meaningful.

“ Nature, God and people , you balance all three , You live a good life “. We are so off balance, aren’t we ??

So sit back , relax , enjoy the beautiful Bali and the gorgeous lead pair , who seem to have had a blast in this movie .

My Rating : 👍👍👍👍👍

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

 I started watching this delightful movie yesterday night and couldn’t stop till I finished it . It is an enchanting story about a widowed cleaning lady in London who falls in love with a couture Dior gown and decides that she must buy one for herself . It is 1950s and the House of Dior is still exclusive. With all her war widow’s pension money in her bag and big dreams in her eyes , she goes to Paris . Being a commoner, she does face opposition among the aristocrats and the conservatives. But then the progressive mindset prevails and Mrs Harris wins over every one with her charm and innocence.

It is difficult to find such simple , straightforward delightful movies these days . I was waiting for a twist which never came . I kept watching it with a big smile on my face until the very end .The lead actress, Lesley Manville , is adorable as Ada Harris. It’s so easy to fall in love with her . Elegant and graceful. like a Dior Couture gown . Apparently this movie is based on a book , am sure it will be a wonderful read.

My Rating : 👍👍👍👍👍

All

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

 It’s hot in Houston and we are all finding ways to chill . Appropriately themed Summer Chills , Alley Theatre is bringing forth very popular mystery and classic adaptations on stage this summer .

Today , we watched one of Agatha Christie’s most popular mysteries , The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in Alley theatre . The casting , the sound effects and lighting - everything is extraordinary .The dialogues are very well written and extremely witty .

The actor who played Hercule Poirot can give David Suchet a run for his money . His gait and accent are perfect.

Do not miss this play , especially, if you are an Agatha Christie fan . It is a murder mystery, so obviously there is murder, a murder weapon and reference to suicide . So please exercise caution if you are taking young children with you .

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Mission Impossible : Dead Reckoning Part 1

 It keeps getting bigger and better . The MI series , over a span of 30 years, has managed to keep it clean and action oriented , without too much emotional drama attached to it .

Kudos to the film makers . Tom Cruise doesn’t like walking on the ground . He has to be either running , zooming off in a car , bike or mostly flying in the air by whatever means possible . He has to be hanging upside down , be it any form of transportation- train , car , plane or a parachute . Coming up with innovative action sequences is a very important aspect for MI franchise , and they do it with ease .

Loved every bit of this movie . It kept us at the edge of our seats . It is a two part movie , so there is a little slack in the middle , but the cool action sequences make up to the slack . Go watch it in the movie theater , it has to be big screen for Tom Cruise .

My Rating : 👍👍👍👍👍

Planting Hope

Planting Hope by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has a unique storyline, where a romance between two emotionally injured characters develops around gardening. It is an emotional roller coaster as the two main protagonists are complex.
Holly had to witness a tragedy in the past first hand and is emotionally healing herself working as a nurse and a gardener. Kit is a passionate gardener, but he is also dealing with his past, a complex muddle of guilt and violence. When Kit hires Holly, sparks fly, a passionate romance develops between them. But when things take a turn, will trust sustain between them. Can the passion develop into a life long relationship?
This is my first book of this author. I enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more from this author.