"Click" Clicks!

I love watching Adam Sandler movies; although they are similar in their comic content, they always leave you feeling happy in the end. However, “Click” is a complete non-Sandler. If you are looking for a comedy movie with a goofy Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider thrown in, you will be disappointed and won’t like this movie at all. However, this is in my opinion one of the best Adam Sandler films, some of the others being “Billy Madison”, “Happy Gilmore”, “Big Daddy”, “50 First Dates”.

It starts off as a comedy, and after a while the plot takes a swerve and gives you lessons in living life to the fullest. What would happen if you had a universal remote control, and you could control everything around you with the click of a button? Wouldn’t you feel empowered, having the ability to pause, rewind, and fast forward various aspects of your life? That’s precisely what a workaholic architect Michael Newman (Sandler) obtains from the “Beyond” section of a Bed Bath and Beyond store. The film depicts his journey with the magical remote control, and how things get out of hand when the remote takes over his life!

The film teaches a valuable lesson that family, friends, and other aspects of your life are as important or at times more important than your work. It teaches you the true meaning of the adage “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Overall, a wonderful film.

Poignant and Powerful!

“A Mighty Heart” is probably one of the most powerful films of 2007. The director Michael Winterbottom has successfully painted the true picture about the brutal beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi, Pakistan in the year 2002. The film is based on the book “A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl”, written by Mariane Pearl.

The story opens with the life of Daniel and Mariane Pearl, both journalists, posted in Pakistan. One day, Danny leaves the house to meet a religious leader, never to return back! And what follows is intense drama, with emotions running high. An extensive search for Danny begins, with clues and links scattered all over Pakistan. Friends, colleagues, and the police try their best to find out about Dan’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, there is bad news in the end.

The most striking part of the movie is the sincerity of all the actors. They get into their characters so well that they recreate the tragic incident effectively on screen. This is one of Angelina Jolie’s best performances in my opinion. I am not much of a fan of her work, except for ‘Girl Interrupted’ and now this one. She portrays the character with utmost genuineness, including the look, and the accent. She captures the love, sadness, frustration, tension, and all other facets of Mariane’s emotions perfectly. She does not falter even once! The other cast, that includes Dan Futterman as Daniel Pearl, Irfan Khan as the police captain, Archie Panjabi as Asra, Denis O’Hare as John Bussey, Will Patton as Randall Bennett, has done a great job.

All in all, a very moving film, with heartfelt performances!