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The Oscar-nominated Brooklyn (2015) is filled with emotional highs and narrative lows. Still, it manages to come across as a paramount entry in the romantic genre.

The Plot: Based on Colm Toblin's 2009 novel of the same name, it tells the story of a young Irish immigrant who finds love, when she travels to Brooklyn in the 1950s. However, things take a drastic course when her past catches up with her. 

 

The Good: The cinematography is sublime and nothing looks out of place whether it be the scenery of Ireland, or the developed America. Director John Crowley really knew when to use the shots, specifically close-ups of the main character Eilis. His talent is also showcased when he directs the intimate scenes between the primary couple.

The score is also pitch perfect. I thought the music really came in handy when there were no dialogues on the screen. Brooklyn is one of those rare romantic-dramas which has both picturesque mise-en-scene, and attractive thespians playing lovebirds.

The highlight of this flick is no doubt the acting. Saoirse Ronan leads the charge with her spectacular enactment of Eilis. So, it came as no surprise that she got nominated for Best Actress at the 88th Academy Awards. And she might've won if it hadn't been for Brie Larson with her incomparable performance in Room (2015). Ronan was undoubtedly the runner-up.

The supporting cast is also notable. Emory Cohen is lovable as the main male figure. Domnhall Gleeson and Julie Walters also provided memorable support. Emily Bett Rickards who plays Felicity on the TV series Arrow also had a secondary role which ironically suited her as she depicted an annoying gossip girl.

The second-best aspect of Brooklyn is the discourses between characters. I thought the humorous conversations going on where Eilis lived in Brooklyn were quite laughable. Also, the letter narration between Eilis and her sister was done extremely well in a literary sense. Not to mention the charming exchanges between the two leads where Cohen earned his chance in the spotlight with the portrayal of Eilis' love interest Tony Fiorello.

Furthermore, Brooklyn is not just some fancy tearjerker. It has a heart of its own and it lies within Eilis. She is the major focus throughout this spectacle. And I thought this was a needle in a cinematic haystack which showcased a woman so brave. It's all about the female individual's choices and this movie was more character-orientated than event-driven which also allowed to be a bit different from others in its category.

It all comes down to this question for Eilis: Should I return to Ireland or live my life here in the US? And not only is she asking herself this but the audience is equally indulged in her thoughts. And that is why screenwriter Nick Hornby earned the nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Bad: Firstly, the picture was very predictable, even though most of its type are I just thought even the most tragic of incidents were forthcoming. In addition, the first hour was slow and uneventful yet the last 45-50 minutes were brilliantly filmed and written thus moving along at a swifter pace.

  

Thirdly, despite the venture being unique for representing a strong lady, there are similar films with this message. Therefore, the feature is not entirely original as in being one of a kind.

The Verdict: Brooklyn was the least-best contender for the 88th Best Picture. But after completing it, I reckon that it deserved to be selected, hands-down, for all three Awards. It might be foreseeable but the unparalleled acting by Ronan and Cohen, and the superbly-penned closure, make it a must-watch for dramatic enthusiasts.

The Rating: 3 out of 4. 

If you favor romantic movies then why not read poetry of the same genre? Check out Masoom Poetry:

It's a collection of 50 poems, that after reading, makes you want to fall in love again. Whether it be on the topic of heartbreak or a newly-found love, this poetry e-book is the epitome of love lost or found again.  

What Women Want (2000) doesn't live up to its title, but it's a helluva entertaining watch. This is my favorite Nancy Meyers flick, the second being The Intern (2015).

The plot follows Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson), a chauvinistic executive who after a freak accident, attains the power to read women's minds. This especially comes in handy when his new boss is a woman embodied brilliantly by Helen Hunt.

Acting is the best factor with Gibson and Hunt sharing undeniable chemistry, even before they realize it in the frames. The supporting cast of Alan Alda, Marisa Tomei and Ashley Johnson make for an intriguing addition.

The movie succeeds in being a one-of-a-kind rom-com. It's equally romantic as it is comic. The complete 2 hours are fun. And even though the title is biased, it still has plenty to offer for both genders.

One negative part was how it took the venture a little too long to build up. The introductory half hour is slow. But after this period there are a ton of laughs. When Nick gets his ability it's all downhill from there.

Nick's final speech is unforgettable. Mel Gibson has totally outdone himself with this portrayal. He's both handsome and charming - qualities modern cinematic Casanovas lack!

In the end, What Women Want doesn't necessarily answer that question for us men, but it gives us a unique outlook on what both sexes want. And it's one of the best romantic comedies out there.

The Rating: 3.5 out of 4. 

If you like romance with depth, then check out Masoom Poetry:

It's a collection of 50 romantic poems, that after reading, makes you want to fall in love again. Whether it be on the topic of heartbreak or a newly-found love, this poetry e-book is the epitome of love lost or found again. 

The Trust (2016) is a heavily-clichéd crime film which does little to stand out from its low-budget contemporaries.

The Plot: It follows two cops who, while investigating a drug invasion, stumble upon unknown territory. 

The Good and The Bad: Honestly, one of the primary reasons I watched this is that I still hold Nicolas Cage in high regard as an actor. And he did not disappoint in that aspect. We don't have a prominent supporting cast here, so The Trust relies on Cage and Elijah Wood to carry the weight of the stereotypical script.

The initial 40 minutes are the highlight of this venture. This is due to the superb introduction of the lead stars. It's clear from the onset that both these individuals couldn't be any more distinct. And the humorous emphasis on this only makes it more fun to watch, if only the remaining 50 minutes were as equally entertaining.

The Trust suffers from being too typical. Trust me, the comedy implemented in the foremost half did succeed in giving this venture a lighter tone. But afterwards, when the mood becomes dark, The Trust loses its only glimmer of hope, and that was being unique from others in its genre.

Acting-wise, Cage and Wood made a surprisingly awesome team. Their different takes on the characters really did complement their on-screen friendship. So, this exhibition came as even more of a disappointment to see thespians who are not the most talked-about performers worldwide, who gave it their all for a lost cause.

Another negative factor was the monotony. You can guess the conclusion after one hour has passed. Although, I have to mention I was shocked that The Brewer Brothers' direction did allow for unpredictability, but again only for the opening 40 minutes.

The Verdict: The Trust starts off brilliantly and provides moments for Cage to show off his signature theatrics, but ultimately it fails in the third act. In my opinion, at a running time of approximately 90 minutes or more, this feature would have worked better as a short showcase.

The Rating: 1.5 out of 4. 

If you prefer thrillers, albeit, better ones than the afore-mentioned movie, then check out Masoom Thrillers #2:

It contains seven short-stories incorporating genres of vampire fiction to traditional tales of suspense. 

Sometimes, there are movies that just can't be placed in a single category, and The Nice Guys (2016) is definitely one of them. Indeed, it's a rarity in these annual churn outs of Hollywood comedies.

The Plot: Two detectives must investigate the apparent suicide of a 1970s pornstar. 

 The Good: Have to give credit to Shane Black's direction, and his co-written screenplay with Anthony Bagarozzi. From the onset to the ending, it's one hell of  thriller and the pacing is definitely to die for. The cinematography is of an equally impeccable taste, and DOP Philippe Rousselot really did his best at lighting the sets throughout the duration.

Of course, the foremost aspect of this feature are the leads: Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Crowe is brilliant as the tough guy, and Gosling literally surprised me by portraying a PI with less confidence as opposed to playing a totally different personality in 2015's The Big Short.

The Nice Guys constantly reminded me of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) which Black also directed and wrote. KKBB is one of my favorite black comedies, and after so many years has another venture managed to surpass that cinematic flair.

This feature relies utmost on characterization over dramatization. We have no sentimental flashback sequences of our dynamic duo, and that I thought made the script quite distinct from other comedy thrillers, as in not making our heroes emotional but rather more motivational. And the slapstick devices used to move the plot forward are quite reminiscent of the Lethal Weapon quadrilogy, so it comes as no surprise that Black wrote the first part.

The Bad: However, The Nice Guys is not without its flaws. After the initial hour and a half of a 116 minutes running times, it seemed the final sequences seemed more forced than voluntarily written. Also, Angourie Rice's individual Holly is occasionally quite annoying, and the exhibition would've done better by allotting her lesser time on the screen.

The Verdict: The Nice Guys might not be to everyone's taste due to its slight explicitness, but it strays from the pack by being a lone wolf in a genre that demands additional showcases of such exclusive quality.

The Rating: 3 out of 4.

If you enjoy suspense, then Masoom Thrillers #2 is for you:

It contains seven short-stories incorporating genres of  vampire fiction to traditional tales of suspense.

Teen, stylized as Te3n, and in the English language, Three, is perhaps the finest Bollywood thriller of 2016, so far.

The Plot: Based on the 2013 South Korean film Montage, it depicts the pain and struggle a grandfather (Amitabh Bachhan) must go through to find out what happened to his daughter, in a kidnapping event set eight years prior to the current events.

The Good and The Bad: The cinematography is the foremost aspect of this feature. I really loved the lighting applied to both the present-timed shots and those of the flashbacks. I thought the bluish tone of the flashbacks were brilliant and really added depth to the narrative.

The narrative is finely penned. But it's relevant from the first half onwards that it took three screenwriters to scribe the script. This is because even though the plot is carried  cleverly through dialogues by our main character John and his interaction with detective-turned-priest Martin (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), there are times at which the present timeline becomes boring and the past footage is more fun to view.

Acting is the second-best feature of this flick. Amitabh Bachhan steals the show with an Oscar-worthy performance. The irony is that despite us having Siddiqui and Vidya Balan, performers of such high caliber, they are overshadowed by Mr. Bachhan's superior talent.

But don't let that be a blemish on the characterization implemented by the writing team. Every individual in the movie has their own allotted time in the spotlight, and both Siddiqui and Balan are given personas which they effortlessly make their own. Siddiqui is charismatic and I liked how it's shown why he gave up/got fired being a cop and transitioned to becoming a priest. And Balan, who has already cemented her position in B-Town as one of its greatest actresses, is equally impressive as Siddiqui in this exhibition.

Furthermore, from the onset to the ending, Mr. Bachhan not only showed his versatility from being a classic Bollywood heartthrob, to a 70-year old grandfather (and yes, he's 73 in real life), but he made Te3n the epitome of a character-driven shocker. This proves that Bollywood like Hollywood, that still relies on oldies like Samuel L. Jackson and Clint Eastwood to provide quality entertainment, also gives space to its legends to prove they have no limit to their on-screen showmanship.

Te3n is stronger after its interval of one hour and a few minutes has passed. It takes about 30-40 minutes to actually build up tension. I understand that it's an emotional thriller, but it the start should've been better with a swifter pace.  

Pacing is the greatest upset of Te3n. Only after the interval does everything (the writing, direction and acting) create such a colossal impact for the viewer,  that it came out as an explosion of cinematic genius. That's why I commend the superb direction by Ribhu Dasgupta and hope that he makes more films with such finesse.

The Verdict: If you're more into higher budgeted ventures, then Te3n might not be for you, but if you want compelling storytelling with an extremely gratifying ending, then this movie is certainly a must-watch, especially for the enthusiasts of dramatic suspense.

Rating: 3 out of 4. 

If you enjoy thrillers, please do check out Masoom Thrillers #1: