Casino Royale, the much awaited James Bond film features a relatively unknown British actor, Daniel Craig as the sauve British secret service agent. While all previous Bonds have been dark haired and lean, Daniel Craig brings back an earthy working class feel to the character with his muscular and stocky frame. Another difference of course, is his blond hair which has been a point of intense debate and criticism among die-hard Bond fans, even giving rise to ‘we-hate-the-new-Bond’ websites.

A good way to decide for yourself would be to check out the James Bond movie series that channel Star Movies has been telecasting all through this November. It is an unbelievable treat for Bond fans, coming at the time of release of the latest in the series Casino Royale.

Casino Royale is based on the original novel by Ian Fleming.An impressive performance by Danish film star Mads Mikkelsen as the villian is sure to delight fans. Mikkelsen has been consistently voted ‘Sexiest Man alive’ by Danish media. His character Le Chiffre is the cool accountant and master gambler who funds terrorist activities with his gambled fortunes. This is the man whom Bond must fight to prevent money being siphoned off for global terrorism. Dame Judi Dench plays ‘M‘. Look forward to some of her quips about the cold-war era (the political time space to which the original Bond character belonged)and about Bond being a ‘blunt instrument’.
No Bond movie is complete without gadgets and beautiful women. French actress Eva Green plays fellow agent Vesper Lynd who accompanies him to the high stakes gambling event. Casino Royale goes a bit low on gadgets, which is frankly a refreshing change from the recent Bond films and allows you to focus on the characters and the interplay of emotions and dilemmas. Also expect to hear more about forth coming Bond films as Craig is believed to have signed atleast two more Bond films. Welcome back, Bond!

The collaboration between these two giants has produced an engaging flick which includes plenty of dry British wit and well rounded characters.

The plot centers around a rat’s home coming journey after he gets flushed down a toilet. Roddy St James (voice provided by Hugh Jackman) is an upper class rat and a pet in a well to do London family. When everyone at home goes on holiday leaving Roddy alone in the house, Sid (Shane Ritchie), a belching sewer rat makes its way up through the drains into the house in order to watch the World Cup finals. When Sid attempts to get a free run of the house Roddy tries to send him back to the Underground, but gets himself flushed down by the street smart Sid into a subterranean city of rats. Roddy’s primary concern now becomes - how does he get back into his gilded cage above, to safety and his ‘upper class’ albeit lonely existence? As he walks around the city dazed by the activity of all the rats, frogs and slugs around him, he makes aquaintance with Rita (Kate Winslet) a spirited young rat who ownes a boat. He strikes a deal with her that if she is able to deliver him back to his home, he would pay back with jewels to help maintain her large family of siblings. (Here the scene where he meets with her family is hugely entertaining) Before each is able to keep his/ her side of the deal, the pair encounters the scheming James Bond- villian- style Boss Toad (Ian McKellan) and his gang who are out to put hurdles in their way. As it turns out, Boss Toad has the master plan of submerging the underground city under the flood of flushed waters during the World Cup. How Roddy and Rita manage to save the city while finding love during their ride to Roddy’s home becomes the main plot of the story.

Both the main characters Roddy and Rita are convincing, Roddy being the staid rat and Rita the fiesty one who adds spice to their alliance. Boss Toad’s hencemen provide the necessary video-game style chases and hilarious goof ups that frustrate their boss’s plans.

The movie is likely to appeal to children and adults alike.

During the 50s and 60s, a trip to Bombay (Mumbai) used to be the ultimate thing for young hopefuls on the look- out for employment or a hot holiday destination for families down South. This was equivalent to going to the US or round the globe these days - or is it, anymore?

With intimate travel information available actually within your PC mouse’s reach or at the nearest book store, Indians as tourists are now common faces anywhere. During a recent trip to Scotland, while admiring the view with fellow passengers, I could not decide whether to marvel at the snow covered landscape or at the fact that deep in the Scottish countryside, I was hearing intense conversations being carried out in pure Tamil among a whole group of tourists.

For many of my friends and colleagues, part of this interest in travelling came about through novice- traveller friendly guides, prime example of which are the Lonely Planet series. They are very reliable, meaning, really reliable - you can actually check out current rates of restaurants (in the latest edition), bus and train rates, reliability of local transport, seasons based information and what could bug you or alternately excite you in your chosen destination - all this written in an entertaining and conversational style, so that you feel like you have just received advice from a trusted friend. They are actually written by travellers like any of us, who have made the trip themselves; hence each information therein is validated. So, if you have reason to hit the bookstore next time, check them out and happy travelling to you!

The movie is well paced with the two main protaganists focussed on staying ahead in their race for professional supremacy. Though we find the heroes Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale),both professional magicians pre occupied with one another’s points in the game almost throughout the length of the movie with one another’s points in the game, it thankfully does not all become a dry and violent movie. Still some critics have labelled it ‘dry and lacking in emotions’. This might probably be because director Nolan has chosen to relegate the romance factor a little to the background with the normally sizzling Scarlett Johansson playing a somewhat dull character, Olivia Wenscombe who is stage assistant/ opportunistic mistress to both rivals. She does not get to display her talent for subtle yet powerful performances that she has come to be loved for. On the other hand, Oscar winning veteran actor Sir Michael Caine gets to play a sizeable role as ‘Cutter’ the godfather/ friend to Rupert Angier.
All in all, for those of you who love atmospheric eighteenth century-style mysteries, ‘The Prestige’ will provide good fun - so don’t miss it!!.