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No Time to Die (2021)
Just Appreciate Craig.
"No Time To Die" is a Bond film worth watching. This film has a lot of perks and some minor quirks but what makes this film a sensation in the industry, is that this film is a perfect farewell to Daniel Craig's James Bond.
To begin with, the direction of this film. Cary Joji Fukunaga is an exceptional director, and he has been proving that since 2014 when he was one of the creators of "True Detective". This movie has a precise choreographed scenes and some fine direction work with several usages of directorial trademarks of his, having only watched "True Detective" before. And the presence of several eminent actors just makes it feel effortless and distinguished.
The screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Cary Joji Fukunaga is prodigious. But the fact that Phoebe Waller-Bridge had a substantial effect on this film was apparent. Although, I have to say that the screenplay did not feel as good as "Skyfall" or "Casino" Royale, but the simple reason for that could be because both of those films Bond and the respective villain have equal importance and equal back-story along with a considerable amount of engrossing narrative. But in this film, we pay a lot of importance to James Bond and his relationship with his lovers and other characters, which is understandable considering this is an end of another Bond era. And the feminist angle, presented by the writers, along with the introduction of the first 007 shows us that we need to make more female characters who have the likeness of Bond but not make James Bond female itself.
Now, the cinematography by Linus Sandgen was tremendous. I know that he is already a great cinematographer, "La La Land" being a testament to it, but "No Time To Die" is by far, in my opinion, his masterpiece. He is the only cinematographer in the Bond films I've watched yet, whose cinematography is somewhere comparable to that of Roger Deakins' Skyfall. It moved me, although, I might be fairly biased towards it, considering this is the first film I've watched in a theatre after three years, that too almost completely empty. It moved me.
Now comes the performance. And I have no other option than to finally talk about Daniel Craig's James Bond. And it is so painful for me to talk about it. I haven't watched any other Bond films, so I cannot compare it with those of Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan, but his performance single-handedly is as iconic as the James Bond himself. In recent years, it is common knowledge that James Bond has become more and more human. But Daniel Craig, does not just show us Bond's humanity but the way he got it. Craig makes Bond a character we idealise, not just idolise.
Rami Malek and Ana De Armas' performance can be summed up in one line. Extraordinary yet limited. Both of them we great at furnishing the audience with their roles of two very iconic characters but both of them have not nearly got the screentime they deserved.
Other actors like Ralph Fiennes, Léa Seydoux or Lashana Lynch were good enough for filling up the scenes but other than Ralph Fiennes' characters from "Spectre" not here, I would not like a separate film for any of these characters but the limited time I saw them in this film. A special reference to Ben Whishaw as Q and Naomie Harris as Moneypenny are the only ones who makes me feel good every time they come on screen. Jeffrey Wright is great but even better in the previous installments.
To conclude, "No Time To Die" is a film worth watching for anyone who likes films. Some scenes might feel a bit too emotional or empathetic for people who like the older version of James Bond from the 1960s or 70s. Yet, this film is a bull's eye at what it was supposed to be. A perfect homage to Daniel Craig, the legend.
James Bond Will Return.
The Social Network (2010)
This is what Cinema is.
Mark Zuckerberg: I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try - but there's no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention - you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing.
Mark Zuckerberg: Did I adequately answer your condescending question?
Okay, I know that the above quatation was quite a substantial read, but there is no way, that this review is going to be short, considering the fact that it is one of the greatest films to have ever been made.
David Fincher, an extraordinary director, who had already established himself as one of the greats during the making of this film, though this film, provided the audience with the exemplary example of how cinema can be much much more than just entertainment but rather serve as a testament of art.
The Social Network, one of the underrated movies of the last decade is a story of a socially unfit 18-year old, who wants to be a part of the exclusive culture of Harvard University, and in the process to do so, ends up making a website, which will change life of mankind, as we know it. Of course, the story deals with a lot more than that. In spite of keeping its prime focus on Mark Zuckerberg, the film spends a lot of its screentime elaboring to us about basic human attributes like ego, ambition, selfishness, jealousy and shows us how even the greatest between us are not free from the seven deadly sins.
The presence of a distinguished direction, furnished by David Fincher carries out the role of the most important element required to make this film what it is. But in the end of the day, all of it could have gone to waste, if not for the musically rhythmic and Shakespeare-esque dialogued script provided by the Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin has often been referenced with the presence of dialogue which is "ostentatiously rapid and clever, often with a theatrical speech quality", and this movie is an exact presentation of how literally substantial, Aaron Sorkin is in the usage of his trademark techniques. The Social Network, till date is remembered for being one of the best Screenplays to have ever been written.
The movie, although not known for it, also has the presence of a seamless cinematography and masterful editing, which serve as an important constituent in giving the audience a pleasing experience.
Lastly, the film is also present with several significant prodigious performances, and being inspired from real life, almost every character is pleasing to observe in spite of the short screentime they are presented with. To begin with, Jesse Eisenberg, provides an exceptional performance as an teenage Mark Zuckerberg who is driven in his journey through greatness, just to present himself as an worthy personality in the real world. Every action taken by him is done in order to get the approval of strangers and every consequences he faces for that action end up in resulting a degraded relationship with the only people who helped him get through his worst times. Eisenberg executes the role of an ambitious, egoistic narcissist in the excruciatingly emancipating way possible.
Then, Andrew Garfield accomplishes on what can be argued as the best performance ever carried out by him. Him shouting "Mark!" is better than half of the performances ever presented by Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Justin Timberlake, Romney Mara and anyone else present in the film, may not have a lot of screenplay to show their hands, but are amiable enough performances to view.
Lastly, on a personal note, The Social Network was the first example of real cinema ever observed by me. This is the movie that made me fall in love with cinema and is a prime specimen of the kind of quintessential cinema that is dying out of the cinematic world today. The brilliance present in the making of this cinematic marvel is more than anything we watch today. For me, this is what cinema is, a path towards visual literacy.
To conclude, The Social Network is a great cinema. Perhaps, the best of it. Yet, this is not the movie you recommend to people. This is for you to find out youself and watch youself, alone and cherish that youself, selfishly. Why, I do not know. But that's what I did, and I never regretted not telling anyone to watch this particular masterpiece. People, can destroy this film for a cinephile. Do not let them.
The Leftovers: Gladys (2014)
Okay, not great till now.
Way to boring till now, except one episode. This episode really bored me a lot but I think it will improve in the next two seasons. Or atleast that's what the ratings say. Let's see.
Friends: The Reunion (2021)
A Tribute to The Greatest.
Everyday at lunch, I switch on an episode of F. R. I. E. N. D. S. Today at exactly lunch time I saw the news that Friends Reunion was also going to be available in India through Zee5. During this dark times, this was one of the best news I got this year. Truly, I don't know how to review something as great as this, rather than just saying that maybe this is not what we expected from a Friends Reunion, but it's so much more than we deserved.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
A Redemption for DCEU
Zack Snyder's Justice League is one of the best comic books based movies of all time and let me tell you why. Firstly, it's obviously better than Whedon's version. The Whedon version was choppy, too colourful, zero darkness, zero real violence and full of bad jokes. This movie is what people can call a 4 hour binge of goodness. From the first scene to the last this movie is mind-blowing.
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To start with the cinematography, it's amazing. Every slow motion, every added graphic, was just mind-blowing. Along with the new editing, which is realistic in its own way. The colour grading is what you expect from a DCEU movie. The acting was good. Gal Gadot, fine. Henry Cavill, fine. Ben Affleck, great. But this movie does wonders with Ezra Miller's Flash, Jared Leto's Joker and Ray Fischer's Cyborg. This movie finally does justice to the complex DC characters.
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Yeah, now to compare it with Marvel. Sure this movie is not as good as Infinity War. Personally, I feel it's better than Endgame but I think people are forgetting, this is the first Justice League film. And surely, the Whedon Justice League was the worst but this movie is as good as the first avengers movie.
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In a way, I can say this that this movie does place DC in a new light. They are improving. And as someone who always liked DC characters more than Marvel, it's good to see DCEU improving.
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To say the least now I think Warner Bros should now realise that creative freedom is important. Everytime they interfere the project is done. #restorethesnyderverse.