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Reviews
Elvis (2022)
Butler's Grand Performance and Baz's Style
For not a single moment did I feel like it was Austin Butler grooving to Presley hits, rather Butler made it feel like I was watching the King of Rock and Roll perform live before me. That vitality, rebelliousness, high spirit, those hip movements, the vivacity, the loved man, the pains and anguish that took a toll on him, the betrayals he faced - has been effectively portrayed on screen. You will just sit mum and watch the life of EP unfold before you, your spirit will soar to his groovy performances, your heart will ache with his heartaches. Definitely an Oscar-worthy performance.
Baz Luhrman left no stone unturned to project this richly diverse life on screen, the style and substance both combining uniformly to make a concrete whole. What worked delightfully was the usage of music, the stage performances were jaw-dropping spectacles and mercury-raising feats along with that the way the songs of Presley seeps into the background is nothing short of an evergreen emotion. Elvis lived by one of the popularised dictum of the African-American freedom movement - if you cannot speak it out, sing it, Austin Butler and this film do sing well.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Dino Rampage Done Pretty Well
I have reached at a phase in my life where I have learnt to be unbiased in my judgement of films even if it features my favourite stars. But like everything other facet of life, this principle also has its exceptions - I cannot help but be biased about the Jurassic Park films and there are several factors contributing to that bias:
1. My love for films kick-started with "Jurassic Park" (the first film I had watched at a theatre, way back in 1994) and that film and most of its scenes have become iconic over the years - a feat unmatched by any monster film of the past and the present.
2. Having watched the original in 1994, the child has ever since been fascinated by the jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring dinosaurs. They had occupied a world of fantasy for the kid who was by nature an introvert. From collecting dino toys to owning dino t-shirts, I have done it all and continue to do it now, when given a chance, as I am still preoccupied by these mighty beasts.
3. The sequels and the spin-offs to the original have had hits and misses in them, never touching the iconic moments of the original but have always continued to be watchable even now. I didn't like "Jurassic Park III" but I have never overlooked it, having watched it multiple times as well. Despite the flaws, they define an integral part of my childhood and every new film is a stroll down the lanes of nostalgia for this 31-year old guy. They are special to me, no matter what.
Jurassic World: Dominion takes place four years after the cataclysmic events of the previous film and the dinosaurs are out in the human world. They are colliding into one another and learning to live together as well. Metaphor for COVID-19? Yes, could be. The film also touches on issues like food scarcity and plagues and the side effects of bioengineering in agriculture. It is in some of these moments in the first half that the film suffers from pacing issues and from lack of being in a tight knot. But once the pre-interval scene comes up, the film changes track. The scene changes to the park and the essence of Jurassic Park is back. There are numerous dinosaurs, scene after scene, some new (like the Therizinosaurus, the Pyroraptor, the Atrociraptor, and the big daddy of them all - the Giganatosaurus) and some old (like the Velociraptors, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the venom-spitting Dilophosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, among many others) - a dream world for a dino lover like me. The cinematography is jaw-dropping and the mixture of special effects and animatronics seal the deal effectively well. Despite the flaws in the screenplay, the film is salvaged by the breathtaking second half. Among the actors, Bryce Dallas Howard gets the best character arc and newcomer DeWanda Wise turns in a commendable performance. But it was great fun to watch the OG cast - the dynamics between the trio of Alan, Ellie, and Ian can beat any newcomer, after all they are the heart of the franchise and it was worth having them to close the chapters on dinosaurs forever.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Great Entertainer
Neat camerawork, effective combination of practical and special effects, great sound design and a simple story told with gusto and emotional depth - this has been a surprise package. And definitely for a lot others out there this would definitely a nostalgic ride, a journey down memory lane for this sequel comes 36 years after the release of the original. The first film despite its flaws was a decent entertainer but 36 years later they have enhanced the flavour and definitely upscaled the experience. There's good amount of worthy performances and absolutely fantastic amount of thrilling chases, aerial fights, and training sessions.
Kishmish (2022)
Snooze fest
This is one rare instance where a film with immense potential started going downhill right from the beginning. Rather than giving us a family drama plus love story - all of which went through lackluster dialogues and sluggish pace - the film could have focused on how a "good-for-nothing", lethargic boy grows up to be a man, it could have taken the route of a coming-of-age story where we find out how Tintin grows up to be a successful cartoonist while also exploring his personal life on the side. It could have been a decent version of Wake Up Sid but all we get is a unholy mixture of Hum Tum, Love Aaj Kal, Kal Ho Na Ho, and Main Hoon Na. None of this adds anything consequential to the film. The performances are mostly one note or plain bad, except for Kharaj Mukherjee who hits the ball out of the park in every scene he is in - watch for him in the comic scenes and in one particular father-son moment on the terrace. Other than him, none of the others leave a long-lasting impression. Dev is well being Dev yet again, Rukmini falters in every scene she is in and what was that accent all about?! June Malia, Kamaleshwar Mukherjee are plain one-note. The film has decent cinematography but the animations are cool touches - though largely reminiscent of the Saif-Rani starrer "Hum Tum". The music was just about okay. You may give it a try if you are up for just watching Kharaj Mukherjee in fine form else you may skip this and wait for a long queue of Bengali films coming up.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Watch it only for Olsen if you must ... The rest is pretty forgettable
The new trend of blaming everything on the multiverse in the recent lot of MCU films is a mad phenomenon that was pretty okay in Spiderman: No Way Home but goes from okay to plainly underwhelming in the sequel to Doctor Strange. There seemed to be no solid screenplay and the dialogues were mostly amateurish. Gimmicks and catering to fan theories and nostalgia is proving to be the franchise's bane. The only factor worth the time and attention is Wanda Maximoff. Olsen pulls the character's many shades with elan and rises high above the mundane affairs surrounding her.
K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022)
Average at best, this film does the style way better than the substance
KGF Chapter II will remain one of the most technically sound films made in India. Be it the expansive set design or the brilliant camerawork or even those lavish suits that Rocky wears, or the makeup on Adheera, KGF's technical department deserves all praise for making a grand contribution to this magnum opus BUT it is the story and overdose of machismo that makes a dent in the experience and leaves an average aftertaste. It might have the so-called spices that makes up a summer blockbuster but the screenplay is quite immaterial, hardly written with thought and care, and even to a point predictable. And Raveena Tandon does the finest in the acting department while the others only scream and yell - if only that could be called acting?! Yash does fine in getting the commanding presence required of his messiah plus gangster plus monster image in Rocky but his style and panache does get in the way of actual emoting. Also dubbing in Hindi could have been better.
Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)
Gangubai to Bollywood's Rescue
First the obvious, it is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film so it is quite the template that the sets, the colour palette, the cinematography, the background score, and the vivid imagery would be beautiful. The "Aaina Mahal" from "Bajirao Mastani" still happens to be one of India's finest set pieces. In Kamathipura, Bhansali strips off the bombast of the aforementioned Mahal and gets the alleys and lanes of the 'forbidden' 'badnaam moholla' just the way they should be shot - a tragic painting, each frame lending to that everyday trials of these withered roses who refuse to just fade away. They want to duel with their "taqdeer", change it to find acceptance beyond their "choukath", beyond their brutal fate, beyond their "haisiyat".
What steers this pathos-driven film are the sharp dialogues and the solid screenplay, which even when it falters doesn't let loose the essence. The song "Mere Saiyaan" was one of the highlights of the script picturising a romance that doesn't use words but gestures and "adakari".
Now let's come to the cast as Bhansali puts together an ensemble of actors who shone in their brief but important roles, be it Seema Pahwa as the greedy brothel owner or Vijay Raaz as Raziabai, Gangu's arch-nemesis or Ajay Devgan as the saviour Karim Lala or Jim Sarbh as the journalist with a heart, Faiz. Alia Bhatt, the youngest of the lot, got the toughest part to handle but as the protagonist Gangubai she literally steals and owns every scene, the expression, the dialogue delivery, the "nazakat" were on point. She shines as the constant victim of hatred, the teary eyes as she complains "hum toh izzat roz bechte hai saali khatam hi nahi hoti", as she breaks down in joy in the end seeing her dreams taking some wings, as she confronts each of her nemesis. Do watch it on the big screen.
Ekannoborti (2021)
Disastrous Bengali soaps rehashed
Mainak Bhaumik's "Ekannoborti" is a rushed hodgepodge of Rituparno Ghosh's Dosar, Utsab and Bariwali that is flat on every level possible. Enough attempts, in fact over the top attempts have been made to tickle the emotions of the audience with Bengali television's soap-like melodrama. Even bigger deja vu is that the husband is straight out of a disaster of a show called "Sreemoyee" which had had its run contributing to enough memes to keep yourself happy on a rather gloomy day.
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
Shakespeare on Stage... Spellbound!!
In recent times I have never been so exalted watching a films as I have been today as I sat with mine eyes ope and gaping at the screen as each scene played out like a charm and made me witness a cinematic adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" - a play that I have been reading since Class XI and have read and re-read multiple times ever since. Kurosawa got it perfect with "Throne of Blood"; Bharadwaj got it quite well with "Maqbool"; and Joel Coen got it perfect this time around as he takes a stage-like approach to the play. The most classic thing was that the dialogues have been retained from the original text to give the film the utmost Shakespearean flavour it deserved. They left me exalted and in the end, highly satisfied.
Denzel Washington in the titular role stood high as he delivered one dialogue after the other with the foggy mind, the delirium, the wrath, the overreaching ambition, the angst, the despair that inhabited the character of Macbeth. The soliloquy's have been done to perfection as Denzel poured out one emotion after the other. Frances McDormand was born to be Lady Macbeth, an overambitious woman soaked in thirst for blood, soaring desires, dark and passionate, ruthless yet vulnerable; when she chides Macbeth to "man" up before the act she was a delight to watch and when she sleepwalks about with a taper in her hand and sighs that the perfumes of Arabia cannot wipe off the stench of blood from her hands is a scene of pure Gothic horror. As is Kathryn Hunter perfect in the role of the witch who serves the function of all the three witches in one.
The film has this perfect mediaeval flavour owing to the gorgeous cinematography by Bruno Delbonel contrasting light and dark perfectly and the sets are jaw-dropping. The background score complements the scenes and builds up the requisite horror and tension in the play.
Belfast (2021)
An Ode to Cinema and Reliving the Past
"Belfast" doesn't waste time in letting us know the real threat to harmonious existence is the root of sectarian conflict in the Irish capital dislodging families off their roots and coercing them to migrate to an alien world and assimilate into the alien culture or face starvation, desertion, or worse death. Director Kenneth Branagh takes a slice out of his childhood when his family had to overcome the love/fondness for the land they called 'home', see reason, and hop off to a new world for survival. It is tradition that hold them back and liberates them too, signified by the grandparents - while one of them lets off the grip on the mortal world and liberates them, the other stays back as if signifying that their roots still lie in Belfast, an umbilical bond that cannot be clamped and severed easily. This is effectively portrayed in the second half of the film after the kind of loose first half which mostly centered around our child protagonist Buddy and his associations with the city. The city itself becomes a character - thanks to Branagh's vision and the cinematographer's eye for the city - it is brooding, solemn, solitary, monotone, outrageous, calm, caring, playful, harmonious, equal yet compartmentalized.
The actors steal the show. Who could have thought that Jamie Dornan can actually act, Judi Dench gets a few solid scenes and her acting chops need no introduction. It is Catriona Balfe and Ciaran Hinds who steal the show, especially Balfe who is terrific as the mother who is conflicted about withdrawing herself from the city.
Lastly, this movie is a treat for cinema lovers. In the age of Netflix and Amazon Prime, the love for the big screen has begun dwindling but the magic truly resides at the theatres. This movie is still a dream for all those who love cinema, the art behind cinema, the technicalities behind a film, for them films are not just for entertainment but it's an emotion, a process of growing up and learning.
West Side Story (2021)
A Remake that is Soaring and Respectful
Immigrant goes to America,
Many hellos in America;
Nobody knows in America
Puerto Rico's in America!
The existential crisis in a new land where they are constantly alienated forms the crux of this Broadway musical tragedy based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". The songs and dances which are so integral in thus narrative are executed to the T by the actors as a part of emoting. Writer Tony Kushner and director Spielberg elevated the film to a different platform where the conflict is build up so well between the Puerto Ricans and the White Americans that by the time the first bout of tragedy happens you are already thrown deep into the screenplay.
Ariana de Bose as Anita and Rachel Ziegler as Maria are the vibrant enigmatic forces who deliver a whirlwind of a performance here. Rita Moreno makes an emotionally charged and nostalgic appearance to act as a catalyst and an emotional cleanser for the viewers. Also cheers to the set design and cinematography that blends seamlessly to build the 1960s American world which is broken and at the same time hopeful. Do watch the film and be immersed in this dense Shakespearean musical.
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021)
Pathbreaking, yes! But Could have been Braver!
Vaani Kapoor is a revelation in this film as she goes toe to toe with the always good Ayushman - often even surpassing him to deliver a fine performance. The film is crisply edited and the songs are peppy. Some of the dialogues are hard-hitting and most of them (no surprises there) comes from Vaani's Manvi who has to confront the stigma labelled against her on account of social prejudices. Even Ayushman's Manu would come out as pathetic but he charts his way out of ignorance to the light of acknowledgement and acceptance. I particularly liked the choice of names - Vaani's Manvi was previously called Manu while Ayushman bears the pet name Manu as if to imply that they both are the faces of the same coin.
BUT like "Shubh Mangal Zyada Sabdhan" this film falters too as the issue of being a transwoman often takes a backseat just like the issue of convincing one's parents was often marred by frivolous scenes in Shubh Mangal... Chandigarh is plagued by the same issue despite being an engaging watch from the beginning. If only more could have been done on the trans issue than portraying Ayushman's machismo in full glory towards the latter half of the film, we could have had a better film.
It is pathbreaking, Yes! India needs more films on such issues. It has its intentions at the right place even if it has been airbrushed yo some degrees but at least it is another stepping stone to enlighten the public. This film isn't as brave as "Nagarkirtan" is, it feels like any other romantic film if stripped off its central theme but then it's good to see something being done on this front. May be these films with their petty/glaring flaws will one day lead on to an A-class film on the subject.
If it's an 8 out of 10 in acting, it could have strived to have been at least a 7 in the screenplay and narrative. Sigh!
Spencer (2021)
A Highly Effective Royal Drama
It's Kristen Stewart who is the biggest asset of this film - an actress who sinks her teeth into the role of a disillusioned, frustrated, caged People's Princess Diana Spencer, trying to break the shackles that bind her to the traditions and customs of the British Royal Family. She lets loose her angst while she is advised that she should change as the rest of the royals won't change themselves to accommodate her mannerisms. Stewart delivers a knockout performance that will be remembered for long. Everything is in measures, nothing overboard.
The second asset of this film is its music by Johnny Greenwood who uses a brilliant orchestra to not only create soulful Yuletide tunes but also largely contributes to the narration of ominous nature and almost Shakespearean foreboding.
Bravo to Pablo Larrain for crafting another different biopic without falling into the traits of classical biopic formula. He brings to the table a fable that is tragic and at the same time poetic, heart rending and soulful. The cinematography is on point too.
tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)
An Epistle to Art and Artist
Tick... Tick... Boom, as the name suggests, is a battle against time that is gradually fleeting away unnoticed, slipping out of our hands like sand in an overturned hourglass, till it goes boom and the curtain drops. It's an odyssey to all the bohemians trying to compose a rhapsody and trying to thrive in a city where the rat race of life is gnawing at your happiness day after day - as Garfield's John Larson says "No one is happy in New York City". It is a heartfelt tribute to the creative process, a tribute to the dying Broadway musicals and their writers who are struggling to make a mark to prevent themselves from fading away like a distant dream. It's a treatise on making the most of out the time in hand - carpe diem - that's the theme as the fear of death overrides every singular emotion in life. The film is entirely riding on Garfield's able shoulders who delivers a performance so compelling that it will be etched in my mind for long and so is the able act put up by Robin de Jesús as his friend Michael. The songs are a listener's delight - you shall feel like dancing to them or sing along or cry buckets, pay close heed to the lyrics and you shall know what poetry is. This is a film that shall shine bright and needs to be watched. It is one of the brightest stars out there in the musical genre.
Dune (2021)
One of the finest sci-fi
Dune exceeded all my expectations. Taking a deep dive at once might be a path fettered with hurdles, but once those names of who's who is set in stone in your mind within the first half an hour, the rest of the film is a pleasure ride for cinema lovers. It ticks all the right boxes in departments, such as set design, cinematography, visual effects, costumes, make-up, sound, and most importantly the music which is Hans Zimmer at his best. The story which is essentially to be concluded in the sequel throws light onto the protagonist's evolution from a prince to a Duke in exile, on the lookout for vengeance, justice, and reclamation of what's lost, to restore the order that his kingdom aspired to establish in the planet Arakis. It is a bildungsroman and Timothee evolves with every scene he is in. Frankly, he is revelation once again. Each and every scene of the film is elevated by the mastery of the man behind the scenes - Dennis Villeneuve, who already holds an enviable resumé in Hollywood and Dune only adds to that list of starry films.
Sex Education: Episode 3 (2021)
Back on Track
After a middling first episode and a sluggish second episode, Sex Education is back on track with the third episode. What makes it so better is the transformation and beautiful writing of one of the previously sidelined character and also of another character whom all thought we would hate.
Sex Education: Episode 2 (2021)
Opportunity Squandered
The series has lost its shine. Need to reclaim that in the upcoming episodes.
The Handmaid's Tale: Testimony (2021)
Definitely a wonderful episode in a long long time
After an overall mediocre season, the show bounces back gloriously. This is one of the best episodes of the series. Elizabeth Moss proved herself to be a promising director while her acting in this episode is beyond doubt the best in a long long time in this series. She had been getting quite repetitive in the last few episodes and those were marred by lazy writing. This episode is so well written that the moments stand out brilliantly. The cinematography as always is a stand out.
Cherry (2021)
Disappointing and soulless
Holland's recent venture with the Russo brothers is a hot mess. The plot is promising but the execution is far from effective failing to create a cohesive whole. Result: The emotions get lost and even scenes meant to be sad appear to be unintentionally funny. There are far better films on the Iraq War and the horrors that PTSD leads an individual into. Cherry seemed a lot like it was borrowing ideas from American Sniper and Hacksaw Ridge but what those films managed to accomplish was a sense of compactness, the horrors of war felt tangible in those. I still recall the scene where Bradley Cooper's Chris Kyle has to get over a dilemma as to whether he should / should not shoot down the little boy who apparently was rushing at the American convoy with a grenade. I still recall the haunting set design of Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge where the blood, entrails of the wounded and the deceased made the experience so heartbreaking that we felt the horrors with Garfield's Desmond Doss. The trio in Bigelow's Hurt Locker gave us moments to remember and those moments made the film worthy of the Oscar it won. Unfortunately in Cherry there is hardly anything to write home about. There are very little takeaways except the cinematography which is by far one of the best of the year. The rest is forgettable - the dialogues are meh, the scenes at the Academy unnecessarily hilarious, the plot lacked depth, the narrative was shallow, the performances were poor (barring Holland who was quite good). I tried hard to like it as I do like films dealing with war of any sort but this just didn't engage me. 2/5.
Bridgerton (2020)
Soulless Extravaganza
Bridgerton is a mediocre rendition of the domestic novels that established the likes of Jane Austen to the helm of fictional writing in the late 18th and 19th century. Women's obsession with marriage - marrying into a financially sound family - marks the primary theme of Bridgerton. Obviously the agencies available to women in the period were rare and a good marriage (sadly!) was what they considered as a secure retreat from the brutalities if the world. Bridgerton picks up this theme but fails to establish a connection with the viewers as the characters are largely mechanical and hammy too in parts. Their emotions are hardly palpable and some parts are so uncharacteristic of the era it's set in. The protagonist, Daphne Bridgerton, is no Elizabeth Bennett or Elinor Dashwood or Emma Woodhouse. She is one note and without actually caring for her the smooth/breezy screenplay just permits us to flow with her. You do not feel her awe or her joy or her troubles as you feel deeply how Elizabeth is in a dilemma - joy and shock - during her visit to Mr. Darcy's family estate, Pemberley.
What salvages the show is that the narrative never bores. There's enough colour and celebrations and light hearted romance to keep you engaged through the running time. The show looks beautiful but we have seen better in "Downtown Abbey". The costumes though are at times just too eye popping instead of being eye pleasing. And who gave them the idea of playing "Girls like you" in the background for a show set in 1813 - it's such a put off.
You may give it a try and flow with the tide but don't expect anything concrete. It's entertaining but fragile with emotions.
The Magicians (2015)
Loses magic eventually
It began on a promising note with a beautiful season 1 but then everything went downhill since season 2. When they reached season 3 and 4 they not only had unnecessarily long seasons and episodes but also the storyline went from weird to weirder, average to below average and then quite bad.
Dil Bechara (2020)
Sushant will be remembered but not this film
If we look at this film by separating the real life incident which should also be the ideal way of analyzing a film then it must be honestly said that Dil Bechara isn't a good film from any aspect of film making. Yes, some of the frames are very well shot, even Swastika Mukherjee and Saswata are convincingly good as the parents but the lead actress is absolutely miscast. Her performance is a misfire and she does is stare dumbly. The film also gives up a lot of the original plotline from the novel but in the process misses out on giving dialogues that made the novel somewhat praiseworthy. We don't want a literal translation but at least some efforts could have been made to put together a decent inspired dialogue. Sushant is good through the length of the film but sadly director Mukesh Chhabra and the film in general does injustice to his talent.