ashwin-siva Reviews

I Love You, Daddy (2017)

Contemporary Masterpiece

[10/10 · 13 December 2017]

This movie explores gender dynamics in contemporary society in a refreshing unapologetic fashion. The truths and fallacies exposed in the movie are a bitter pill to swallow, but swallow you must. This movie is not meant to be liked by everyone, but I am glad I live in a world where this exists, albeit in a dirty corner for the deplorables.

The support cast including Pamela Adlon, Charlie Day, Edie Falco & John Malkovich all play their parts to the tee. The movie works on so many levels; the references to Woody Allen (B&W New York, the glasses), the awkward silences and cringe-worthy moments are just cinematic gold IMHO.

The Louis CK scandal is just the icing on the cake, which makes true life seem stranger than fiction. The only reason for the poor 6.1 rating is due to self-policing political correctness and radicalized feminist imperative that governs our modern psyche. I can only hope that the PC-brigade and femnazis don't push Louis out of Hollywood for good, because that would be a real shame and a crime.

Richard's Wedding (2012)

Interesting indie fare

[8/10 · 14 January 2013]

This is just one of those movies that watch you on a lazy Sunday afternoon and let yourself drown into. There is no big plot or greater purpose, just a quirky bunch of friends coming up with witty stuff to say. The music is typically indie and so is the cast. The dialog hovers on everyday stuff from sex, politics, relationships, farting iphone apps to humanity and every random thing you can think of.

There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek stuff about political correctness. Irony also raises it wonderful head every once in a while. For instance, there is a scene where one character is telling a story about the death of humanity and everyone calls him a hypocritical pessimist. Just a few minutes later, the drug dealer character says that his dad lost his leg in an accident, but everyone else is busy debating the plural form of platypus. But, hey, the movie is nowhere close to depressing, but uplifting in a jaded kinda way.

The acting was natural but not really mumblecore, since the script was really tight. I am definitely going to check out Onur Tukel's other films. Job well done!

New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009 Video Game)

Overwhelmingly Nostalgic and Addictive

[10/10 · 13 November 2009]

New Super Mario Bros. retains all the awesome aspects of SMB3(NES) and Super Mario World (SNES) that made it loved all over the world. Our spunky plumber, the princess and adorable villains are all in place and the stage is set for yet another tale of blissful video game awesomeness.

The gameplay is additive as uaual and uniquely SMB. Apart from throwing in new interesting obstacles and powers, real-time multiplayer gameplay is finally a reality.

Ah what can I say? I am a sucker for nostalgia and this game lets out the inner child I guess. I am definitely not a fan of our state-of-the-art 3D shooter and strategy games, and this is one of the few games that re-affirms my faith in video games. Legendary Nintendo has yet another winner that will stand the test of time.

Saturday Morning (2007)

Simple, Fun, Feel-good movie

[9/10 · 11 March 2009]

As my title suggests, one of those nice breezy films that keeps you occupied for a little more than an hour and leaves you feeling pretty good at the end. Simple premise. Pleasant execution. Dash of humor. Likable characters.

It basically a film about positive thinking and gives you a reason to shed cynicism. All the actors were quite decent and fit the bill. All in all, a good independent film far more pleasing compared to mainstream movies that spend a ton of money and end up leaving the viewer cheated. I would definitely call Rob Greenberg's directorial debut a success.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988 Video Game)

Timeless Masterpiece

[10/10 · 5 December 2006]

Super Mario Bros. 3 is quite simply the best ever video game made by the human race. When I think about super mario, it takes me back to a simpler time, when life was all fun and games. What makes it so special darn special? Its simplicity, engrossing gameplay, super cool villains, wonderful music, eyecandy graphics and chaste storyline makes it stand up to the technological might of todays' powerful XBOXs and Playstations. IMHO, none of todays' games can hold a candle to the sheer panache of super mario bros. Our adorable little Mario did for the gaming world, what the wheel did for the human race, period! End of story! Long live the Legend of Super Mario!

Restraining Order (2006)

Doesn't even deserve 1 star

[1/10 · 2 December 2006]

I am not really sure which movie the previous comment is referring to. Atrocious, crappy, abominable and unbelievably stupid are just some of the adjectives that would describe this movie. This movie suffers from poor acting, awful direction and a disastrous script. It has all the ingredients of a trash movie. Ultimately, it was a painful experience watching this movie.The director of this movie seriously needs to reconsider his career options. If there is anything that this movie has to offer to the world, then it should be used as a case study for film students to learn how not to make a movie. I wouldn't certainly recommend this movie to even my worst enemy. (Well, that's not entirely true; If I had to kill someone, I'd let him watch this movie). All I can think of saying is YUCK !!!

The Cult of the Suicide Bomber (2005 TV Movie)

Sad, I din't mean the movie

[7/10 · 7 November 2006]

The documentary, if it is factual and accurate, explains the plight of today's World. It is quite well-paced and it captures the emotions and motives of the suicide bombers and their families. Robert Baer needs to be congratulated for his courage. The scenes depicted in the film were heart-wrenching and pathetic. An entire generation of people have been duped into believing that suicide bombing is the pathway to martyrdom and salvation. However, I am not even trying to blame anyone for this, since it would point to a vicious cycle of blame games. I am not sure of the solution to this problem. But, I can clearly see the reason behind all these problems, Religion. Religion can be a very deceptive tool used by certain people to carry out their interests. The film shows how young kids look up to these suicide bombers as their heroes. I don't see any light ahead of the tunnel, if the cult of the suicide bomber is allowed to sustain and breed.