mytwobit Reviews

Maaveeran (2023)

Takes too long to come..

[6/10 · 4 September 2023]

The premise is very interesting and different. I was expecting a real entertainer but somewhere the story loses its plot in mundane plot points. For starters you are almost an hour and a half into the film before even coming to the main point. Takes a long winding route to establish the back stories. The "reward" for waiting so long is not satisfying. Also there are no side stories to make it more interesting since the main story is very wafer thin. There are some interesting characters here and there but they are left half baked. Even the heroine is there only as a prop doing very cliched stuff. Most entertaining part is the last 30 minutes. Even the end drags on for some time. Points for attempting something different.

Beirut (2018)

Hidden gem

[7/10 · 19 November 2022]

Don't know why this hasn't been widely publicised? Love thrillers set in the Middle East of the 80s. So much was happening there and so little has been talked about. The film very brilliantly captures that era. May not be a flamboyant thriller but slowly pulls you into the story line and becomes engaging. Brilliant acting by the lead John Hamm and Rosalind Pike. His portrayal as the brooding Mason Skiles is very believable. Almost seems like an extension of his Mad Men persona. Wish to see more of him in the coming years. It's difficult to judge the politics of that time with the lenses of today you need to understand times were different. The film and story captures that well without taking sides.

Paradise Highway (2022)

Ordinary fare elevated by its theme

[6/10 · 22 October 2022]

The movie is pretty ordinary. Of course you get to see a deglamourised Juliette Binoche which is a plus. She really has got her hands dirty as a truck driver. The point of this film is more to make people aware of human trafficking happening right under your nose maybe. That's how scary it is. I for one never imagined young girls were trafficked in America. That's what makes this an important film. Morgan Freeman's character never really blossomed to its full potential. Surprised he even agreed for this role which is more a supporting one. The young girl has acted well. Hope she gets more roles in the future. Watchable on a lazy day when you don't want to think too much.

Pathonpatham Noottandu (2022)

Entertaining and informative

[7/10 · 12 September 2022]

I like the way the mytho-historic genre is treated in this film. There is an element of 'larger than life' persona of a historic figure and also important chapter in the fight of the subalterns against the dominant upper casts who had proclaimed insulting rules such as 'breast tax'. To think that such a 'tax' even existed is shocking these days. One had to fight to even restore the basic human dignity of covering oneself itself will be an eye opener to many in modern India. How much resistance from the upper cast men who wanted to legitimize 'letching' or more way to keep the subalterns humiliated. Definitely an important film to watch for its portrayal of modern social equality movement in India. At the same time the film narrative and visualisation is in the heroic mode, with stylised fight sequence and other 'hero' cinema tropes. On the whole an enjoyable as well as an enlightening watch.

Star (II) (2021)

Very important subject but..

[4/10 · 1 November 2021]

The subject of the story is very important, especially from a women's health perspective. But the script is contrived to make us believe its about some supernatural phenomenon rather than a medical issue. Throughout the film there is an attempt to keep the viewer thinking its ghostly and super natural powers that are affecting the heroine. Lots of unnecessary rituals are shown in detail but one doesn't really know what's happening. Menopause is definitely an important aspect of woman's health and should be addressed in popular culture like cinema but not in this manner I feel.

Coming 2 America (2021)

Fails because Eddie..

[4/10 · 6 March 2021]

The idea just didn't work. The original was funny because it was funnily written and funnily performed. In this everyone seems bored. Especially Eddie Murphy. I know doing a follow up to a hugely successful original is a tall order. But they could have tried. There seems no effort. Was expecting a reinvention of Eddie Murphy but alas.

Seven Seconds (2018)

Wonderful series but...

[7/10 · 29 January 2021]

Loved it. Only wish the ending was changed and gave hope rather than show reality. What's the point of having a story with no hope we have reality for that.

Lootcase (2020)

Not as funny...

[5/10 · 4 August 2020]

A very predictable story line. Nothing surprising about the climax. It's exactly what you think it will be. In fact it's the only way you could see the end. There are some funny moments but on the whole didn't make you laugh. Some dialogues have topical references which you might miss. Kunal Kemmu mind it not KHemu comic timing is way off. Vijay Raz looks bored. If you have enjoyed Delhi Belly then this is not for you.

Gulabo Sitabo (2020)

Everyone's scheming against everyone

[4/10 · 13 June 2020]

Gulabo Sitabo in a nutshell - everyone is scheming against everyone else:

Start with Mirza scheming against his tenants and his wife.

Bankey (a tenant) is scheming against Mirza.

ASI officer is scheming against Mirza and Lawyer/Builder.

Lawyer is scheming against Tenants/ASI officer.

Bankey's sister is scheming against the family wishes.

Bankey's gf is scheming against Bankey.

and finally the Winning scheme of Mirza's wife against everyone residing in the Haveli and Mirza her husband itself.

The movie offers little else. Quite slow moving. There is not big reveal. The character arc doesn't exist. Everyone is where they were from the beginning to the end.

Tandoori Idly (2020– )

Fun light and breezy

[9/10 · 16 May 2020]

This is a fun light and breezy comedy. What happens when a North Indian girl joins an office in Chennai. Lots of relatable characters, funny situations and incidents that one can easily relate to.

Trance (I) (2020)

Confusing

[1/10 · 1 March 2020]

The movie may have been clear in the director's head but somehow he hasn't been able to translate that onto the screen. Confusing script and too many things to say without focusing on a central theme to hold the story.

Laal Kaptaan (2019)

Trailer seemed interesting but...

[2/10 · 18 October 2019]

Could have been such a wonderful film full of intrigue and mysticism. But alas it fails on all fronts. The story is so ordinary that it makes the viewer feel dumb. The action sequences are very amateurishly executed tad in a hurry. There is not a single moment where one feels empathy for any character. Saif doesn't look for, physically for the role and the main antagonist seems bored. Lots of plotholes. On the whole a very tedious story and even that is nothing refreshing.

Ishq (I) (2019)

Extremely contrived script

[2/10 · 24 July 2019]

The movie starts well. Then starts getting extremely contrived and the villain is over acting as usual. The hero is pretty dumb and stupid. The whole script moves in way that the director is trying to force a view on the viewer. Very average

Cam (2018)

Terrible

[1/10 · 20 November 2018]

One of the worst movies seen recently. If you are planning to watch it - don't. Time waste. Nothing is explained and lose ends. Perfect example of how not to make a film

Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007)

Is this a remake or a spoof?

[2/10 · 31 August 2007]

What's happening to RGV? He seems to repeat himself in every movie. Has he run out of creative ideas? If he has, time to take a back seat. Went to see the movie with great anticipation - of course not once did I imagine it would be anywhere near the original. I knew it wouldn't, the promos said it all. But even then I thought it would be a great RGV treat, after all isn't he the same guy who directed Sathya and Company? Or is he? I have my doubts after watching Aag. I am not going to talk about the plot or the story, as most of it is taken from the original, if you are really dying to go and see this one, you could play a fun game with friends: identify the scenes from the original one and give ratings of your own! So Veeru becomes Heero (how corny is that?), guess Heeru wouldn't sound that great. Ajay Devgan is quite a disaster as Heero, the comedy is strained and the slurred talk that really was effective in Company sounds fake. The chemistry between Heero and Gunghroo (Nisha Kothari) doesn't exists at all. In fact the more charming Nisha tries to be the more irritating she becomes. This reaches a peak by the end. Raj is in fact not bad as compared to the others, he is a guy to watch in the future. I was really disappointed with Amitabh Bachchan as Babban, he looks like a caricature of Gabbar Singh. There is a scene where he is drinking something from a bowl all covered in a shawl, instead of inspiring fear he looks like a beggar with his bowl. The only performance that really stood out was Mohan Lal as Inspector Narasimha. I am afraid I don't have the patience to write more.