AJ9441 Reviews

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024– )

Heeramandi, a beautiful spectacle

[8/10 · 7 May 2024]

Really enjoyed this show, it is peak Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Great set designs and a story that brings in so many elements of pre-independent, India. This period piece is a delight for the senses. Let's break it down.

Plot: The story is centred around the tawaifs (courtesans) of Heeramandi, Lahore. The infighting amongst the tawaif factions as they look to get revenge on one another and battle for supremacy. Intertwined in this is the love story between Alamzeb the daughter of a tawaif and Tajdar the son of a nawab. All of this is set against the larger freedom movement against the British that was going on at the time.

The plot is strong, and well tied together. With all these various plot points, it would have been easy for it to get messy, but Heeramandi manages to remain cohesive and coherent throughout. The storyline is gripping and will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Design: As with any SLB production this is the strongest point. The sets and props are stunning, transporting viewers into a different time and place. The costumes as well were amazing and really added to the characters. Attention to detail was immaculate and you see this with all the signages and lettering being in Urdu.

Would have been cool to include elements of the real Lahore city, but not sure what the political implications would have been so not counting it against the show.

Music: The music was extremely well curated, with beautiful song and dance numbers. Adds to the time period that the series is attempting to portray.

Acting: Generally, there were strong performances all around. Particularly from Manisha Koirala (Mallikajaan) and Sonakshi Sinha (Fareedan), who really bring their rivalry to life. Both actresses give deep performances that allow the audiences to hate and sympathize with them at the same time.

The standout performance for me was from Aditi Rao Hydari as Bibbojaan. Her performance is demands attention as she blends her characters occupation with the larger goals of freedom from the British.

Other strong supporting performances from Taha Shah Badussha and Indresh Malik.

There has been a lot of criticism for Sharmin Segal as Alamzeb. But I don't think her performance was bad. Yes, she could have been more expressive and emotive, but she had several good moments in the series. Alamzeb's debut performance was probably the most beautiful and haunting moment of the show.

Conclusion: Can't recommend this series enough, I ended it wishing that it was not just a limited series as I really want another season!

8/10.

Challengers (2024)

Weird movie, no real plot

[5/10 · 6 May 2024]

This movie came with a lot of hype but sad to say it did not meet expectations. While it is entertaining enough, there isn't really a plot. There's this underlying threesome drama that goes on for about a decade, but there is not deep dive into the characters. We don't really get much insight into Tashi and why she wants to mentally torture her husband. The movie seems more to titillate the audience without giving much substance.

Another criticism is that the music is just too loud. At pivotal moments they play this loud techno music that makes it hard to hear the characters.

The use of tennis as a metaphor is effective though and there are interesting shots that make the rally effect of the back and forth quite interesting to watch.

While not wholly enjoyable, there are entertaining moments in the film. The performances are generally quite good, in particular from Zendaya.

Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

Didn't do justice to the man

[5/10 · 27 March 2024]

Overall: If you went into this movie wanting to learn about the life of Bob Marley, this is not the movie for you. You don't really learn much about the key moments and the true impact of Marley on the world.

The movie is disjointed and badly paced, with too much focus on Marley smoking weed and playing football with his friends. A truer synopsis would have been, "man and friends get high amidst political turmoil in Jamaica".

Acting: Some pretty good performances all around given that there was not much meat in the roles to really allow the actors to get deeply into character.

Music: Music was great and song selection really did add to what was going on onscreen.

Conclusion: A missed opportunity, this could have been so much better. A decent watch but nothing to write home about.

Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024)

Really expected more from Shahid Kapoor.

[3/10 · 15 February 2024]

So straight up will say this movie is bad, not the worst movie ever, but definitely wasn't very good.

Story: The plot is quite novel, and I was interested to see how they would handle this topic of robotics and AI given that is a current hot topic. As in all science fiction movies there is an element of suspending disbelief, but this movie took it too far with outrageous and unrealistic twists and turns. I never understood the main characters motivations for wanting to take a romantic relationship with a robot this far.

Acting: Kriti Sanon played her role well in what was a difficult character portrayal. She was the best part of the movie. Shahid Kapoor for an established well-known actor in his 40's gave a very shallow performance relying on overacting. Although he was aided by a pretty terrible script.

Songs: Most of them were remakes, but overall, pretty fun and enjoyable numbers.

Conclusion: If you do want to see this wait for it to come out on streaming. 3/10.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)

An enjoyable time but nothing new to see

[6/10 · 12 January 2024]

This movie was a really fun watch with a lot of the Karan John tropes that people enjoy, but there was almost an over reliance on historic tropes taking away from the new story they were trying to tell.

Plot: Plot was fairly obvious bollywood fare, boy and girl like each other and their parents need to be convinced. A lot of callbacks to previous KJo hits like K3G to help move the plot along. Overall cute story but nothing particularly new or exciting. There was in my opinion too much of a feminism push that was handled in a very hard handed way where a softer touch might have been more effective. Realistically no son in law and mother in law go bra shopping together.

Acting: The movie is acted very well both by Alia (probably the best actress in India at the moment) and Ranveer. They have clear on screen chemistry and really make you believe that they are the characters they are playing.

Music: Music is pretty good with some memorable hits but it is by no means a superstar soundtrack.

Conclusion: Definitely a fun watch with the family and I recommend it. But it is by no means a classic for the ages.

The Archies (2023)

Charming attempt with terrible execution

[3/10 · 10 December 2023]

So, this attempt by Zoya Akthar at a Hollywood style musical set in India and in Hindi/English does not work at all. Right from the get-go the scene is set in a very confusing manner. Trying to shoehorn this explanation of the Anglo-Indian community living in the hills of India as a reason they all had Western names was quite frankly laughable.

Plot: The plot is quite boring centering around a played-out trope of a group of youngsters trying to save their local park. Along the way there are a number of side plots concerning the personal lives of the characters. Overall, quite predictable and was not captivating in the slightest. The story kept me clockwatching wondering when this would end.

Acting: The acting is quite frankly awful. Even cutting some slack for a group of performers making their debuts, they did not really manage to convince me that they embodied their characters. Across the board the delivery of lines was quite wooden, although to be fair the script was largely underwhelming. A rare bright spot in this department is Vedang Raina who gives a good showing as Reggie - the only character with any sort of character development.

Songs: There are a number of songs in this movie, each as forgettable and drab as the next. Musicals need great songs to survive, and this lacks completely in that department.

Set/Costumes: This is the best part of the film. The set design and costumes are brilliant and really captures the 1960's vibe that the director was going for. It adds a lot to the charm of the film.

Sam Bahadur (2023)

A feel good movie that lacked substance

[5/10 · 7 December 2023]

Summary: For me while this movie was charming, it did not hit the right notes that it could have when exploring a figure as historically important as Sam Manekshaw. The film seemed more intent on making audiences feel good about the Indian army and patriotic for the country that it did not delve too deeply into the character of Manekshaw. What were the factors that drove him? What was his decision-making process like? All of this was ignored, and all we learned about Sam Manekshaw was that he loved the army and a few of his favorite sayings.

Plot: The story covers the entire military career of Sam Manekshaw, but as mentioned earlier does not delve too deeply into any aspects. It is more of a rough summary then a deep dive into the person.

Acting: The casting for this film could have been a lot better. I was interested to see if Vicky Kaushal could lead a movie in a non-comedic role and the verdict is that he can't. He was not terrible but lacked any screen presence or natural charisma in the role. Sanya Malhotra, who I usually rate highly, delivers her lines with all the gusto of a block of wood. Of the leads only Fatima Sana Shaikh does justice to her character.

Script: The script for want of a better word is quite lame. It's all just sayings with the express purpose of making Indian audiences feel good. The dialogue lacks any sort of real gravitas. Even the serious moments when they are going to war feels like a bit of a joke.

Music: Background music was ok, but the actual numbers were quite poor and took away from the enormity of war.

Conclusion: Overall, the movie is not terrible, it is pleasant enough to watch. However, it really does leave you wishing they had tackled this subject in a different way.

12th Fail (2023)

A good movie that tugs at the heartstrings

[8/10 · 5 December 2023]

Came into 12th Fail with low expectations given the lack of marketing and hype around the film. Boy was I wrong. The movie is an earnest telling of a true story that really speaks to the power of try try again. Vikrant Massey puts in a very strong performance as Manoj Kumar Sharma and really makes the audience empathize with the plight of the character and the unfair rigged system that he is up against. Special mention for Medha Shankar an actress that I was not familiar with but put in a very good showing so I am sure we will see her in more mainstream movies in the future. Definitely worth a watch for the whole family.

Animal (I) (2023)

A lot to like and a lot to be confused about

[7/10 · 4 December 2023]

Ok there's a lot to unpack here so let me go through each item.

Acting: If this rating was purely about acting it would be a 10/10 movie. Ranbir Kapoor produces one of the best performances I've seen in Hindi cinema in a long long time. He captures each emotion perfectly be it pain, anger, hope. Some solid performances by the supporting cast as well particularly from Anil Kapoor and Tripti Dimri.

Plot: This is where the movie falls down. There are way too many plot points without much cohesion between them. I think the first half of the movie laid some good groundwork which was not capitalised upon.

Action: Some really good action sequences (albeit unrealistic) and action choreography. This movie is very violent and gory so viewer discretion is advised if you are not a fan of blood and gore.

Music: Some very beautiful tunes that really add a lot to what is going on onscreen.

Runtime: A lot has been made of how long it is (3.5 hours!) but while watching it you don't really feel the length, the movie is very engaging and you won't be clock watching. The let down is that in all this time they couldn't come up with a cohesive storyline.

Do I regret watching it? Absolutely not I think it was an engaging piece of art. Would I watch it again? Probably not now that the suspense is over (although maybe just for Ranbir's performance I might).

Napoleon (2023)

High expectations that were not met

[5/10 · 27 November 2023]

Kind of disappointed in this movie. Had very high expectations given the cast and Ridley Scott's direction. But the pacing is not great they were not able to spend adequate time on the politics and war strategy for which he was so famed. Too much time spent on the personal relationship between him and his wife. They especially rushed his exiles and return.

Not sure that Joaquin Phoenix was a good choice for Napoleon, he could not get rid of his American accent so you had the lead with an American accent and the rest of the cast with British accents, it did not gel well. The sets and costumes were great though.

Overall give this a miss and wait for it to come out on a streaming platform.

Barbie (I) (2023)

Silly and a waste of time

[2/10 · 11 August 2023]

The marketing team for this movie really need to take a bow because I honestly can't believe how this movie made so much money. It was like watching a really long toy commercial. The plot itself had some promise and there were some laughs but in general the movie was quite stupid.

To start with there we're not enough big laugh moments and most of the humour was quite slapstick and lame. Secondly there seemed to be no real payoffs or explaining of choices. The only character who seemed to act in a way that was rationale was Ken, but even at the end he just gave up there was no conclusion so to speak of.

The sets were quite fun and well thought out. But overall I was pretty bored and mostly waiting for the movie to be over. If you really want to watch this, wait for it to come out on the plane or on streaming platforms, don't bother spending your hard earned money on this garbage.

Shehzada (2023)

Fun mindless entertainment

[7/10 · 14 March 2023]

Let's get one thing out of the way from the offset. Shehzada is not some great piece of cinema. But it is a fun way to spend an afternoon. The story is a bit far fetched but if you suspend reality you will find yourself really enjoying it. Kartik Aaryan is extremely charming in this role and you will find yourself rooting for him as the movie goes on.

The highlight of the movie is definitely the songs which are extremely catchy - you will find yourself jiving along. The title track 'Shehzada' is very innovative and almost like a broadway production within Bollywood.

Don't take this movie too seriously and you'll have a good time.

Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023)

Finally a great Bollywood RomCom

[8/10 · 14 March 2023]

Over the last few years, Bollywood has been churning out sub-par movies. Finally TJMM breaks this trend with a highly entertaining, well cast, and well thought out original plot. It is Luv Ranjan at his very best.

This fresh pairing of Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor are very believable as a couple and their chemistry is impossible to deny. I do hope we see them in more projects together. The story line is innovative and addresses a real issue that many couples throughout the Indian diaspora are facing - to live in a joint family environment or to be more independent. As usual Luv has a unique take on this and presents a very different point of view than the hyper individualistic outlook that most young couples have these days. Ranbir is simply fantastic and proves once again that he is the finest actor of his generation. It is also fantastic to see Shraddha thrive in movie where she has a bigger role than the movies she is usually in.

The sets and shots are extremely vibrant and colorful. The songs and dances are amazing! Top tier dancing from all involved with songs that really work well with the story and add to the emotion of the film.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable watch and highly recommend this movie!

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Don't believe the false reviews by fanboys, it's bad.

[3/10 · 5 January 2023]

This movie was so silly and boring at multiple times I wanted to leave the cinema.

Story: The story is completely ridiculous and is Pocahontas meets free Willy meets jungle book. It's slow and draggy in typical Cameron fashion. We get a full 30 mins of the son befriending a whale (I took this opportunity to visit the concession stand and didn't miss anything). Many in the cinema also laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the whales talking to the main characters.

For some reason there is a character which I guess is Tarzan inspired? Anyway the main characters are so dull that towards the end you actually end up rooting for the villains just to prevent another sequel.

The main friction point also makes no sense, these whalers spend billions in tech to get a vial of whale juice worth $80m?

Acting: Nothing much do discuss here, not great but not bad.

Graphics: Here is where the film shines, but are they that much better than avengers or Star Wars? I would argue not, especially not for 3 hours of your time.

Verdict: It's not the worst movie ever, but it's bad. In hindsight I would not have watched it. They teased a sequel which I have no intention of seeing.

The Dropout (2022)

Amanda Seyfried brings out the true wickedness of Elizabeth Holmes

[8/10 · 4 May 2022]

I loved this series, I thought they really managed to capture the events and craziness surrounding Theranos. How one founder and a few of her close allies managed to dupe the biggest investors in Silicon Valley and the government was truly captured here.

The series paid attention to the little things like the Yoda mantra as well as how Holmes was known to change her voice in order to sound more like an authoritative CEO.

Some fantastic performances especially by Seyfried. She really made you hate the character and encapsulated how evil and sociopathic Holmes was, with no empathy for human health or life.

Definitely recommend this one, it will keep you hooked.

Death on the Nile (2022)

A fun watch

[7/10 · 1 May 2022]

This movie is quite gripping and well acted. A good adaptation of this story. Really managed to capture that old world glamour.

The locations, sets and costume designs are just stunning.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Terrible movie. Could not wait for it to end.

[2/10 · 27 April 2022]

This movie was awful. I came in very excited based on user reviews but it became clear that all of these people must have been on drugs. The movie is wacky but not in a good way, with seemingly random things happening.

I was just waiting for it to be over and if I was not with friends would have walked out of the cinema.

The one positive I can give it is that it is very original and that is not common in Hollywood nowadays.

Don't be swayed by all the positive reviews, this movie is not worth it.

The Bubble (2022)

Boring and not funny

[2/10 · 12 April 2022]

The jokes fall flat, the storyline and characters seem very forced. Really not worth the watch at all.

I abandoned this halfway because it was simply terrible.

The Fame Game (2022)

Enjoyable mystery

[7/10 · 12 April 2022]

This was a good watch with some really great performances, particularly by Madhuri Dixit. The storyline was engaging and there were a number of unexpected twists.

I think it could have been a little more fast paced than it was. But overall worth the watch.

Windfall (2022)

Silly and boring. Social message did not get through

[3/10 · 9 April 2022]

This movie got progressively worse as it went on. Initially it's an interesting premise just very slowly paced and quite boring. Then it just gets ridiculous, the wife killing her husband and the thief before apparently freeing herself? This makes no sense at all nor was there any suggestion she could have these tendencies.

Also what was the message? That people shouldn't invent new products and services in case that displaces people from their current jobs? With that mindset we'd all still be cavemen.

Eternally Confused and Eager for Love (2022– )

Silly and poorly executed

[3/10 · 9 April 2022]

The pilot started off quite promisingly but it was all downhill from there. The conversations with Wiz are so silly it starts to feel like a children's show. Overall there is no growth and development of the characters. The storyline is convoluted to say the least.

'83 (2021)

Great story, poorly executed

[5/10 · 3 April 2022]

So I will say I am not a huge cricket fan so came into this movie not super familiar with the story beforehand. I felt for such a great real life story to base the movie on, the execution of the film felt very amateurish. Some of the close up cricket shots felt like a video game.

Ranveer Singh did not have enough of a meaty role to do Kapil Dev justice. Besides some general nationalistic platitudes, we did not really get into his character of personality much.

It definitely hit the patriotic notes if that is what you are after, but overall could have been so much better.

Morbius (2022)

Succeeded in being terrifying, lacking in every other department

[5/10 · 3 April 2022]

Morbius was not as bad as a lot of other reviewers will have you think, nor is it anything that stands out. Let's start with the good:

• The movie was dark and terrifying. Really encapsulated the horror movie meets superhero vibe well.

• Some good performances by Leto and Smith.

The bad:

• The character development was so shoddily done. As an audience member you never connect with any character and as a result don't really care what happens to them.

• The motivations of the characters are rushed. Martine learns the truth about Morbius and 5 minutes later she is making out with him.

• We never find out why Morbius turns down the Nobel prize.

• There seems to be no arc of how Morbius and Milo learn to control their powers.

• Why can Morbius control the bats but Milo can't? Seems not to make much sense.

Overall a decent way to waste a few hours but definitely not worth a rewatch.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Morgan Freeeman steals the show!

[9/10 · 31 March 2022]

Finally watched this movie and it certainly lives up to the hype. Fantastic movie with some of the best acting that you will see. The two leads are really fantastic.

Badhaai Do (2022)

Interesting but draggy

[5/10 · 31 March 2022]

The movie tackled this social issue in quite an effective way. The acting was good as well, just felt that the movie dragged on a lot and that made me lose interest.