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AnonymousIndica
Reviews
The Witcher (2019)
Nice! Lots of good mental exercise!!!
Okay, it took me a minute to get to this show. And, yes, the first three episodes take some serious concentration to follow as characters are introduced and their characteristics highlighted for us. Then, it takes off. Just enjoy it like you would any epic story from any culture.
I do recommend watching the 6-minute recap of Season 1 before you watch Season 2. Netflix does excellent recaps.
I'll update this review after I watch each season.
Agneepath (1990)
How to lose a storyline and three hours
Of its time, this movie is a potboiler in the fashion of potboilers from Bollywood in the 1980s and 1990s. I didn't catch it in theatres when it was first released, and I'm glad I didn't.
What starts off as a promising story, deteriorates pretty quickly. Lots of stereotypes abound. (This movie got remade 22 years later - I haven't yet watched that version.)
By the way, Baby Tabassum, a child actor of her time, is in this movie, not the amazing veteran actress Tabassum as listed in the cast here. I'm not sure how to have IMDb correct that.
A Christmas Together with You (2021)
Somebody get the writers a pick-me-up, please
If you want to see how to beat around the proverbial bush in six different ways, spend your time on this movie. I typically do not review holiday romance movies, but man alive, this one has me yelling at the telly in four languages. No one is saying what they mean, or meaning what they say. (This is not a spoiler because you'll see it happen within five minutes.). Of course, if you want the muzak to help you sleep, go for it.
The Other End of the Line (2007)
Run of the mill
Lots of stereotypes. Really problematic storyline, especially if you know anything about financial institutions or international travel from so-called 'Third World' countries to the States. The most problematic is the heroine's ability to fly stateside on a whim - it's not as easy as it might be for Europeans, if you're from India. Unless you have a visa handy, which is unclear (and probably implied by virtue of an aunt stateside - which means the aunt would never be in the dark as the visa sponsor). I'm hard-pressed to find a bright spot. It took some effort to overlook these errors and gloss over the assumptions / implications so I could watch in full. Lots of other ways to be at the 'other end of the line' and travel to the States on a whim in a more credible manner. The cast does their best. Average fare.
Outlander (2014)
Stellar storytelling and performances, on all counts
I am one of the few who got introduced to this show before the books behind them. It is a well-crafted adaptation of some of the wordiest books I have ever read. I particularly appreciate the composite characters in the show who make the story that much more engaging. This show explores interpersonal relationships from multiple lenses, but the core premise is a marriage (or two, or three) that lasts through everything it endures in the background of several historical vistas. The lead characters age decades between Season 1 and 3, and you see the lives led in that duration. (Yes, sometimes it feels like Forrest Gump -- in that everything happens to or around the heroine/storyteller.)
Like any long-term effort, there are episodic ebbs and flows in the narrative. However, your patience will be rewarded if you get past the first 30 minutes of the first episode of each season. (You could say that is this series' 'signature move'.). Like an airplane taxiing for take-off, those first thirty minutes can be trying, but once that's behind you, stand by for a riveting story arc of three (Season 1), four (Season 2), five (Season 3), six (Season 4), and now seven (Season 5) intertwining lives.
The cast and crew are clearly very skilled in their chosen craft and make the characters three-dimensional with their interpretations. Mr. Heughan, Ms. Balfe, Mr. Menzies, Mr. Lacroix, Mr. Berry, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. McTavish are performers to watch. The music and the costumes are characters in and of themselves. The theme song is haunting and delightful.
If you haven't read the books, do read them, as long as you understand that an author can create millions of characters if she likes, but a show would never get off the ground if every single character were to be cast. The show takes a few shortcuts in the compositing of several characters, but they are all going to be seamless to you.
If you have read the books, do allow the writers working on the adaptation some credit. Not everything in the books can be enacted live (and there is a lot that should -- and necessarily would -- stay in the books).
Keep an open mind and you'll see why this show is like a shot of adrenaline and dopamine. Binge-worthy, and you'll find more each time you watch an episode.