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Paatal Lok (2020)
True Detective: India edition
It's a fantastic TV show. Intriguing characters with right amount of complexity with a mystery/thriller plot. There is definitely enough references to our country's current scenario and it had already pissed the right-wingers off. But, it's a scathing critique on liberals as well.
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
The Hero of War
It has been my belief that in war, most of the time there are no heroes, only participants. But, in Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge, there is a hero. A hero in its truest sense. In this year's another sensational film, La La Land, we saw how it is important to never let go of what you want or what you dream, even if the circumstances are trying. In Hacksaw Ridge, we see even in dire situations and in face of dreadful consequences how it is important to never let go of who you are.
For in Hacksaw Ridge, the protagonist Desmond Doss reminds us that it is the belief, the ideology of person and their actions that define them and not the fulfillment of norms. Based on true events, the film tells the story of an American man who becomes the first Conscientious Objector to win the Medal of Honor. To put in a simpler term, Desmond Doss' belief and conscience does not allow him to kill another human being, or even pick a gun. He still enlists to serve as a combat medic.
What follows, is a struggle. Both internal and external where Doss is subjected to humiliation, violence and time in jail. There even comes a time when he had to choose between love and the belief that made him the person he is. But, his unfaltering energy and determination to stay true in its own eyes make him the hero that this film is celebrating.
Mel Gibson and writers Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan strike the perfect balance between a biographical drama and a war film. At one side, the battle scenes are shot exquisitely. Filled with realism and horrors of war. Gibson doesn't pull his punches in showing the harrowing brutality. The film would remind people of the battles in Saving Private Ryan or in the excellent mini-series Band of Brothers. At another side, there's enough room in the film to explore the life of Doss. The relationship with his father, his love for his wife, all these beautifully depicts the tenderness, the gentle yet resolute soul of Doss.
Andrew Garfield plays Desmond Doss and I cannot imagine anyone doing a better job than him in this role. Garfield's boyish charm reflects the character's innocence. Be it when he flirts or when he refuses to carry firearms, he seems sincere and determined and yet gentle and sweet. The film is buoyed by the heroism of the character of Desmond Doss, which in turn is buoyed by Garfield's acting. The chemistry between Garfield and a fine Teresa Palmer, who plays Dorothy, Desmond's wife, strikes the emotional chord enough to give a dramatic dimension in this film. Speaking of emotional bond, Hugo Weaving churns a top performance as Doss' father. You feel the desperation and the frustration his character feels when his sons enlist in the army, as he had watched most of his friends die while serving himself. The supporting cast of 77th Infantry Division, including Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, and Vince Vaughn, does well too. Particularly Vaughn.
Mel Gibson directs this film after a gap of approximately 10 years, and it would appear that the time has not put rust on his direction mettle. Hacksaw Ridge is perhaps the best War film of this decade and certainly one of the finest of this genre.
Cike Nie Yin Niang (2015)
Visual Masterpiece
Often, we hear, regarding a film, that the screenplay was not tidy, the story was non-existent, the pacing was slow et cetera. Why yes, the story of the film is very much the crux of any film, it is, however, possible to achieve greatness without much of a story per se. Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Assassin not only makes that possible but becomes a marvel at it. It is the sheer beauty of each frame that makes you forget about the story. Each frame, in itself, is a story. You do not mind the snail's pace of screenplay as you do not want the frame in front of your eyes to pass. You gorge them. This rare feat makes The Assassin one of the truest visual poetry.
For it is poetry. Most of the time we treat the film like a novel. Films are indeed often a visual mean of storytelling. In that regard, it becomes as engrossing as a great story should be. But, films can be a mean of poetry too. Poetry need not have three acts, great characters or a fine climax. Poetry is a beautiful encapsulation of moments, that is to be felt. Hou's The Assassin is just that.
However, it doesn't mean that there is no premise whatsoever for the film. There is. Based on a martial arts story by the same name as our protagonist, this wuxia fiction set in 8th century Tang dynasty is centered around the titular assassin, Nie Yinniang. In the very first wonderfully shot black and white couple minutes, we were shown Nie Yinniang's capability as well as her humane side. Upon this, she was sent, as an attempt to strengthen her resolve, to assassinate the governor who was her cousin and also once betrothed.
The tale is told with touch of magnificence. Director Hou's vision seeps in each frame of the film. As a result, the viewers would also be immersed, if they have the patience for it. By now, it is quite evident that the cinematography of the film is drop-dead gorgeous. Mark Lee Ping Bin's camera performs a key role in the muted yet enigmatic atmosphere of the film.
The film is as well shot as it is well acted. Shu Qi, as the protagonist Nie Yinniang, was pivotal in her performance as the film centered around her character. Her nuance is instinctive, movements swift and emotions passionate. She depicts the conflict within Yinniang as deftly as she does in the orchestrated fighting sequences.
The Assassin is a visual masterpiece, a glowing example of art-house cinema.
Thithi (2015)
Simplistically fine
Once, Satyajit Ray's widely regarded masterpiece 'Pather Panchali' met the criticism of "Selling Poverty" to urban audience. Quite a handful of Indians criticised it citing it depicts the poor class of India to cater to sentimentalism of western audience. Even Francois Truffaut wasn't a taker of neorealism of peasants. However, when the rich was depicted on screen, full of arrogance and debauchery, there was hardly any uproar.
In this context, popular television series Game of Thrones had a thought through one of its character which says that the only reason the poor repel us is that show us who we truly are without all earthly attachments, tangible and intangible. Raam Reddy's Thithi gives us a character that symbolizes the detachment I am talking about. First let's see, what the film is about. Thithi is a Kannada word that refers to the ritual that is performed after the death of a person, post cremation. 'Century' Gowda, named understandably for the 100 years he lived, dies and leaves his descendants in quite a fix.
Gadappa, the eldest son of Century, is one aimless cloud, drifting hither and thither. It is his aloofness towards anything materialistic, which provides the poignancy in the film. Thamanna, on the other hand, is in complete contrast with his father Gadappa. He's the representative of the common people that could be seen in any rural part of India. Thamanna is pragmatic in his approach of making ends meet. He figures that selling the acres of land, that had previously been a property of Century, would vastly improve his and his family's financial position.
Thamanna's adolescent son, Abhi, helps his father in organising his great grandfather's 'Thithi', the ceremony where the whole village would be invited. Alongside, he has his own shenanigans to do. Through the eyes of these characters we get a slice of life that is soaked with purity that is stripped off any facade. But, it is not merely a 'Slice of Life' film, which in itself is a major feat to pull through. The dichotomy between the traits of Gadappa and his son is the vision that drives the film; and Kudos to director Raam Reddy for that.
Gadappa, in one particular scene, says "What is meant to happen, happens. No one has control over it. So. It's better to be just happy," which by no means, is an easy task. His aloofness towards anything mundane is thus a result of his embracing the reality and accepting his own place in that. This realisation is channeled through Gadappa throughout the film, till the end scene. This is the essence of Thithi. Another praiseworthy aspect of the writing is that it perfectly captured all the idiosyncrasies and eccentricities that is an integral part of village life. The tone of the film is quite balanced by that.
Like the film I mentioned at the very beginning of this review, Pather Panchali, the cast of this film also largely comprised of essentially nonactors; and these nonactors binds the film together. Special mention to Channegowda and Thammegowda who portrayed the two protagonists Gadappa and Thamanna brilliantly. Cinematographer Doron Tempert is also deserving of plaudits for capturing the earthly essence of the village, very much in sync with the film. Thithi is a remarkable piece of cinema and part of a breed of regional Indian films that are rich in soul and quality, unlike most of their counterparts in Bollywood.
Le tout nouveau testament (2015)
Hilariously Great!
Humor and mockery, there is a fine line between these two and in history of any form of art where humor is an objective for the artist, there has been occasions where the artist failed to make the dichotomy between humor and mockery quite distinct. The line often becomes blurred for many; and therein lie the beauty and novelty of one artist who manages to provide pure humor though the subject of his work appears to take the form mockery. Belgian filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael displays that rare talent of humor in his film The Brand New Testament.
The Brand New Testament's begins with the premise that God does exist and he lives in Brussels; with his docile wife, the Goddess, and rebellious daughter, Ea. God is tactless towards his wife and abusive towards his daughter. While he is not being those towards his family, he makes up laws on his computer, laws for worldly human. One example of those laws is 'Your phone will always ring when you are immersed in bathtub.' I think one gets the essence of the film now.
So, when Ea reaches a breaking point, after getting beaten by her father, she decides to leave her father's house after consultation with her brother Jesus Christ, who she affectionately calls JC (Yes you are reading it right). JC tells hers to find her own apostles and write a new testament. So, Ea leaves to find her apostles, but not before she gains access to her father's computer and sends everyone in the world, their day of death; and then she locked the computer so her father could not access it again. All this happens at the beginning of the first act.
By now, after reading this, one can comprehend the absurdity of the story of the film. But, what one cannot comprehend is how, with each scene, this film takes 'funny' and storytelling to another level. Ea's search of six apostles unravels the unique stories of six persons who are fighting a battle of their own now they know the day of their death. Each story, of each apostle, would resonate with us, beneath the veil of humor. That is the virtue of being a good satire and The Brand New Testament is excellent at it.
Van Dormael, who co-wrote the script with Thomas Gunzig, wields a deft direction. The dialogues are witty and hilarious at the same time. There are moments where one would hysterically burst into fits of laughter and there are moments where a melancholic chuckle would appear on one's face. Never for a moment does any oddity or any absurd scene, which you see in the film, would seem out of place or ludicrous. There is a poetic flow in the humor of the film.
The entire cast, plays their oddball characters superbly. Each character in this film is unique and forms pieces of the brilliant jigsaw display, that is this film; and all the actors rises to the occasion to portray theirs. Benoit Poelvoorde should be mentioned for wickedly mischievous and despicable portrayal of God. It his performance that makes us loathe his character and thus laugh out loud when he gets in trouble. Pil Groyne, who plays 10 years old Ea, was memorable too; and not to forget David Murgia's charming yet hilarious cameo as Jesus Christ.
The film is full of virtues, and among the glittering virtues, cinematography would take an essential spot. The film is beautifully shot. Christophe Beaucarne's camera-work deserves every praise there is not give. Choice of background score and music is also commendable.
The Brand New Testament is a film that will be etched in your memory while bringing a smile, whenever you think about it.
Room (2015)
Evocative Filmmaking
Lenny Abrahamson's Room is poignant. Room is evocative. Room is devastatingly beautiful. There is a magic in creating a world in a child's perspective. To capture and display the innocence, the purity, the sheer amount of confusing vastness of the world is no mean feat. Writer Emma Donoghue, who is also the writer of the book that the film is based upon, and director Lenny Abrahamson manage to do just that.
The film starts with the pair of mother and son, Joy and Jack, played by Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay living their lives while scrapping for resources yet finding solace in each other's company, in a room. That is right. In a single room (which later revealed to be a garden shed with a skylight as the only source of sun). The reason behind this ordeal revealed to be that Joy had been abducted by person referred only as 'Old Nick'. Old Nick kept Joy and Jack, who is his biological son, sans any means of communication with the outside world and had them live a life devoid of any hope to go back to the world.
Without revealing much about what happens next in the film, it can be said that what follows is one of the heart-wrenching and heart-warming story about love, innocence and those little joys of the world that we often overlook. There is a slight tonal shift in the second half as the tension of escape and sweetness of the love between mother and son gets replaced with Joy facing the reality of the world. But the change is in coherence with the story and that helped in underlining the difficulty both protagonists, especially Joy, is facing in their new world. Even without reading the book, I must say that the screenplay immensely helped in establishing the dichotomy of the emotions that the protagonists went through. Lenny Abrahamson's direction complemented that aforementioned dichotomy. The first act was shot quite meticulously in the closed room, thus providing a sense of foreboding and an urge for escape.
Although bolstered by a good support cast the film largely centers around the mother, played by Brie Larson and the son, played by Jacob Tremblay. Brie Larson, whose hitherto best performance perhaps had been in the largely underrated 2013 film Short Term 12, churned out a superlative and breathtaking performance as the mother. The role was a delight for an actor of her capability and she made the character her own. Restrained and gritty while being captive in the room and yet lovingly playing with her son; Vulnerable and fragile, being captive of her own thoughts and insecurities, while trying to get her son attuned to the big world; Brie Larson shines throughout her role.
But, the film would not have been so pure, so emotional, so magical without the brilliant performance of Jacob Tremblay, as the 5 year old. It is one of the finest performances from a child I have ever seen. The fear of the task her mother asked, then the taste of freedom, then again the intimidation of the vast world that had hitherto been unknown to him. We feel everything through the wondrous performance of Jacob Tremblay and he genuinely smiled in the film when seeing a 'real' dog for the first time, it becomes difficult to hold tears back.
At this point, it would not be fair if Stephen Rennick's score is not mentioned. The music, with the appropriate usage, bolstered the scenes and helped the film in taking the audience for the ride.
Room is a film that would provide its audiences a perspective that we often ignore; and for this very reason it is a film that should not be missed.
Masaan (2015)
Poignant Tale of Death and Life
Masaan in its English translation means crematorium, but the film, in its wider release, is named Fly Away Solo. This dichotomy of tone between the translations can be seen throughout the film and that is where Neeraj Ghaywan scored in his brilliant debut feature. The film is uplifting but heartbreaking, reflecting on both sorrow and hope and thus transcends to something that can be as refreshing as the morning air.
In Masaan, the story, set in Banaras, is woven around two primary protagonists, Deepak(Vicky Kaushal) and Devi(Richa Chadda). One of them faces tragedy early in the film, and the other one sees its devastating form later. But, predictably, and here 'predictably' should not be taken in a negative way, both of their lives converge; one finding closure through struggle and another solace amidst loneliness.
Masaan is not plot-driven, but character-driven; the like we see in Iranian and Romanian new wave films. It is not much of a story-telling than portrayal of life on screen. Life and the elements that control it; namely society, religion, family, love and death. This is where Masaan triumphs. It is hard yet poignant, heartbreaking and yet poetic; because life is all of those.
Masaan dwindles on life and death like its name. Death is a prominent figure in the story and And it is not only two protagonists' eyes we see life at Banaras through; we see it through the eyes of Vidyadhar Pathak too. A guilt-ridden and simpleton father struggling to protect his daughter, Devi. Pathak's attempt to diminish the distance between him and his daughter is one of the key points of this film.
Writer Varun Grover and Director Neeraj Ghaywan deserves all the accolades and plaudits they received in the film festival circuits. Masaan creates a flurry of small yet memorable characters in form of Jhonta, a boy working as apprentice in Pathak's shop, Sadhya Ji, Devi's colleague in Railway office and the antagonist Police Inspector Mishra. All of them were necessary elements that framed the picturesque story in Masaan.
Vicky Kaushal and Richa Chadda led the performances by churning out superlative display. Kaushal's portrayal was simple and charming while being in love and effortlessly devastating in front of death. Chadda was subdued but strong, much like her character. However, it was veteran actor Sanjai Mishra who shone as Pathak. His nuances while Pathak was trying to remain strong in trying times were impeccable and bound to bring a tear or two when he broke down. Special mention for Pankaj Tripathi who played Sadhya Ji.
Masaan is one of those films where everything clicks. If you praise writing, direction and performances of actors, you cannot simply leave the cinematography and music of the film. "Tu Kisi Rail Si
" and "Man Kasturi R
" would definitely strike a chord of melancholy in viewers.
Masaan is a beautiful of piece of lives in a world you definitely would not want to miss from experiencing.
Haider (2014)
Violently Beautiful
Vishal Bharadwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's titular play 'Hamlet' is dark, gritty and thoroughly meticulous in craft. There is always a beauty about snow white backdrop that provides the canvas to draw human fallacies in red. 'Haider', set in the backdrop of Kashmir proves to be violently beautiful. But it's not the violence, or the prominent vengeance of 'Hamlet'; nor the socio-political dogma that creating a ripple of controversy was faced by the people during the 95 Kashmir Conflicts, that was the driving force of Haider. It was the awry and eerie love and relationship between the mother-son duo of Ghazala and Haider.
The primary characters of the story, and their relationship did not deviate much from Hamlet in the film. But, just like his previous films on Shakespeare's works, Bharadwaj triumphs, more prominently in this film, in the craft of blending the tragedy of the play with the emotional aspect of the story. Thus, the film becomes very unique and Bharadwaj's own in that perspective. The preparation and hard work of the director reflects in the film's narrative.
Much like Hamlet, Haider arrives in a discontent Kashmir to find that his family has been torn apart by the war that is brewing between the Militants and government. Amidst that, people are disappearing, seemingly at random. To Haider's grief, he finds that his father is one of the missing persons and to his shock he finds out the proximity of the relationship between his mother and uncle, Khurram.
Viewers could almost sense the amount of threads Bharadwaj was spinning in the film. Whether it was Haider's search for the truth, the controversial torment of the common people in Kashmir, or Haider's search for his father that continues to reek of betrayal and thus spawn vengeance in his heart; Haider's love for his fiancée or the palpable love between Haider and Ghajala, which to me is crowning glory of this tale of vengeance – all of these threads creates the web where our titular protagonist is at the heart of. And herein lies the mastery of Vishal Bharadwaj that not for once one could feel him losing the grasp in the story, such is the screenplay.
A film like this deserves the acting brilliance it had in the cast. First of all, Shahid Kapoor, hitherto mostly playing romantic characters (with the slight exception of Kaminey, another Vishal Bharadwaj film), was nothing less than magnifique in his portrayal of the central character. The soliloquy of his in the midst of the street would and should go down as one of the finest acting display in Bollywood. Kay Kay Menon, as the antagonist Khurram, does his work deftly. But, perhaps, being an ardent Kay Kay fan, it just seemed a tad bit overtly dramatic from his part in some occasions. In smaller roles, Irrfan Khan (as the enigmatic Roohdar) and Narendra Jha (as Haider's father Hilal) do more than than their limited screen time allowed. Shraddha Kapoor does not disappoint either.
But, the film was provided another dimension by the performance of one woman. Perhaps it was symbolic that the story had powerful men falling into destruction through the love of one woman, the femme fatale in its truest sense. A character like Ghajala needed acting of highest order, and Tabu, just like the woman she portrayed, put her male acting colleagues a league behind her in this film.
The film is backed up adeptly by Vishal Bharadwaj's own compositions -Songs 'Aaj ke Naam' and 'Jhelum' provides a bleak yet soulful tune, and not every day one can see the visual portrayal of songs like 'Bismil' and 'So Jao'. Superlative cinematography of Pankaj Kumar does not go amiss either.
Haider is a mammoth sized achievement in contemporary Hindi cinema, basking in the glory of its display; and it needs to be watched.
5/5
Incendies (2010)
Emotionally Exhausting Experience
Incendies belongs to that rare breed of films that induce a tumultuous surge of emotions in its spectators while engaging them through the narrative. Jerry Seinfeld once said in his show Seinfeld, to add to the humor of that show undoubtedly, that Leo Tolstoy wanted to name his novel 'War: What Is It Good For' instead of "War and Peace". Maybe that rhetorical question of a book title would have been an apt tagline for what was portrayed in this film.
What sets Dennis Villeneuve's 'Incendies' apart from other films with post-war trauma as their underlying theme, is the spectrum of human relationship he constructed on the screen. The film starts with twin brother and sister, Jeanne and Simon, receiving their recently deceased mother, Nawal's funeral wishes; wishes that need to be fulfilled, before the children can proceed with the burial. In two different letters, the twins were asked to locate their father and half-brother, who we would later find was called Nihad. With initial reluctance and refusal from her foreboding brother, Jeanne finally set upon the journey that would uncover the truth through several different realisations, taking the audience with it.
In Incendies, Villeneuve never loses the grip that he gets to hold from the very first few minutes. The narrative had the mother and daughter tracing the same path in a Middle-Eastern country, only with different perspectives and scenarios. The civil war, that was shown here to have its inflictions on the protagonists, can be compared with the Lebanese Civil War. The places that had horrific memories for the mother are visited by the daughter. Thus, blending the two timelines in the narrative, a sense of déjà vu is channeled in the film. At one point, viewers along with Jeanne would be forced to ponder whether being oblivious to the truth was a blessing or not.
If the screenplay is the heart of the film, then the oxygen was provided by the cast to keep it pumping. Lubina Azabal's Nawal Marwan is tremendous feat in acting. It was important for her performance to be in accordance with the story, with she being the protagonist in this tempestuous journey of a film. Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin as Jeanne, was not far behind either. Apart from these stand-out performances, the film is bolstered with performances from the rest of the cast akin to that of a neo-realist film.
Incendies is as intense and brutal as one can get. Nothing hits harder than the truth that comes out of nowhere and you do not want to hear. Incendies is quite an achievement at that. It becomes incessantly difficult to revisit the first scene where Nihad, a child, would leave you with self-judgment and introspection. Radiohead's "You and Whose Army" adds to the cause.
Mud (2012)
Masculine love at its best
Jeff Nichols' Mud is a modern day fairy tale. Keeping the essence of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, he wove a coming-of-age story so gratifying that it will leave a smile on your face when the credits roll. A wonderful piece of character study that we do not see very often.
Set in the background of Mississippi banks and the city De Witt, Arkansas, we see two teenage boys(Ellis and Neckbone), adventurously, as boys of that age often do, set out for an island in the middle of Mississippi river; with the aim of taking ownership of a boat that one the two boys had previously found out. Upon arrival, they found that the boat, as they had hoped, is not completely unoccupied. A man, who called himself 'Mud', had taken shelter in that boat. With turn of events, the boys befriended Mud.
As it would turn out later, Mud was a fugitive on the run. This is where the film treads in the water of 'love'. Here we see variants of love from the eyes of our protagonist, Ellis. His own, his parents' and Mud's. Driven by the force, Ellis decided to help Mud in his goal and went out of his way to do so. Ellis is probably one of the cleanest characters you'd come across in the cinematic world.
Underneath the surface of love, there is a strong undercurrent of raw masculinity. A masculine trust that brews by the heat of the relationship between the boys and Mud. Maybe to reflect this, Nichols decided to have the women and girls in the film quite shallow in nature. There is a moment where Juniper, the woman of Mud's life, threw the question whether Mud would really do anything for love; and subsequently we see him risking his life twice; for Ellis. There lies the brilliance of the film and Jeff Nichols. Maybe, the particular colour of love that we wanted to see through Ellis' eyes wasn't there. But, there was love. In a different colour.
Speaking of brilliance, the cast, especially the leads, produces standout performances in their own rights. Tye Sheridan and Matthew McConaughey were exceptional in their performances, together and separately. This especially stands out in the aforementioned scene. Sheridan, especially, was brilliant in the scene of confronting Mud, etching the multitude of emotions the character was going through. Jacob Lofland as Neckbone was a faithful sidekick like his character. The support cast, including the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon and Michael Shannon did their parts well.
This was a story to be shot beautifully and beautifully it was shot, thanks to Adam Stone. The river and life on its banks were beautiful. Similar effort was found from David Wingo in the background score department. All in all, this is a film that is ought to be seen. For the sake of masculine love it portrays.
P.S. Anti-venom can be taken more than one time without it being fatal. Just saying.
Prisoners (2013)
Thriller that will well and truly keep you thrilled
Narrative that follows the 'whodunnit' approach often relies on the climactic twist. Herein lies the craftsmanship of the filmmaker to keep you on the edge even if there is nothing but a simple conversation is going on the screen. You can feel the Hitchcockian bomb is there somewhere. David Fincher showed us how to hold the suspense throughout the film in his early works. Dennis Villeneuve here pretty much did a similarly splendid job.
Two families see their worlds go upside down, when their two very young daughters go missing, presumably abducted. When the adept detective has to let the primary suspect go, due to lack of evidences, the father of one child takes it to himself to find the daughters. Sounds familiar? Yes, the premise is quite similar to that of a Mystic River or a Zodiac.
But, the defining feature of this film would be that, every now and then it justifies its title and asks you question about who the real prisoner is. For it is us who put ourselves in the most impregnable prisons. As we see the father, Keller (Hugh Jackman) shredding his values one by one; the obsession, the pain are felt by the audience.
Like mentioned earlier, it is one thing to build a premise that promises suspense; and, I am going a bit Jerry Seinfeld way here, it is a different thing altogether to 'hold' the suspense throughout the film. Credit goes to Aaron Guzikowski for the always-engaging and compelling script. Villeneuve hardly mismatches the pace of the story or loses the grip in the screenplay. Some might disagree, but I think the plot is divided in two sub-plots. One that follows the premise where the detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, relentlessly pursues the kidnapper. The other is where Keller is the protagonist; that always makes us wonder how far people can go for the love of family.
When you get a cast like the one this film has, you get the chance to explore various ranges of emotion and actually get to build characters, which is not very regular in typical thriller films. The support cast was stellar with the likes of Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Viola Davies, the astonishingly refrained Melissa Leo and Paul Dano, who not surprisingly revels in his almost-silent, reserved character. Each one of them showing their acting prowess in turns. But, it is the leads that will sweep off your feet with their performances. Both Jackman and Gyllenhaal give knock-out performances as theirs were the more layered characters in the film.
The final punch of the film comes from Johann Johannsson's haunting compositions and Roger Deakins' masterful work. Just sets up the grim mood of the film. Deakins' craftsmanship's best moment would be at the end, where he creates magic on screen with the city lights.
5/5
Madras Cafe (2013)
Well directed, well shot, but not well acted.
Often come films that are terrible yet has its cast performing extra- ordinarily. The rare ones are where the film is superbly directed with a fine story, but let down by the cast. Madras Café is an example of the latter ones.
This espionage thriller is set in Sri Lanka during the 80s and 90s, while the country was torn in Civil War. The ethnic clash claimed number of innocent lives. The-Assassination-of-Rajiv-Gandhi-inspired incident served as the central point, around which the story is spun. When the conflict reached its zenith though rebel group of Tamil ethnicity, LTF (based on LTTE), India decided to intervene and send a peace force. This is where, our protagonist, Vikram Singh was sent to the war zone to ensure the operation of Peace Force does not fall through.
Based on this promising premise, the story moves in considerably apt pace, weaving more threads, that culminated the cloth of the grand conspiracy. The screenplay deviated from the traditional three-act structure of storytelling; and it suited the narrative. The credit goes to director Shoojit Sircar for his relentless grasp on the film. There was barely a moment when the intensity of the film falters or the tone gets shifted. The documentary-style depiction of war casualties helped the cause of the film.
The two lieutenants for 'captain' Sircar would be Kamaljeet Negi and Shantanu Moitra. Negi's cinematography is remarkable, making some of the frames look like work of art. Moitra's background score set up the tone of the proceedings that were happening on the screen. For a Bollywood film, there is a scarcity of songs (read unnecessary songs), but when there is a song, it just drives home the point of the film.
On the negative side, as mentioned earlier, the cast was a letdown. That is why, it seemed, director had to compromise with the character development. Granted, an espionage political thriller does not require much of a character study. But, when your protagonist undergoes plenty of different scenarios, it should yield at least one or two not-so- similar emotions. Perhaps, John Abraham's acting prowess forced Sircar to make his lead character a one-dimensional one. Also, the out-of-sync conversations between Nargis Fakhri (a British Journalist) and Abraham often were cringe-worthy. Having Fakhri delivering all lines in English hardly improved what she could have delivered in Hindi. The support cast, barring a decent Siddharth Basu, did not support either.
It is a well-directed, well-shot film with a very good story. Just the same cannot be said about the acting of the cast. Notwithstanding that, this is an indication that Bollywood is slowly moving towards maturity and quality after a long time. Good political thrillers are hard to come by in our industry, and this one definitely worth a watch.
Dupa dealuri (2012)
Riveting. Thoughtful. Excellent filmmaking.
Alina and Voichita had grown up together in an orphanage. They had found solace and comfort in each other's presence before both of them took different paths in their life. The film opens with Alina returning to home with the hope of reuniting with her childhood friend and starting a new life only to find Voichita leading a completely new life in a monastery with nothing but God at heart.
What follows is one riveting on-screen journey that dwells on faith, love, theism, atheism and over all, human emotions that goes unfathomably deep. Director Cristian Mungiu's remarkable work to depict the tumults of emotions of both the lead characters would be etched on the mind of audiences. The story largely revolves around how Voichita trying to get Alina a new life like hers in the monastery and Alina repeatedly and determinedly trying to undermine the value of god to get Voichita to love her with horrific consequences for her and the people residing at the monastery.
Many things are left to be inferred and left to individual interpretations, like it should be. The complicated relation between the lead characters is one of them. The love between them was still intact but faith divided them. The film also depicts the repercussions of faith and religion at its extreme. The screenplay of the film is excellent as it stresses to address the daily routine lifestyle at the monastery and how unbridled faith affects the rationale and morality of the people living there. Subject like this needed to be handled expertly and boy it was. So many subtle sub-plots like Alina's brother's pangs, the relationship between the priest of the monastery and the nuns are only examples of the palette of emotions that were drawn on screen.
It's largely a women-centric film. So, it asks a lot from the performances of the two ladies, portraying central characters. Cristina Flutur (Alina) and Cosmina Stratan (Voichita) – both of them gave stellar performances that helped the film to consolidate the theme. The support cast, mostly comprised of female characters, was deft in their performances too. The only significant male character, 'The priest', played by the dependable Valeriu Andriutu, perhaps acted as the anchor of all the activities between all the female characters.
Another aspect that demands exceptional praises is the cinematography. The remote country sides of Romania looked magnificent on screen. Sometimes, I wondered whether it was possible to pause and stare at those beautiful shots. Some of the intense scenes in the films were that intense because the way it was shown. Overall, it is a film that would leave its viewers, atheists and theists alike, in a profound state of preoccupation.
P.S. I have noticed that sometimes the intensity of a film gets magnified when they use no background score at all.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Joy of Freedom
I was dilly-dallying for quite a long time in watching this iconic John Hughes film of the eighties. I should not have done that. It's not like we haven't seen this kind of coming of age films, but still this movie is one of the best in that category mainly due to the character development that we hardly see in coming of age teen dramas.
The movie starts with a fine Saturday, when five high school students were forced to be in the school as detention. The first impression when I watched the first 10-15 minutes, I thought this could be the '12 Angry Men' of High School movies, at least thematically. It didn't disappoint me and that's saying a lot. Really, a lot.
These five kids are quite different from each other, and they were proud of it. But as they began to talk amongst themselves(of course conflict arose at first) slowly, predictably but pleasantly they began to open up; and then we could very well relate to the characters. Each of those kids may be from a different background, from a different class of society, but there is that feeling of hard done-by that is common between all of them. That is where John Hughes was efficacious with this film.
The characters are wisely chosen too. A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal; the movie was able to do what it was intended to do because of these polarising characters. The performances of the actors in these characters are also one of the primary reasons of the success of the movie. The young actors, members of the core group of the 'Brat Pack' of the eighties did exceptionally well in depicting the varying range of emotions in their characters. Judd Nelson, especially, as the outcast tough-guy John Bender, managed to sway between being cool and also emotionally vulnerable deftly.
All in all, this movie may not be a classic in terms of technical aspects but it has the heart in it that one cannot help but feel a whooping sensation when John Bender punches the air in that iconic end scene. The excitation of freedom, one may call it.
P.S. Eightees' music was really cool.
Carnage (2011)
Gamut of Emotions
Like most of the movies, directed by Roman Polanski, 'Carnage' is also a reflection of the master's deft touch in creating the appropriate atmosphere in a movie. Be that 'On the edge of the seat', holding-your- breath moments in 'Chinatown' or the brutality of the Nazis in 'The Pianist', Polanski always gets his audience involved in the proceedings or experiences that the characters of the movie goes through. 'Carnage' does not disappoint in that case either.
The entire movie revolves around two married couples and their discussion that goes haywire, following an altercation between their respective sons, in a posh apartment. The Longstreets, played by Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly host the Cowans (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz). What at first seems to be a humble dilation, gradually turns out to be, as the name suggests, a warfare of words and views.
Apart from the scenes where credits roll, the entire movie is set on, from what we get from a follow shot, a rich apartment. Credits to Polanski and Yasmina Reza, whose play 'God of Carnage' was adapted to make this movie, that the audience is always engaged. Though the movie starts off with the parents, wanting to mitigate (a little reluctantly maybe) the issue of their sons; it slowly but deftly moves into contrary outlooks of each character. Marriage problems, some universal issues and virile issues: the couples talk and argue about all of these against and between one another. If 'John Wayne kinda manhood' forms an alliance of the husbands then the wives also make an alliance.
Performance of the actors keep the essence of the movie perfectly. For a portrayal of husband and wife both pairs of actors are very much in tune with one another. Christoph Waltz is very appropriate as the workaholic lawyer. John C. Reilly is excellent. His character, Michael is the one who seemed the most calm and seeker of peace at first, but later he gave in to the arguments and became argumentative and bent out of shape. Reilly portrayed all those emotions deftly. The actresses were brilliant especially Jodie Foster with her jives under the layer of subtlety. This movie really questions whether we are superficial in order to become sociable and civilised, like Michael said 'I am not being aggressive, I am being honest.' Overall this movie is an ambit of emotions that one should definitely love.
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (2011)
Piece of Iranian culture with a very good story
This is certainly one of those rare movies of recent times where both elements of the genre Drama and Mystery shine brightly. The movie starts off with the couple Nader and Simin asking for a divorce over a comparatively light-hearted issue. Slowly but extremely engagingly the movie revolves around serious and religious issues.
The truly great facet about the movie's story is that it has sub-plots which are interleaved in a very deft manner such that those eventually accelerates the main plot, which is the separation or divorce of the two protagonists. The other aspect of the movie which really captivated me is the way the director showed the mystery part along with the social drama of relatively upper and lower class Iranian families. Surprising truths are unraveled in the way they should be in a good mystery movie. Kudos to Asghar Farhadi for blending that with the emotional elements like the problems and dilemma of Nader and Simin's daughter. This explains that not for nothing the screenplay of the movie got an Oscar nod.
The performance the entire cast is brilliant and just what the situations, created in the movie, needed. From the girl who played Termeh and Shahab Hosseini who played the volatile husband of the maid who Nader hired for household jobs to the lead actors Leila Hatami(Simin) and Peyman Moadi(Nader), everyone more or less excelled in their respective parts.
This movie is rich with many cinematic elements which make this a movie a movie-lover would not want to miss.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Beautiful Paris
Paris never looked more beautiful and colourful to me (As if I have been there). Still, one has to appreciate the way Woody Allen captured the city and by doing so enraptured the viewers. The opening montage was so beautiful that one cannot help but agree with Gil Pender's (Owen Wilson) decision of moving there.
At the start of the movie, we see our protagonist in a dilemma. The dilemma, then, seemed to be between choosing two cities, hence two lifestyles. But it was eventually between doing what one want to do, to create something which they strive for, and to accept other's opinions and have a relatively simpler life. Woody Allen created this perspective of Gil Pender, along with the romantic angle of course. This, I believe, is what Allen is master at. The blending of romance and fantasy is fantastic.
The story is simple. Pender, after a disappointed evening with his wife and her pseudo-intellectual friends, wanders in the street of Paris and at midnight gets picked up by a couple of people who turns out to be from the 1920s, the Golden Age where Pender always wanted to be and live life. There he meets his literature and art idols. The story gets unfolded in an engaging way.
The performances are appropriate and good, as one expects from an ensemble like this. I really liked Owen Wilson's performance here. He managed to reflect the innocence of his character quite well. Rachel McAdams depicted her character's superficiality well; Michael Sheen, always a fine actor, portrayed his character with finesse. All the cameos in different timezone by various actors were great, especially Adrien Brody's, Kathy Bates' and Corey Stoll's ones. But it was Marion Cotillard who gorgeously shone in her character.
The cinematography and Art Direction deserves all the accolades and plaudits too, especially the way it helped to create the golden age of literature.
The Tree of Life (2011)
It's Personal by Malick
Somewhere I read that this is Malick's personal offering. It sure reflects in the movie. The movie is certainly very personal. I don't think Malick made this one to please his viewers or win any sort of awards. In this movie, we have got a director who just want to tell a story (maybe his own childhood's) in his own way by following his own mannerisms. When the director chooses this way of making a movie, it certainly demands a fair bit of compromise from the viewers' part. If that compromise is done the movie would seem astounding.
Throughout the movie the protagonist constantly questions life and its creator or origin. Be that through the fantastic and mind-boggling visuals of creation of earth, volcanos, dinosaurs or through the dialogues by the characters; and along with that the viewers are compelled to do the same. The story is about three brothers and their relationship with each other and their parents. The story is quite simple; but the way it is shown is what the movie is all about. The protagonist, Jack, is the eldest brother and shares a frosty relationship with his Father (Brad Pitt). The story is shown through the eyes of young and also adult (Sean Penn) Jack. It was a certainly an accomplished performance from Pitt. He was fantastic with his emotional scenes with Hunter McCraken who made the young Jack so believable. Jessica Chastain excelled as the timid and caring mother. A little disappointed as Sean Penn had hardly any moments to show what he is capable of. This is a movie one shouldn't miss even though the impact of this movie can be of two extremes.
9/10
In the Name of the Father (1993)
No less great than 'The Shawshank Redemption'
Some times you watch a movie and tell yourself "Why I haven't seen this movie before?". This is exactly that kind of a movie. The movie is said to be a bit blurred in historical accuracies. Probably, that is the reason the movie is a bit underrated. The things that make this movie a winner is its simple yet strong story and immeasurably powerful performances. The movie is about Gerry Conlon and his three friends, the team of whom was later christened as the "Guildford Four". They were falsely accused of bombing and killing. This was followed by multiple arrests, including those of Gerry's Aunt and Father, Giuseppe.
Full credit to Jim Sheridan for handling the plot in an appropriate way by following a linear narrative. It is the credit of the director for showing the unique bond between Gerry and Giuseppe, which I am quite sure can be related by any father-son pair. About performances; when there is Daniel Day Lewis, as Gerry, there will be impeccable and majestic acting. I always fall short of adjectives when I talk about Day-Lewis' acting. Be that when he got the news of his father's death or in the climax or any other single scene featuring him, he excelled. Pete Poslethwaithe was also brilliant as Giuseppe and got matched Day-Lewis' acting. Emma Thompson, always a fantastic actress, didn't disappoint and was excellent especially in the last climax courtroom scene. Special mention to Don Baker as Joe McAndrew.
As a final note this is a movie which, as its fantastic soundtrack 'In the Name of the Father" by U2 indicates, tells a story about love,humanity and fighting for truth and those make this movie no less great than The Shawshank Redemption.
Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da (2011)
Delightfully Exhausting
Sometimes some movies can leave the viewers preoccupied and engrossed. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia is a movie of that sort of quality. Not for nothing this movie won accolades in various film festivals like Cannes et al. The story gets unraveled in a slow pace. It is about a nine men who went for an unforeseen long drive in search for a dead body in the middle of the night. The team included the two suspects who volunteered for the search. But the search continued to be longer than they had imagined because most of the location was pretty much similar to one another. The movie is not as much about the murder as it is about this search.
The Director, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, did wonders in creating a perfect ambiance for a night in rural sides of Turkey. Each character in the movie had something to say, had something to do in that search. It is very commendable the way different perspectives of different men from different fields are shown. The presence of any women in the movie is few and far between. But when there is an appearance it was a bliss both to the male characters and viewers. The performance of the cast is excellent and very according to the movie. The Police chief,Prosecutor, Doctor, the driver(Arab) and the killer - everyone of them performed and portrayed their characters in a deft manner. Saying that, it is still harsh to mention only those characters because every character in the movie was portrayed in a deft manner. Take a bow Gokhan Tiryaki. If the movie is brilliant so is the cinematography. From the very first scene and the amazing rural sides in the dead of the night to the focus on one single character, especially the doctor, the cinematography is a work of art. Absolutely stunning. The movie could have been edited a little. One can complain it's a bit slow which is true. But some movies are meant to be slow in order to exhibit their greatness. On a last note I can only say that it's delightfully exhausting.
The Damned United (2009)
The movie is not damned
Sports movies have always fascinated me; and this one should count as a great one at that. The movie starts off with showing Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) taking over the coveted position of Manager in Leeds United. The movie is basically about Clough's tenure at Leeds. But with various other events shown in the movie, the movie itself becomes a masterly act.
The best feature of the movie is that it grows out of 'Just a sports movie' to become much more. It portrays rivalry, bitterness, ambition and certainly ego. Peter Morgan's screenplay from David Peace's novel played a large and significant part in that. And if the screenplay played a part in making this movie such a treat to watch, then certainly the performance of the cast would be the other part.
It may be just me, but I found that Michael Sheen's performance is one of the most underrated performance I have ever seen. I understand that there were many factual errors regarding the story of the movie. But it's a shame if those had stopped Michael Sheen getting all the plaudits he deserved. He was wonderful in his deliveries of dialogue, especially, at those 'Interview' scenes. Another great performance was there from Timothy Spall, as Clough's longstanding subordinate and friend, Peter Taylor. Colm Meaney and Jim Broadbent were good too, as Don Revie and Derby County's Chairman Longson respectively.
All in all, this movie is a great sports drama which is only a little less great that director Tom Hooper's next one after this.
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Wonderful movie, one of the bests.
I watched Ben Affleck's 'The Town' last year, and I was quite moved. Ben Affleck's directorial capabilities had me enthralled. His directorial debut is equally good if not better. The thing which I love about Ben Affleck's direction is how he manages to bring the best out of a city. I mean, after watching 'Gone Baby Gone' and 'The Town', Boston no longer seems an unfamiliar city to me. Such is the impact of Affleck's direction.
The movie is of the crime/thriller genre. But it grew out of 'being just a suspense thriller'. It handles a very sensitive issue in a complete and justified manner. The movie is about two private investigators, hired to investigate the case of a missing child. As the story progresses, the turn of event slowly occurs in an intriguing and surprising manner. The movie has every element which a thriller should have. But certainly the main feature of the movie is the blend between all those twists and turns and lives of quite a few people, especially those who live at this city.
Ben Affleck cast his brother Casey to play the role of the main protagonist. Casey, as Patrick Kenzie, is superb. His character is pretty much reserved but also has a certain steeliness about him too. He showed this steeliness, especially at the climax. He said those dialogues in such a manner that audiences would get convinced that he was doing the right thing. Michelle Monaghan, as his partner and girlfriend, did justice to her role. Amy Ryan, as the missing girl's grieving mother who is also drug addicted, was a class act. She handled the transient nature of her character beautifully. Morgan Freeman had little scope and he did well with that little screen-time. But one, sure, needs to mention Ed Harris as Remy Bressant, the police detective. His performance, especially in the scene where he was drunk and talked about 'planting evidence', was remarkable.
In the end, the movie stands tall because, it shows that a man should do what he feels right, no matter what everyone thinks. Patrick lives with his decision, even though that might be a wrong decision. This sort of movies always remains vivid in memory, even after the credits gets rolled. Another thing about the movie is the music. I can hardly remember a background score which was not good or not suitable. Harry- William Gregson, surely, is a genius. From the opening score to the end, the background scores played their parts to keep the charm of the movie in tact.
Babel (2006)
A great and impactful visualization of lives
Sometimes, through the eyes and great direction of some directors, a movie no longer appears to be just a movie. It becomes a piece of life. Babel is exactly a movie of that sort. The way the movie portrayed the different cultures of different countries is excellent. But the thing which deserves more plaudits is how Alejandro Gonzalaz Inarritu showed life thriving in different environment. The movie is, one can say, based or set upon one single event. A misfired (though it was a hit) shot from a winchester rifle in the deserts of Morocco changed the lives of 4 families. Spanned over 4 countries, the way, Inarritu showed the aftermath of that incident, is exceptional. The greatness about the story-telling is that it tells four or five different stories and everyone of which one can relate with, surpassing the cultural barriers. Just like the movie's poster, it's a collage of moments, moments which everyone faces once in their lives even though they don't want to face that. The cinematography; be it deserts of Morocco or Mexico or the Suburbs of Japan, the cinematography played its part and boy! Did it play well. It is one of the ingredients which makes this movie an art. It's like poetry in motion. If Cinematography is one of the constituents, then another has to be the performances. The stars, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were brilliant. Blanchett didn't get much to show her prowess though; but Pitt was excellent. Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barazza's Oscar nomination is very well deserved and justified. Personally, Kikuchi's performance appeared very heart-wrenching and thus phenomenal to me. Not to forget the performances of those two Islamic Moroccan kids. Finally, it is one of those rare movies which can put one into a trance or a reverie, even after the credit gets rolled. One of the reasons for that is the soundtrack 'Endless Flight'. It's a privilege watching this sort of movies.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
A very welcome and needed change from the mindless blockbusters
Thank you Zoya Akhtar for not jumping into the bandwagon to make a mindless movie comprised of gravity-defying actions and over-the-top slapstick comedies just for the sake of making a blockbuster.
The movie starts with Kabir (Abhay Deol) getting all set to be married with Natasha (Kalki Koechlin). Then, Kabir, along with his school- buddies Arjun (Hrithik) and Farhan (Imran) set off for a trip (after some hiccups), where they all would participate in adventure sports of choice of each one of them. The trip gradually portrays various aspects of each of the character. Along with the adventure sports, all of which are greatly shown, the humor is very subtle and nice.
Performance of the lead actors is engaging. Farhan Akhtar as Imran is the more lovable one, with most of the funny one-liners, than his friends. He manages to pull off an entertaining performance. Abhay Deol, as always, is very good as the leader of the pack. He portrayed his dilemma regarding his marriage in a very convincing manner. Hrithik's character has more dark shades than the others, and it was his brilliance that made the character's transformation look enthralling. Amongst the ladies, Kalki is great as the overbearing and possessive fiancée. Katrina looks and also acts well whenever she plays a NRI character. Much like herself.
The movie's cinematography is excellent and the music along with the songs and poetry are a treat to ears.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)
Yates' Best is not good enough
First of all, it is indeed David Yates' 'Best'. BUT his best is average in comparison to other directors' great works. It is one of those cases where someone's best is just not good enough. The movie's opening scene was good (For a second, I was like 'Can this be? Can this be the one from David Yates'?'). Well, what did I know? There were undoubtedly some moments. There was humor in some occasions. Examples: A) The thing which qualified this movie as the best amongst yates works ( which is only the 4 HP movies :P) is the way he showed the prince's tale chapter. A lot of the credits has to be given to Alan Rickman. I have only seen him showing that much emotion in 'Rasputin'. But Yates also deserves some credits because he got the great out of his actor and portrayed it well. B) Then the moment when Mcgonagall (Maggie Smith) draws herself between harry and snape and start duelling. C) The moment when snape said 'You have got your mother eyes'. D) Helena Bonham Carter did well in portraying 'hermione trying to be Bellatrix'. E) Some moments from the war at hogwarts too.
--All of these moments deserves plaudits.
But a great movie is not just about a fistful of moments. The movie 'Deathly Hallows' is divided in two parts. Still it could not fit some of the events which could have made into great scenes. J.K.Rowling provided a story which, arguably could have been made into a series which surpasses LOTR trilogy. Well forget about LOTR now. Here are some examples of those events I am talking about : 1) Harry and Luna go to the Ravenclaw common room. They see Amycus spitting on mcgonagall. The intensity in harry in that scene could have been a treat to watch as he performs the cruciatus curse. But I guess yates does not know what intense drama is. Someone advice him to watch Daniel Day Lewis' Performance in 'There will be blood'. 2) Fred's death seemed more tragic and hard reality to us because the reaction of Percy. J.K.Rowling knew what she was doing. Alas! the same could not be said about Yates. 3) Now it maybe my personal observation, but somehow Lord Voldemort seemed very vulnerable and less powerful and ruthless in the movie. Except a random scene where he killed his death eater for calling him 'My lord'. Maybe I am mistaken, but what I gathered from reading the series of books for roundabout 200 times, is that lord voldemort is a very hard person to duel. There were scenes in the movie where harry actually matches him in the duel, whereas Rowling had mentioned only one spell from each one of them in their duels. Those were Avada Kedavra and Expelliarmus. She made us believe that the reason harry triumphed over voldemort is love and not because harry is more powerful wizard. 4) Sorry! I could not find Yates creativity very appealing or fascinating. Grabbing voldemort and jumping of a tower. Not great. But the worst is Bellatrix and Voldemort burst into confetti. What were they? Boggarts of Molly Weasley and Harry? 5) Hagrid plays a cameo role here. As far as I remember he was very much involved in the war with grawp. 6) Though I mentioned that the scene where mcgonagall starts duelling with snape is good. But the actual duel which followed is very poorly shown. Yates' himself once portrayed dumbledore v/s voldemort. Why could not he do the same here? According to the book snape and mcgonagall did much more than just sending sparks at each other. 7) The Epilogue is pathetic. Except Emma Watson everyone seemed pretty much awkward in the roles of mid-age moms and dads. Emma Watson was good, she made herself look like a really caring mom. All the humor of the epilogue is gone.
I stop at this as I have mentioned 7 flaws. ( Could have gone further but as 7 is the most magical number..) The finale along with the past few parts will always remind me that how great the movie could have been.