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Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024)
What a boring and deliberately tedious outing. Utterly disappointed.
Heeramandi - What absolute golden crap! Except stunning visuals and countable performances, there was nothing redeemable about the show. What a boring piece of work wrapped in artful frames. Who talked like that even in that era? As if every dialogue is some kind of exposition. Perhaps, this was supposed to be a 3 hour play which was stretched into such a long OTT series. SLB needs to confine himself to movies dabbed in grandeur. OTT is a different beast altogether.
The main characters who are supposed to be in love are so stoic in their expressions, it seems they are in mourning. No, even that is above their acting grade.
Only Aditi Rao Haidari and Sonakshi Sinha yo some extent seems to do a redeemable job. Utterly disappointing affair.
Soorarai Pottru (2020)
A good movie, but overloaded with viewer's "perfect" ratings without substantial realism.
The movie is either a biography or a drama. If it is a biography, the amount of surrealist drama just pulls away from the story. If it is supposed to be drama, it doesn't do justice to the biography of G. R Gopinath.
Overall, a good movie with commendable performances, but unrealistic stakes. These 10 star ratings are over the top, as when compared with great Tamil drama such as Ratsasan, the bars are much lower.
Nonetheless, much better than botched up Bollywood biographical films such as M. S Dhoni and Sanju.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Another pet dream project of a Hollywood veteran - awesome action and fight sequences!
The movie which is based on the Manga series Gunnm or Batlle Angel Alita seems like another pet dream project of a Hollywood veteran (Cameron). Although it has been directed by Robert Rodriguez, the movie's style and the dreamlike world which has been created, is reminiscent of other recent Hollywood fixtures such as Ready Player One by Spielberg, or Tomorrowland by Brad Bird or Cameron's own Avatar.
The story of a cyborg who turns out to be the chosen one may not seem too original, but the execution of the movie and the final product is pretty mind-boggling. Alita (Rosa Salazar) shines as the quintessential cyborg who is struggling with her own identity and where she fits in this human-robot world. Her grit and drive for what's right carries the movie entirely.
The visually stunning graphics, along with extremely exhilarating action sequences makes for a great watch. The story which seems pretty straightforward, is still streamlined and does not interfere much with the watching experience and bog down the viewers.
Christoph Waltz delivers yet another endearing role, along with Keean Johnson who makes for a pretty charming love interest.
The major concern for the movie is that there is no intimidating villain as such who seems a great challenge to the protagonist. Grewishka is just a big junk of trash for a villain, Vector is just a tool, and Nova along with all his mystery still does not seem to be a villain to look forward to. Add to that, the awkward sword-raising ending where things are left incomplete and open for Nova the antagonist, it is pretty evident that another instalment of the movie is due. This disqualifies the movie as a good standalone watch.
Watch this movie for its awesome action and fight sequences dipped in beautiful CGI. Waiting for the next part.
Sacred Games (2018)
UNPOPULAR OPINION : NOT AS GREAT AS EXPECTED
Ok, done with Sacred Games. So much hype created over this show made me feel stupid not watching it. Had to check for myself what was the hype all about.
In my opinion, the hype is real when it comes to the technicalities of cinema. The acting is purely unmatched with the likes of Nawaz, Saif, Radhika and Jatin (Bunty) and Jitendra (Katekar) showcasing the depths and study in great character work. I personally think that Saif outdid Nawaz in this. He was plainly breathtaking in his embodiment of Sartaj's character.
Direction and cinematography are unprecedented or at least rare coming out of the Indian industry. Vikramaditya and Anurag are two juggernauts of two different aspects of direction. Anurag with his human conflicts and emotions, while Vikramaditya with his settings and realism. It is just mind-boggling, grotesque, beautiful, unapologetic, filthy and valiant all at the same time. The beautifully extravagant but uniquely understated music adds to the experience of the audience which just catapults the show to the top-notch leagues.
What I found most inspiring was that the freedom from censorship which came with Netflix did not budge the directors from using this freedom responsibly. The nudity and violence while graphic, are not used for meaningless gimmicks to attract audience unlike Game of Thrones. The nude scenes as well as the violence have been dealt with very responsibly and with great effect whilst not distracting from the storytelling.
What I found a bit peeving were the slow arc of characters, and sometimes even slower progression of the story. The second and the third episode especially seemed like a long thread to connect the main overarching storyline. This many a times loses the attention of the audience. As we finish halfway through the series, the episodes begin to tighten and feel more crisp.
Little clues hidden in a non-linear structure of the show were masterful and keeps the audience at the edge for being clever to connect them.
Lastly, the story while enigmatic and loaded with socio-political undertones, still did not seem mind-boggling for an otherwise exhilarating ride. The characters, their dogmas, their insecurities, their relationships, their ambitions, their lives, they all overshadowed this supposedly great story. Perhaps it is because this series is only the first act of an ambitious four season show, as we all know that only the first quarter of the book has been adapted in this season. Or perhaps, the story actually does not compare to the fine character-work which has been showcased by these maestros. As I haven't read the book, this conclusion is just based on my viewing of the series. Perhaps someone who has read the book could give a hint. But I still feel that this backbone of an imminent gargantuan threat is not unheard of and not something unprecedented in a story. I hope I am wrong and I hope the story is much more intelligent than what I am currently making it out to be.
Surely, Sacred Games is a phenomenon in itself and a great leap for Indian cinematic prowess on the world stage.
#BasTrivediBachJayega
#SacredGames
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
The best Star Wars movie I have watched.
This is the best Star Wars movie I have watched till date. This coming from a person who was never big on the Star Wars hype. Yep, this was awesome! Last Jedi is awesome to say the least.
P.S : Just don't watch it in 3D
Wonder Woman (2017)
A good watch for the weekend complemented by amazing visuals
Set in the backdrop of the World War 1, and an overtly dramatic interpretation of imperial Germany, the movie does a fine job of projecting Wonder Woman into the DC franchise.
Gal Gadot with her god-like beauty fits so well into this god-like character, it seems almost unimaginable for someone else to be in that role. Her portrayal of Wonder Woman is exactly what one expected from the character, and she delivers it with so much style, elegance and beauty, it is almost enigmatic.
The plot is pretty straightforward and does a good job of making Wonder Woman shine with all her brevity, ignorance, quirks and dilemmas.
Chris Pine, as usual is full of life with his role, and his character complements the plot magnificently with great enthusiasm and hope.
Special effects were brilliant, especially the perfectly timed slow- motion slices in the middle of fight sequences. Music is a bit distracting sometimes, but the Wonder Woman theme pumps up the energy levels.
Nothing extraordinary has been set up in the movie for the upcoming Justice League team-up, and the movie stands by itself just fine. As an introductory movie of a major character from the franchise, it does a pretty fine job, as it focuses on the back-story of the character rather than jump right into the bandwagon of the 'team of superheroes'.
Loved this movie and the shade of social message it tries to impart along with it.
Good movie, average movie, bad movie, I was anyway going to watch it for Gal Gadot. God she is awesome. Even a single glance of her makes a man's heart skip a beat. Can't stress more on the fact that I love her. The embodiment of the character she plays on screen - A Wonder Woman indeed. <3 <3
First female director for a comic book movie, and that too for the epitome of female comic book characters - Patty Jenkins makes this movie special and path breaking. Salutes to her.
Verdict : A good watch for the weekend complemented by amazing visuals. 3.5/5
Logan (2017)
The easiest 5/5 I have ever rated. The best Wolverine movie till date, and arguably one of the best Superhero movies to come out of Hollywood.
LOGAN is the best Wolverine movie till date, and arguably one of the best Superhero movies to come out of Hollywood. This movie is everything we wanted from this genre and more.
The drastic shift of this franchise towards an R-rated film, as well as the first Red-band trailer was enough to draw its fans crazy. The morbid serenity and the macabre loneliness exuding from the trailer accompanied by that painful country music hooked us up to the movie from the get go.
The premise of the movie itself showcasing an old, wearied-out and tattered Wolverine when the majority of the mutants in the world have been flushed out is extremely fascinating and honest. As fans, we all know that although Wolverine has an extremely prolonged life because of his powers, there must come a time when all of his friends have lived their life, and he is left with the scathing memories of days past, friends lost, people he has harmed, and the pain he has suffered.
Oh man how beautifully they have depicted all of it! What better than the same material which was injected in him to create an invincible weapon, could be the device of his slow but sure deterioration. Add to it the emotional turmoil he has gone through for centuries, he has nothing to lose. Hugh Jackman does what he does best : Be that character which no one could dream to do better than him - the Wolverine. Perhaps better than he has ever done it before.
Words fell short of praise for the little girl (Laura) who is the proverbial legacy/daughter of Wolverine and has gone through the same fate (or worse) Logan went through once for the Weapon-X program. Dafne Keen, the actress is so beautiful and so vicious in her portrayal that it melts hearts and conjures fear in our hearts both at the same time. Case in point : The scene which shows her walking forward with a severed head of a soldier which she had ripped out of his body while being attacked, as if it is some kind of a prize, and rolling the head out in front of the villain. She is the evolution of madness as well as purity in a Wolverine-like character, both at the same time.
Not to forget, the gore and violence which was one of the many reasons why Fox planned to shift to the R-rating, and man it did not disappoint! Wolverine is one character we innately recognize to have the ability to exact extreme physical damage - his adamantium claws and beastly instincts are enough persuasion to the point. But, since the X-Men franchise started in 2000, all we got to witness of Wolverine were the physical blows, and not what happened to the opponent because of that. The maximum those movies had to offer was extreme damage to objects which Wolverine complied with efficiently. Now, we could not complain as all those movies were supposed to look and feel that way for the general target audience which subscribes to the comic-book movie genre. But what Deadpool did with an R- rating changed history. More and more people subscribed to that specific genre, so much so that it became the highest grossing R- rated movie till date. And what Logan did with it takes it one notch above. The violence presented in the movie reaffirms our perspective of Wolverine's abilities with great shocking visuals and underlying humour. Both Logan's and Laura's abilities to be precise.
Sir Patrick Stewart does an ineffable job with his portrayal of Dr Charles Xavier who is a nonagenarian with a cancerous tumour in his brain, which, to quote the movie line, is a weapon of mass- destruction in itself. The potential disaster his brain could unleash has been depicted in a manner which creates dread in the audience, forget what happens to the people around him. He has outlived his peers, and he is on the verge of departure, but he has to do this one last thing for the people he cares and lived his life for : the next generation of mutants, and especially Laura. The camaraderie of Charles and Logan has been depicted so warmly and humorously, that one could not get enough of it.
The father-daughter dynamic of Logan and Laura has been under-played so beautifully that it does not seem imposed on the audience. It is only until the last act that we witness Logan rising up as what the movie portrays him to be. The passing on of the mantle from the father to his daughter, as portrayed in the movie poster, is much more realistic than it looks, and encompasses various layers of emotions unprecedented in this genre.
What takes the cake for me was the ending : That depiction of the cross being tilted by Laura into an X just gave me goosebumps, and the whole journey of the X-men flashed in front of my eyes (I would not explain more).
Lastly, I have found people who are not happy with the villains in the movie and are of the opinion that the villains were bland and weak. Well, I agree with them on the opinion, but I also feel that the movie was never about the villains in it. Good villain, bad villain - I never thought it mattered much in this movie.
For me, Logan did everything I expected of it from the trailer, and much more. I could not be more obsessed about an X-men movie as is evident from this long-ass review I have wrote which I rarely do. I simply adore this movie.
The easiest 5/5 I have ever rated. Salutes to James Mangold and respect.
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
John Wick 2 is sick! Insane cinematographic violence and man-to-man combat.
John Wick 2 is sick! Insane cinematographic violence and man-to-man combat.
The cinematic presentation sometimes veers into an eerily serene but macabre space, and is very reminiscent of the horror genre. The effect ultimately creates a style of its own which was not explored in the first movie.
Keanu Reeves is as stoic as ever with his dreaded violent background and in-your-face killing instinct. The story hasn't got much to offer as was also evident in the first instalment. The discernible difference in the plot is that the stakes have been raised, the looming threat on the protagonist has been multiplied ten folds, and the climax sets up a sequel which would raise the stakes a hundred times over.
All in all, a must watch for action and Keanu Reeves enthusiasts! :D
Rating : 3.5/5
Jolly LLB 2 (2017)
A must watch movie in the weekend. Rating 4/5.
JOLLY LLB 2 : Review
This movie is one of the best satires on the system and the society of our country, to come out in recent years. It is full of rib- tickling humour, but at the same time the satire on our culture and the prevailing status quo evokes a cringe, and asks the right questions.
The mannerisms and dialogues of the peoples of Lucknow and Kanpur, the bad bits as well as the good ones, have been depicted beautifully. The plot, as well as the socio-political issues raised in the movie, are thought-provoking, on point and extremely effective to say the least.
Akshay Kumar dazzles with his signature style of crude humour, especially the aggressive bits, and his call for justice reaches hearts. Annu Kapoor, as usual is at his absolute best- albeit in a negative role, he is just fun to watch and brings gravitas to the courtroom.
But the one person who took away the cake was Saurabh Shukla as the judge during the whole drama. This guy tickled the lungs out of people with his character's controlled chaotic demeanour and hilarious physical and mental swings. Saurabh Shukla has a renewed respect for his unmatched performance which was an anchor to the whole story, and kept the audience on their foot.
Huma Qureshi was stunningly gorgeous as usual. It was a bit sad that despite her being a fine actress, her acting potential was not much tapped into as the role did not demand much from her. The songs were mundane and boring as hell, and seemed like they were embedded just for the sake of the Bollywood culture.
I salute the writer and director of the movie, Subhash Kapoor, for such a fine story, and story-telling while keeping it as tightly knit and snappy as possible. The message of the movie in the end, also touches some hearty strings.
Verdict : A must watch movie in the weekend. Rating 4/5.
Rogue One (2016)
Entertaining, hilarious, realistic and a great connecting link to the whole saga.
ROGUE ONE : A STAR WARS STORY - Review
I was not so keen on this installment of the Star Wars franchise as from the trailer, it seemed an off-shoot story to me. But, man am I glad I booked its tickets on a whim on a late Friday.
The movie delivers on every aspect congruent to its trailer. It exhibited the same war tactics and scenario as portrayed in the trailer. It has its great funny bits coming from the new robot K2 which exhibited some uncannily human characteristics. And it had great characters without any unnecessary baggage bogging down the plot. Everything in this movie is clean-cut and presentable - there is no ounce of unnecessary ornamentation and the length of the movie is just perfect.
Every character had an explainable plot, and the actors did a great job playing them. Felicity Jones is surely a great find for Hollywood as she delivers so subtly but effectively - one consciously feels for her character. It is a bit reminiscent of the character Rey from the Star Wars- The Force Awakens movie.
So it all comes down to the plot. The story is set just before/during the incidents of the Star Wars - A New Hope movie. The Rebellion acquired the knowledge and the plans of the Death Star weapon being developed by the Empire, and this movie focuses on how the Rebellion got the information regarding such weapon. It beautifully connects the dots and the plot to the incidents of 'A New Hope' - so much that you are in for a nice surprise in the end when the information is finally transferred!
And yes, you see a lot more of Darth Vader in this movie than what you saw in the trailer - and it was awesome! All in all - a fine plot, great special effects and CGI, very endearing characters and an awesome climax and ending! The only negative aspect of the movie could be that it is a bit clichéd and formula driven.
Rating : 4/5
Verdict : Entertaining, hilarious, realistic and a great connecting link to the whole saga. Loved it.
Arrival (2016)
Brilliant and redefining cinema, and one of the masterpieces in science fiction. 4.5/5
ARRIVAL : 4.5/5
All right! So to break the ice without verbose explanations, let me just say : This movie is brilliant! As brilliant as a movie on science fiction can be - an originality of its own, and no cluttered baggage.
Now, to comprehend the brilliance of this movie, one has to take a solitary step back and try to recall all the sci-fi movies which were conceptually mind-blowing, original, and overwhelmed you so much with its broadened horizons , you could literally feel dizzy?! What comes to mind? Alien? Interstellar? Blade Runner? Matrix? Inception? Yes! I am talking about such conceptual brilliance in a movie. And Arrival passes it with flying colors - sometimes so overwhelming, it surpasses the benchmarks too.
Coming straight to the script - the beauty and realism of a protagonist who is unperturbed by the commotion around regarding an unknown event, sets the tone of the movie. Unlike in-your-face surrealistic heroism, the people with knowledge tend to be realistically unaware of the happenings - especially when such an extra-terrestrial event takes place.
The design of the space-ship and its locales are just so haunting and mind-numbing, it translates from the emotions and mannerisms of the actors in the movie to the audience seamlessly. Same goes with the design of the aliens which is unique in its own might, and reminiscent of the haunting originality of the Alien franchise. But what takes the cake - is the graphic language of the aliens which is so unique and interesting - one may never even fathom such creativity. All of it while the earthlings were unable to communicate via the audible approach being used by the aliens - another realistic incidence of such a contact!
It is not unrealistically snappy as it takes the protagonists hard work and time to even begin to comprehend the subtleties of the alien linguistics, and the translation is mostly lost. This is one of the best representations of such a scenario, as one does not simply create a dictionary for a species in a day. Not to forget the other subtle but important precedence of various alien ships landing in various parts of the world - and not only in America (a hilarious joke among non-residents of USA).
This movie is haunting and beautiful on so many levels : The music is numbing and characteristically "alien" which transcends the various fears and emotions of the characters into the audience without trying too much. The visuals are mind-boggling and overwhelming - reminiscent of Alien and Interstellar, but more subtle, haunting and less heroic. The story itself with its great twist (a trope of Shyamalan) and the concept of time ( like Interstellar), has a beautiful philosophical and emotional value, almost unseen in the majority of science fiction flicks.
The best quality of this movie is that it subtly takes away from the alien event, and rather focuses on the emotions, consequences and life-changing transformations of the earthlings and the people surrounding the event. It does not make the aliens the incident of importance - but rather a process which changes and focuses on the conscience of the human race.
Let me warn you though - this is not a movie for the audience who want snappy and action-packed entertainment from a science-fiction movie. In some parts, the movie is rather boring, as it delves deeper into the comprehension of the event, and in the end, it is just plain acceptance and moving on - there is no big climax waiting to happen. Also, to add to the frailty - the CGI in some parts of the movie is questionable, considering that it was such a well-made movie with high production value.
It may seem like this movie tries to borrow from franchises like Alien and Interstellar, but in the end, it creates its own unique world and manages to shelve away any such comparisons- thus creating an original idea and sci-fi masterpiece altogether. It is a fresh addition into the big names which redefined the genre of sci-fi easily sitting beside Matrix. Blade Runner or Alien.
Verdict : Brilliant and redefining cinema, and one of the masterpieces in science fiction. 4.5/5
P.S : The movie is based on the short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang which was the winner of the 2000 Nebula Award for Best Novella as well as the 1999 Sturgeon award.
Sultan (2016)
Awful mindless movie for mindless "Bhai" fans
Never expected it to be good. But because I had watched his previous "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" which was a gem, I had hoped for some in-depth story and acting. Foolish of me to even think that it would happen.
Salman's flick is as mindless and as idiotic as it can ever be. So many plot-holes, it seems that the whole movie is about plot-holes. Anushka Sharma's character is supposed to be a fighter, and eventually she turns out to forget all her ambitions and become a child-bearing agency and marriage-goat for Salman. What regressive message does it propagate?! Are we watching a movie from the 70s or what? Jus because the "fans" of bhai want to hoot and whistle when he takes his idiotic entry in a movie, will the movie itself become good? This movie is such a waste of time.
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
A CGI Porn. That's it!
INDEPENDENCE DAY : RESURGENCE
A CGI Porn. That's it!
No gradual build up towards a plot, no character development, no substantial explanations to any goddamn event.
Everything is happening all at once and so quickly as if they are in a hurry to shove the CGI effects into the eyes of audience. In the first fifteen minutes of the movie, everything has already happened, and then you are just dealing with it!
Before even the characters have been properly introduced/reintroduced, the Mother-ship has already gobbled the base at moon, and has landed on earth. Monuments, planes, vehicles and people are being sucked up and thrown back towards the earth while other people are waking up from comas like they wake up from sleep.
Everything is just haphazard. Even the characters who continued from the first movie seem so goofy and cartoon-like, it's just ridiculous. More ridiculous is the fact that somehow, by some way, some accident, they solve everything, and we do it again on the same 4th of July, which would eventually explain the title of the movie being retained.
We all knew that the first movie was fantasy. But even then it had elements of unraveling towards a great climax while making it believable with dialogues and plot and characters. The second one is totally disjoint.
Only good for those who love tonnes of CGI and special effects showing epic destruction!
Rating : 2/5
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Not worth it!
The little depth which was exhibited in the first movie, has become so shallow in this installment that it almost seems like throwing your money away.
At least the first one had great tricks up its sleeve to amaze people. This one just lacks creativity of plot, of magic, or of mystery.
The characters are plain with no sense of mystery or dimension. I don't know how it plummeted from what we saw in the first movie. Even Mark Ruffalo seems to be clinging to a stick, and here we all knew him as the mystic man behind the show.
Jesse Eisenberg, manages to bring his signature style of acting to a new level of boring. Daniel Radcliffe seems like a confused child whining away with no sense of direction. Woody Harrelson and Morgan Freeman are fine (as usual), but even they can't save the movie from its uni-dimensional plot.
Ah and God, a Deus Ex Machina at the end. Please! The plot had so much possibilities after the first movie, and you end up with this emotional melodramatic crap.
All in all, only the first-half before the interval was worth some good laughs, and after the interval, the movie plummeted like Mark Ruffalo's character in the sea. Lizzy Caplan is the only takeaway from the movie who at least did a great job being the new bubbly horseman.
1.5/5
Bãhubali: The Beginning (2015)
Just go for the spectacle!
So finally, this enormous media frenzy and extremely viral social discussions over what is supposed to be the biggest leap in India movie-making (especially in terms of VFX and action), snow-balled into an overwhelming urge inside us to watch "Bahubali" in the weekend.
Telugu Cinema has always been the front-line runner of the Indian film industry when it comes to visual effects, roaring impactful dialogues, over the top action-sequences as well as greatly unusual scripts. Add 250 crore budget to that and the premise of an LOTR- ish, 300-ish trailer, one just cannot ignore the juggernaut.
So, the first thought which comes to mind is : The movie delivers on spectacle! Yes. The enormous uproar over what is supposed to be the best special effects coming out of the Indian movie industry is not for nothing. The only disclaimer would be : Don't try to compare it with the contemporary Hollywood Cinema. The visual effects as well as the magnitude of war-scenes along with the costumes do deliver an incredible movie experience, and are surely an epic surge from the usual. But, one could easily say that it is what Hollywood Cinema was roughly 15 years ago. There cannot be any complains though. Considering the budget, though it is giant going by Indian standards, it still lags behind greatly when compared to a usual Hollywood cinema incorporating visual effects.
The part which is cringe-worthy is the weak script of the movie. One may argue that because it is going to be a two-part movie (Yes, the second part releases in 2016), the strength of the script has yet to be unraveled. But, no Sir ! The major half of the movie was just wool-gathering and did not induce any interest in the story. Considering that the first half was rather more about stunning visual effects, costumes and locations packed into songs and unrealistic romantic overtures, tells us much about how many crores went into those scenes instead of a strong script. But well, audience is the judge.
Tamannah is lovable in the movie with her martial techniques as well as her beauty. The romantic chemistry of Prabhas as "Bahubali" and Tamannah as "Avanthika" may be a bit eccentric for the north-Indian crowd and could make them cringe in hilarity. One could also say that major scenes before the interval are purely comic.
The movie takes a radical turn after the interval. Rana Daggubati playing as the antagonist "Bhallal" is the person for the job. He is as convincing a villain in 'Bahubali' as good a secret agent he was in 'Baby'. Nassar and Ramya Krishnan as "Bijjaladeva" and "Sivagami" respectively are the two pillars who have kept the movie in hold with their performances. Anushka Shetty as "Devasena" reminds you of the role of Rakhee in 'Karan Arjun', but her potential has yet to be revealed.
The biggest part of the cake goes to Prabhas who plays as "Mahendra Bahubali" as well as his own father, who showcases various shades of human character starting right from a loving son to a benevolent prince to a formidable warrior and especially, a weird infatuated lover.
The movie is not spared of the clichéd untimely insertion of romantic and item-songs which are the identity of Indian cinema, and surely makes the audience raise their eyebrows. The primary reason for that being more unbearable for the Hindi crowd is because of the dubbed Hindi songs instead of the usual Telugu songs (which could at least hold the Telugu crowd). The Hindi lyrics are totally a work- around to synchronize them with the Telugu lyrics' length as well as the meaning, and are plainly nonsensical. The Hindi dubbing of the dialogues in the movie also render the same effect in a lot of scenes, and thus somewhat reduce the impact the movie must create from its Telugu counterpart.
All of that being said, the movie is still epic in its proportions and is a great stage for the take-off of the Indian movies in terms of VFX, action sequences and cinematic scale. All praises to S.S Rajamouli for his gigantic vision! Those who complain about Indian movies not being at par with the Hollywood in these terms, have something to look forward to and they should appreciate the effort, time and money put in the movie so as to encourage more such endeavours in the future.
Do watch it for what it delivers, and not for what it does not. A great effort which should be reverted with the same enthusiasm. Just go for the spectacle.
Overall rating – 3/5.
Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015)
In the words of Pappi jee – "Tashreef Faad" movie !
There are times when Bollywood, in the name of creating a franchise, keeps on churning out new sequels of a certain popular movie (most of the times mediocre ones too), and brands it as some over-the-top entertainment extravaganza. The gullibility of the Indian audience - more often than not - gives these film-makers the leverage and enables them to earn profits from those sequels which are usually pretty mediocre in all aspects.
"Tanu Weds Manu Returns" breaks this trend with a thundering applause. This must perhaps be the only occurrence when a sequel of a Bollywood movie is out-shining its parent with a paramount entertaining quality and an overwhelming appreciation.
The film starts off after four years from where it left. The opening frame subtly mocks the "Videography" routine of average Indian weddings and is the beginning towards the fun ride. Tanu and Manu are shown to be in an emotional tussle after four years into their marriage. And what follows is an enormous frenzy of laughs, gaffes, incredible dialogues and beautiful events which cement this movie into an extremely lovable journey.
Deepak Dobriyal as ''Pappi jee" is as humorous as he gets with his stupendous command over expressions, timings and an extremely incredible set of dialogues written for him. Jimmy Shergil reprises his role as the hot-headed 'Raja Awasthi' who has yet again been compromised by Manu - the character played by the ever graceful R. Madhavan. In Raja's words, "Doctor saab ne humaara fir kaat liya" :D. Swara Bhaskar and Eijaz Khan as Payal and Jassi are at their best. The new entry to the party, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub as 'Chintu' plays a character we can safely relate to the cliché "Begaani Shaadi mein Abdulla Deewana", and is responsible for adding more masala to the genre (We can safely call this movie a genre!?).
But, the largest part of the cake (as has become usual now), goes to Kangana Ranaut who simultaneously plays the role of Tanu as well as a look-alike of her, namely 'Kusum', hailing from the remotes of Haryana who has come to Delhi to study via her athlete quota, and is the helm of the movie. Kangana has showcased the immense talent she possesses as an actor and it is evident in the subtle differences of characters she can portray with two different roles in the same movie. 'Kusum' as a simple-minded and unpolished, but an extremely daring individual is worlds apart from Tanu and yet, she exhibits as great (sometimes more) vigour, intensity, and spark of life as her modern counterpart. Kangana is just too breath-taking in both her roles.
The movie becomes a bit intense in the second-half, but the humour is perpetually inherent. But, the best thing about the movie was not just its entertainment co-efficient, but its ability to make you think. The social-evils prevailing in the country (which includes the villages of Haryana) in the name of caste, culture, and especially crimes on women has been criticized and talked down upon with such great intensity and humorous rationale, that one just bows down to such progressive approach. The intolerance is subsided and tolerance is given way with laudable comfort and command.
More appreciable was the portrayal of life and society as a liberal stage with possibilities of grey when it comes to morality, lifestyle and relationships. To be liberal is to be able to do things (obviously not unlawful) without the fear of any consequences or scrutiny, and not only Kangana but almost every character in this movie showcases that liberal attitude which is more than just appreciable, it is imperative.
Kudos to this type of cinema which not only makes us proud of Bollywood (I hope the era of brainless shite in Bollywood is on its decline) with its entertainment value, but also makes us become aware of changes we need to make in our society as a whole.
In the words of Pappi jee - "Tashreef Faad" movie.
P.S - To be a woman like Tanu with all her positive and negative feminine enamour would be awesome, but to have a woman like her and be able to love her would be something worth living for. Life is not always black or white, it is that enigmatic shade of grey.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Watch 'Mad Max : Fury Road' because it is pointing its fingers towards you and screaming, "Witness Me!" 5/5
So, here was another weekend, and as is the norm, a movie in the theaters was on the cards. I and my friends were all eager for 'Piku' as the word of mouth was on a roll.
But sometimes, things don't happen the way it should – as goes the rule of the Fury Road. I randomly checked for other movies which were on the show this weekend, and was excited by the ratings of Mad Max's Fourth instalment. With a staggering 99% Rotten Tomatoes, 89% Metacritic and 8.9 IMDb rating, I just drifted towards this mad ride of contemporary cinema. And oh what a ride it was!
Having never watched any Mad Max instalment before, I had no idea what to expect from the movie. But then, less expectations, more fun!
The movie is based on a post-apocalyptic world, and adding any more description to it would be an injustice towards the people who are yet to watch it. It's a one of a kind movie and describing the movie would be like ripping the heart out of it's charisma. I mean, we must have watched movies of different genres and different scenarios and different presentations, but one could rarely fathom a movie which goes beyond those classifications. This movie redefines every adjective which we have ever used for describing a movie. It is pure ingenious cinematic brilliance.
This movie sucks you in its world and makes you undergo such surrealism that you are on the edge of your seat throughout its ride. It is not only the madness which gets to you, it is the ultra- skewed world, the premise, the machines, and the inherent humour in the face of doom which gets instilled in your veins as if you are the part of that world. Such is the intensity of the cinema that you'd want to jump in the road of fury- as binding as it gets towards a true movie- watching experience and a cinematic marvel.
I learnt about the Mad Max franchise from Wikipedia and I was more than overwhelmed to know that the first Mad Max movie broke all the records of the Box-Office in Australia (it is an Australian franchise), and held the Guinness record for most profitable film for decades. The other two sequels have also had great runs, and by the look of it, the fourth one is seemingly going to topple the previous films' earnings. George Miller, the director of the franchise must really be a man from another world.
Watch this movie for its surreal setting which seems from another planet/world, its thrilling and spell-binding action sequences, its war-machines, the special effects, and exclusively for the madness, the humour and the innate meaning it carries for the dwellers of the real world. The last time I was this overwhelmed by a movie, its name was 'Interstellar'. Watch 'Mad Max : Fury Road' because it is pointing its fingers towards you and screaming, "Witness Me!".
For the sheer cinematic experience : 5/5
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
A good one-time watch but expect less. 3/5
THE AVENGERS – AGE OF ULTRON
Apologies for the late review. I guess by now a lot of people must already have watched this mundane instalment from Marvel and must really have become confused as to what to make of the movie. So, let's roll.
I suppose the Marvel studio has really become filthy rich with its cinematic universe collections and since that ball is out of the park, they are busy weaving stories with no coherence whatsoever, to prepare for a grand finale.
No seriously! Someone has to say this. Because in my opinion, this movie was anything but close to its first instalment (notwithstanding the fact that Avengers universe is all about heroics and stunts and fantastic logics). Even judging by those standards, one feels alienated from the movie as it progresses. Well of course! Things are happening in the movie and no one knows why!
The first (known) absurdity was that despite the presence of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, they were not called by their names. And that was because of Marvel's rights issue with 20th Century Fox when they sold the rights of the characters of the mutants to the X-Men franchise. What's more absurd was that they were not even called 'Mutants'. They were 'Enhanced'.
Well even if you ignore that part, this character of Quicksilver doesn't even compare to the one we witnessed in X-Men -Days of Future Past. The humour of the character was just not apparent.
This brings me to the trailer of the movie. All we understood from the trailer was that a very dark portrayal of the story and the characters of Avengers is under-due; that we are going to witness a development which would do some soul searching, and show the grey shade the heroes would have to overcome. But alas! It all came down to nothing but just a little stint of manipulation by a future ally, and the dark visions of the heroes just seemed to be forced upon the viewers.
Not that one should complain about it, as the Avengers was always supposed to be a jolly franchise with great comic timings and humour. And that this movie does not disappoint in. The comic timings and funny punch-lines in the movie have still been retained the same as the first instalment. And that was the best part of the movie. Sure, we were not expecting it as we judged from the allegedly 'dark' trailer of the movie, but well this was the grease which kept the machine running. Extremely hilarious moments with a somewhat apathetic stance (obviously they are heroes!), tickles your senses and leaves you wanting more from that aspect of the movie. Full points to Avengers for that.
So it all comes down to the story. Remember the part where we learn about the 'infinity stones' in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' ? Well the story is basically trying to link that part to the Avengers, and apparently to converge the story lines of all the other movies into some Grand-finale episode (which would obviously feature 'Thanos'). Not to give away the story too much, I should only confess that all the hoolaboola in this movie was basically concentrated upon the "things to come" , and not "things which are present".
So what was all that hoolaboola ? ULTRON and its VISION! The only importance of Ultron in this movie (though it was portrayed to be very important as it was the brain-child of Tony Stark and the code in Loki's sceptre. Ah, just believe it!), was to be a mad program which tries to destroy the earth (once again), and it creates a "Vision" (another character) which is supposedly the saner part of "Ultron" and ultimately sides with the Avengers.
All of this is happening while the Avengers are just fighting amongst themselves. Not that it was not enjoyable, but please, concentrate on the villain already! Anyway, the largest part of the cake goes to the Iron Man Vs Hulk fight. That fight was nasty! If you are not sure whether to go watch this movie or not, just buy the tickets for this specific sequence!
All in all, the story is just straying around with too much speeches and unneeded philosophies (especially from Ultron) and there are literally too many people (from all other movies). The love-angle of Black Widow and #### was appreciable, along with a somewhat tragic end to one of the characters. But the climax was a bit anti- climactic as we expect a lot when it comes to a movie like Avengers, where the stakes are so high.
So all in all,
Humour – 5/5 Action – 3/5 Story – 1/5 Anticipation – 0/5
Verdict – A good one-time watch but expect less. 3/5
Read at : http://ufictionary.com/2015/04/28/the-avengers-age-of- ultron/
Fast & Furious 7 (2015)
Worth one watch. That's it. 2.5/5
FAST AND THE FURIOUS 7
What do we expect from 'Fast and the Furious' movies?
a) Speeding Cars and heists b) Overtly thrilling action sequences c) A good plot which does not make the movie an abrupt affair
With 'The Fast and the Furious:Tokyo Drift', the movie series had taken a side-track from its story-line. But, many should concur that this movie has by far been the benchmark of a quality movie based on racing/car-action. It had all the qualities of this adrenaline- pumping genre and except the heist part, it serves all the expectations of the Fast and the Furious franchise.
Anyway, even if beating the benchmark of Tokyo Drift is a far- fetched job, one can surely expect! But, I should confess that I was a bit disappointed with the latest sequel, i.e FF7.
Many would like to say that it is good that the latest sequel does not include street-races, as they seem childish. But, I had always been a fan of this franchise because of those street races (Need for Speed games being the trigger for it), and lately I've been disappointed with the movie plots which do not include those 'childish' races.
So in this sequel, speeding cars and heists - Yes. Races - No.
Coming to the part about thrilling action sequences, yes the movie delivers on that. Most of the scenes are top-notch and nasty, and as it goes, unbelievable. Obviously more 'fantastic' than 'gutsy'. The sad part is, a good chunk of it was already there in the trailer.
And lastly, the plot. Well, in layman's terms, it is bullshit ! You'd probably cry almost every 10 minutes uttering, "What the hell is happening?". At one moment Dwayne Johnson is hospitalized with serious injuries; in another, he rips off his plaster and goes on firing the villains with machine guns. Well obviously, he is 'The Rock'! An actor like Jason Statham seems a sidekick in the plot. And then again, there is our "Joy Lobo" from '3 Idiots' playing an Abu- Dhabi guy. :P
There are just too many characters doing little jobs rather than less number of characters doing big jobs.
So finally, we come to the primary reason which urges you to watch the movie, and precisely the reason why it is doing such good business. It is the ending, which pays a very fine tribute to our beloved Paul Walker weaving the story-line into an emotional ride, which leaves you gasping and with soggy eyes.
People who feel an attachment towards this series and towards the actors pertaining to the series, should watch it for the final homage to Paul Walker. As they say - One Last Ride.
Worth one watch. 2.5/5
NH10 (2015)
Amazing Thriller which breaks the stereotypes of Bollywood
I am amazed! Simply amazed.
Amazed at the change Bollywood is going through. After almost a decade long stint of ultra-idiotic movies galore, Bollywood is coming to sense! Or rather, the new movie-makers are trying to defy the convention. Whatever the reason, this change is sweet.
NH10 is not only a story of a journey gone wrong, but a very realistic portrayal of social evils which happen in the Indian society and where the check is not governed by law, as the people of law also come from the same ranks.
The more amazing part was how the movie showed that not only men, but women too are responsible for those regressive social evils, and how the women dictate that mindset to the younger generation.
The movie is intense as well as fast-paced. You'll be pleasantly amazed at the number of songs filmed upon the 'hero' and the 'heroine' - ZERO. The direction is flawless, as the whole setup gets to you and makes yourself a part of it; all terrifying and frustrating and mind- numbing. Neil Bhoopalam does an awesome job as the big-city guy with an idealistic view.
But the praises go to Anushka Sharma. She is as good as an actor gets with the role of a modern girl who carries the trepidation of an unwanted event, the disgust for unjust mindset and people, and the bravery of a woman.
I am contented with the way women have started being represented in Bollywood movies and how Bollywood is shedding its skin of stereotyping women with second-rate roles, molestation and objectification.
Loved the movie. Do not watch it for the 'Falana out of 5' stars. Watch it for the change. If we are not going to change our viewership choices, we have no right to blame Bollywood for producing idiotic movies.
P.S - Dear Censor Board members and especially Mr Pehlaaj Nihlani,
Muting a 'Hindi gaali' and cutting scenes from a movie which portrays a much more heinous side of the society we are living in is so hilarious, I could just spit on you while laughing. Banning 'cuss words' in a movie such as this has only ridiculed the heart of the movie and reduced its impact.
The 'thoo' of hypocrisy is on you.
Baby (2015)
Good Weekend Watch !
BABY When I saw the poster of the movie, it seemed to be yet another action movie with some loose plot and over the top unreal action which satiates the patriot inside us.
Well, I was very much relieved to experience Bollywood casting off its clichés.
1) The fight as well as the torture sequences were realistic with little melodrama.
2) The plot had sequential sub-plots which were important and laid a good backing to the story as well as provided importance to the characters individually.
3) No grand entries to main characters. All was in seam. For those wondering, the character of Anupam Kher was introduced in the last hour of the movie.
4) The cliché of a girl trying to save herself from a "villain" while the "hero" comes to save her was removed in a very exuberant manner. You are in for a glorious treat. ;) 5) Surprisingly, the first half of the movie had no comic elements and the second half was full of it. Usually it happens the other way round.
6) The climax of the movie will remind you of the climax of Argo. ;) However very clinical in its approach of showcasing terrorism, processes and people behind it, it does have flag-waving elements when it comes to patriotism. At least for me, it is something we need at the moment. It also contains subtle messages which may seem controversial but are sourced from real situations prevailing in the country.
An overly stretched movie by standard, it does have some very boring and unwanted bits. A good weekend-watch considering the patriotic occasion, you should watch it for its non-Bollywoodish treatment in the action genre.
3.5/5
Queen (2013)
The best movie of this year and one of the best after a very long time ! Just watch it !
Once in a long while , Bollywood surprises us with a movie so beautiful that we forget how many idiotic movies come out of this industry every year , and salute the people who come up with something so profound and entertaining .
Queen is one such movie .
The sheer brilliance of the story and the character of Queen itself is more than enough to pull you towards it with might . Aforesaid , the rendering of Queen by Kangana Ranaut is so elegant , it seems as if she is among us .
This movie is beautiful to its core . The way Rani speaks , the humorous situations and the dialogues , the characters she meets , the transformation she undergoes , the anxiety , the love , the adventure , the realization . Everything is sheer beauty in this movie .
But in my personal opinion the most important undertone of this movie was not the acknowledgement of a woman as a free soul . That was surely a given .
Once more, the pathetic mindset of Indian men is revealed in a non-hostile manner . The stigma of patriarchy as well as masculine pride in the Indian society is yet again reaffirmed by the portrayals of foreign characters and how they view opposite sexes .
The foreign characters showed how men can also be afraid of lizards , as any kind of emotion is not attributed to a specific sex . They showed how a group of three men can live with a woman without even thinking about taking advantage of her . They showed us how a good conversation can make a girl more interested in you than the heroics of overpowering her . They showed us how men can have parties , go to rock shows , be on a ride all hungover with a woman and have fun .
Through this movie , I saw what men truly represent in the first world , and why we are still known as the third world .
This movie has so much subtle meanings hidden in each and every detail of it that every person who watches it will have his/her own perception of it in the end .
Ah , I can go on and on about this movie . Kangana is super-cute in her character , every second of this film is heart-warming , dialogues are insanely hilarious , Rajkummar Rao is great with his acting as usual , songs like 'London Thumakta' and "Hungama" are beautiful , the direction is flawless , and the movie deserves a standing ovation .
Bollywood just got the coronation of its Queen . If you haven't watched it , do it now , otherwise you will end up saying: "Mera to itna life kharaab ho gaya hai , itna life kharaab ho gaya hai mera" :D