AVENGERS - INFINITY WAR (ENGLISH) (2018)

It is finally here.. the culmination of 10 years of multiple MCU story lines spanning 18 movies and ship-load of superheroes and their support cast which we have grown to love.

Thanks to the well orchestrated marketing campaign as well as the gradual buildup over the years through all the story arcs converging to this climactic showdown, the tsunami of expectations for Infinity War had hit a crescendo before the release.

Credit to the director duo of Russo brothers who have managed to deliver despite such stupendous expectations and hype. 

The movie is chock-a-block with our favourite superheroes and towering above all of them, is their nemesis - the mad titan Thanos who spells death, doom and destruction from the word go, as he sets out on a quest to capture all six infinity stones which would make him the most powerful entity of the universe.

While the narrative is indeed weighed down by the sheer mass of the material on hand and the multiple characters vying for screen-time, the directors have managed to provide space for almost all of them to come into their own.

Given the scale of the challenge at hand, the sinister designs of Thanos and his team and his superlative power which continues to multiply as the movie progresses, there is a palpable dark tinge that permeates the movie. Despite being shrouded under the dark cloud of impending doom an gloom, the narrative is frequently funny with clever cracking quips coming from the clash of several superhero sized egos as well as genuinely tongue-in-cheek conversations as all these characters get to know each other.

The action is often frenetic and the set pieces are brilliantly mounted on a dazzling scale with scope for almost every character to shine in brief bursts. In a movie of this scale, with more superhero per minute than any other venture, Josh Brolin is impressively menacing as the invincible, Thanos who seeks to bring balance to the universe even if it involves wiping half of all lives, including many of our favourite superheroes, at the snap of his fingers.

While some of the outcomes are on expected lines as indicated in the many trailers and teasers, the Russo brothers have packed quite a few nasty surprises that could leave the audience gawking, especially - an epic cliffhanger ending.

As the dust settles after a feverish run-time of almost 160 minutes and an audacious climax (yup every minute counts.. including the end credit scene), the audience are left at a perilous precipice that is shocking and desperately seeking answers to multiple questions from the sequel that is slated to hit the screens next year. 

Till then... we are left to MARVEL ... What could be lying beyond this insidious infinity ? 

A MUST WATCH (preferably on the BIGGEST screen possible) !!

RATING - 4/5

A QUIET PLACE (ENGLISH) (2018)

The movie is set in a post apocalyptic world haunted by blind alien-esque predatory creatures which zero in on their prey by sound. The very thought that any and every sound could literally be your death knell makes one shiver as the seriousness of the situation strikes us in an early scene. 

The narrative focuses on the ordeals of a small rural family of the Abbotts consisting of - real life spouses - John Krasinski (as Lee Abbott), Emily Blunt (as Evelyn Abbott) and their two kids - a daughter who is hearing impaired - Millicent Simmonds (as Regan Abbott) (hearing impaired in real life too) and a son - Noah Jupe (as Marcus Abbott) - as they adapt to a silent survival mechanism. Most of the movie proceeds in sinister silence with just the ambient sounds of nature as we find that the family has adapted to survive by walking barefoot always, giving up using any silverware and communicate almost exclusively in sign language.

John Krasinski who has also directed the movie has created a tense thriller which keeps the viewers entirely engrossed and riveted to the edge of their seats. He extracts remarkable performances from the entire cast - especially from Emily Blunt  who aces her role as an expecting mother encountering several terrifying turn of events along side Millicent as a rebellious teen with daddy issues.

Special credits are due to the sound designing duo of Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn who have done a tremendous job with the silences and natural ambient sounds that infuse every frame with the apt atmospherics of terror that runs through the entire duration of the movie. It is interesting to note that they have also worked on the latest sequel of that junkyard jamboree of Transformers - The Last Knight.

Krasinski is economic with his storytelling and builds the dread with every passing frame as surviving every silent second becomes a spellbinding and spine chilling experience as you fear that your own excited heartbeats are getting too loud for your safety.

Overall, it is a well crafted sci-fi thriller which elevates a simple premise into an absorbing adrenaline rush that stays with you long after your viewing.

A THRILLING WATCH (best enjoyed on a big screen with excellent acoustics) !!

RATING - 4/5

THE INSULT (aka L'INSULTE) (ARABIC/FRENCH) (2017)

The wounds of fire may heal and might even disappear with time; But, the burns caused by vicious words would never heal !!

This is the wisdom shared to the world by the ancient Tamil poet sage Thiruvalluvar in one of his 1330 Kurals (couplets) which is part of Thirukkural, an ancient classic Tamil text which is a monumental work on ethics and morality.

In The Insult, which is set in modern Beirut, Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri explores this very tenet through the events involving two principal characters - Toni Hanna (Adel Karam), a Lebanese Christian and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee. Toni is an automobile mechanic and Yasser Salameh (Kamel El Basha), is a foreman of a construction crew working in Toni's neighbourhood. Toni is also an ardent supporter of the Christian party and is hot-headed.  Yasser, on the other hand is reticent, and being a refugee, has an indeterminate legal status despite having lived in Beirut for several years. A faulty drain pipe overhanging from Toni's balcony triggers the initial confrontation and an exchange of insults. This is followed by vehement demands for apology from the other side and soon escalates to a forceful punch to the gut and ultimately, lands the duo in two courtroom battles. The movie captures the unfolding courtroom battles between the two individuals over this minor tussle as it steadily escalates and threatens to engulf the entire nation in turmoil.

From the initial seemingly trivial squabble to the courtroom combats, the movie takes the viewers on a roller coaster ride which includes resurfacing of latent wounds which never heal, traumatic revelations on the realities which were otherwise suppressed, a civil war which despite being over long ago seems to have transcended from the physical realm to the mind space of the population where it is still actively fought on a daily basis, the media melee surrounding the case which brings a fragile peace to the brink; and the effect of these unintended escalations on Toni and Yasser as they contemplate their lives, their painful past and prejudices that are deeply embedded therein which define their grim present as well as their possible next steps. Could there be a sense of hope or the long and deep shadows from their past are set to snuff out all light from their present as well as future ? Seen from another perspective, is this just a case of a personal conflict exploding to ensnare an entire nation or is it a chronic national/regional conflict which has percolated down to infect the everyday affairs of these persons ?

Home to one of the earliest human civilisations, Lebanon, is a small state in the Middle East which is nestled between Mediterranean sea to its west and Syria and Israel on the other directions. Lebanon, which had remained largely peaceful, prosperous and progressive, is unique in the largely Arab neighbourhood by virtue of its demographics consisting of almost equal number of Christian and Muslim citizens. The vexed political situation of the larger region, that has fanned the flames of hatred over the decades, has resulted in deep fissures along ethnic as well as religious lines. Over time, these have evolved in deep seated insecurities, mutual sense of victimhood and anger among all communities. When such groups are almost equally strong, as in the case of Lebanon, this creates a scenario of perfect storm. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in a bloody civil war which spanned from 1975-1990 and consumed scores of its citizenry. Despite the end of the civil war, tensions remain and erupts in the form of ugly violence from time to time as disparate political groups seek to gain mileage by adding fuel to the deceptive, yet highly inflammable embers. The influx of refugees from neighbours in turmoil has provided further feedstock to this cauldron.

Despite being set in Lebanon with protagonists from particular communities, the film has a universal appeal as it explores multiple elements like the politics of opportunism which feed on prejudice & hatred, jingoistic appeals, deep-seated resentments, macho masculine pride as well as media madness which are seeking to alter the essence of human condition in these turbid times. The film is also an exploration on the how common sense could become a casualty when vexed vanities of exaggerated male egos glued to long-held grudges take the center stage. It also depicts the difficulties in de-escalation once the tinderbox is set alight as even seemingly simple conflicts could quickly spiral out of control with no solutions in sight.

Director Ziad Doueiri deserves credit for fashioning an engaging and powerful narrative which does not take sides and keeps the viewer engrossed in the proceedings till the very end. Special praise is due for the way he stages the courtroom battles where the protagonists as well as their attorneys land punches and counter-punches. While he may not be subtle and is also guilty of succumbing to cliches, his narrative is nevertheless energetic and aided by the excellent performances from entire cast which makes even the age old cliches work. With this fabulous feature, he acquits himself as a director to watch out in the future. 

The Insult was Lebanon's official submission in 90th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and was part of the final shortlist. It has been widely praised across multiple film festivals where it has won many accolades including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor (Kamel El Basha) in the Venice International Film Festival. It was also the opening movie of the recently concluded IFFK-2017.

A RIVETING WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5