AVENGERS -ENDGAME (ENGLISH) (2019)

Ship load of superheroes - Check (Eyes-full in an IMAX screen and some more)

Stunning action setpieces - Check

Sharp sparkling humour - Check

Emotionally charged moments - Check

Epic finale - Check

Director duo Russo bros dunk us neck deep into nostalgia as we buckle down for a dreamy ride skimming over a decade worth of our favourite blockbusters from the franchise. Their nifty screenplay pulls together plot lines from all those multiple moments of magnificence to a rousing crescendo culminating in yet another audacious, heroic and dare, I say heart wrenching snap. 

It is beautiful in how the writing draws on the twenty plus historic blockbusters to create what is going to be the definitive piece in the  history of blockbusters. 

The movie delivers on almost every count

As sheer spectacle of ginormous proportions..

As an energetic and exciting entertainer..

As an emotionally charged roller coaster..

Russo bros have crafted a fitting farewell that elevates our favourite superheroes  even as it pays an ode to each of them who would remain etched in the collective memories of the fans for a very long time, if not forever.

Don't see how it could've ended any better ..

Perhaps could've had some more fireworks ..

Perhaps it could've been more 'snap'py.. But, again .. am just nitpicking here. 

Go .. Watch it in the biggest screen possible !

A MUST WATCH ! A MARVEL !!

RATING - 4/5

GULLY BOY (HINDI) (2019)

Director Zoya Akthar's Gully Boy is an affective underdog story that is well executed and supported by solid performances by the leads as well as a competent supporting cast. It presents the story of Murad, a resident of the slums of Dharavi, Mumbai and his rise to become an acclaimed rap artist despite the odds that are stacked against him that seek to trap him forever in his suffocating circumstances. The narrative arc traces his journey of self discovery and how he harnesses his innate talents and self belief to become a famous rap artist by "melting down the shackles that bind him with the lava of his lyrics".

I have never been a big fan of the genre of hip hop/ rap music. But, there is an earnest intensity in the album  and the hard-hitting lyrics (collaboration by an array of artists) here that captivates the viewer and hooks them to the genre.

Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhat prove their mettle as the definitive stars in the making, oozing loads of talent and cement their billing to be counted among the very best of their generation of actors. This film provides a perfect stage for them to collaborate and shine together. Ranveer is like some shimmering liquid metal that could be perfectly cast to fit into any mould. He can effortlessly transform from being an obsessed and cruel medieval Sultan in Padmavat to the underdog from Mumbai slum and make either part feel very real. 

Here, he is inhabiting the part of Murad, a  Dharavi resident dreaming of elevating his life from a rag-tag, down-in-the-dumps reality to match his soaring dreams. And, it definitely doesn't hurt that he can also rap like a pro. Alia Bhatt lights up the screen as the charming Safeena, a pint sized dynamite of a medical student, madly in love with Murad. She shares a warm chemistry with Ranveer, complementing him effectively.

Zoya assembles a string of notable names like Vijay Raaz, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Verma, Sheeba Chaddha as well as debutante Siddhant Chaturvedi (as MC Sher) who turn in impressive cameos along with multiple real life rap artists who add a dash of authentic flavour of the music and the milieu, especially in the fierce rap battles. The crisp cinematography (Jay Oza) and the conversations soaked in the local lingo add to the lived in feel to the proceedings.

The writing (Zoya and Reema Kagti) is dexterous for the most part and manages to breath a dash of freshness even into some time tested tropes and cliches. The result is an extra-ordinary movie that is engrossing and satisfying at multiple levels.

AN ENTERTAINING WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

SUPER DELUXE (TAMIL) (2019)

A momentary misadventure with an ex-flame pushes a recently married couple (Samatha Akkineni and Fahaad Faasil) into a a tizzy as they embark on a journey to bury their past.  A frequently rib-tickling riff on "Till Death do us apart". 

A mom (Gayathri Shankar) and her young son (a superb Ashwanth) await the return of a father who had fled from home several years ago, in the middle of the night, seeking a new identity. When the moment of reunion arrives, amidst an ensemble of relatives who have come to witness the event as mostly sadistic spectators, only one of them is delighted as expected ("Return of the Prodigal Purushan"). 

Grand plans of five teens to skip school and make merry in youthful exuberance go awfully awry. While one of them ends up in a hospital in a freak accident, a break-away group of three are buffeted between a whimsical don and even more wacky happenings ("A tale of two TV sets"). 

A faith healer is confronted by a situation of personal crisis which forces him to explore the strength of his faith that he preaches ("Salvation").

A corpse, a corrupt and lecherous cop, a don, a former porn star, an aspiring actor, several minor characters who leave a mark with their minimal screen presence and just when we think that this couldn't get any more intriguing, the writers conjure up a character which is even more colourful. Super Deluxe presents all this and much more in a resplendent rainbow of fully fleshed out characters - howsoever minor - populating a potpourri of plots. 

Thiagarajan Kumararaja (TK), who had made a stunning debut with Aaranya Kaandam (2011) - a cult classic - proves that he was no flash in the pan. This is a massive and ambitious upgrade as he handles a talented cast consisting of multiple stars including Vijay Sethupathi, Samantha Akkineni, Fahaad Faasil, Ramya Krishnan and Bhagavathi Perumal. The acting is consistently superlative across the board with spectacular performances from the leads as well as minor characters. Vijay Sethupathi is reborn and inhabits the character of a transgender while Samantha and Fahaad are utterly convincing as the recently wed couple caught up in relationship issues. Yuvan Shankar Raja provides a sparse, yet spectacular score combined with a healthy dose of Tamil and Hindi songs of yore which coheres well with the situations.

TK shares co-writing credits with three other noted directors - Mysskin, Nalan Kumaraswamy and Neelan K Sekar. While the threesome bring in their own brand of mastery, the same has been carefully choreographed into a magnificent chimera by TK who leaves his own indelible mark as he seamlessly weaves in the multiple subplots and meta moments in life-like splendor. The writing is subtle, layered, richly detailed, consistently funny and smartly propounds its central philosophies without being preachy or moralistic or melodramatic. Check out the surgical strikes of social commentary made by Fahaad Faasil on contemporary issues like nationalism, caste structures and broken state systems. 

The common thread that runs through all the episodes reflect on how we, as individuals, are trapped in and trampled upon by the superficial structures imposed by a constantly judging society. The key to happiness, therefore, is in being non-judgmental and accepting persons and events for what they are.

This is a heady cocktail from a genius on top of his game. A jugalbandhi of genres - a quintessentially quirky, incorrigibly  irreverent, wonderfully weird, spectacularly screwed up and audaciously amoral comedy of errors.

A TOUR DE FORCE ! A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5