Saturday 19 December 2020

DELHI CRIME (HINDI/ENGLISH) (20200



This web series directed by Richie Mehta recounting the Nirbhaya investigation in a seven part mini series packs a gut punch.

With sharp writing and crisp editing, the series dives right into the action and does not let go till the last episode.

Apt casting and solid performances - especially, Shefali Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Rasika Duggal and Adil Hussain along with a host of supporting cast who put in sincere performances.

Richly deserved the Emmy honours.

A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

PS - Streaming on Netflix



JERSEY (TELUGU) (2019)

Jersey would definitely rank among the notable sports dramas I have enjoyed recently. The entire team has excelled.

Nani is spot on as the cricketer out to prove himself well beyond the conventionally accepted shelf life. He seems to have hit a purple patch with back-to-back good outings with Jersey after Gang Leader. Shraddha Srinath is among the better actresses in the latest crop. She does well in a character which could have been better written.

Director Gowtam Tinnanuri's sophomore effort (after an above average debut with Malli Raavaa) is  sincere and tugs at the heart without being too melodramatic. He is remaking this in Hindi with Shahid Kapoor (🀞🏽).

After, Dear Comrade, this is another commendable cricket based drama from Tollywood which hits most of the right notes.

VERY SATISFYING WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5 

PS - Streaming on Zee5

Mookuthi Amman (Tamil) (2020)



This movie has an intriguing premise that pits a God against a self-proclaimed Godman. 

It has its moments which shine brilliantly. But, those are few and far between; for the most part, it fumbles to hold our attention as it wavers wildly between getting too serious or too silly for its own good.

Nayantara continues to dazzle and gets the Amman role just right. RJ Balaji is competent as an actor, but falls short as a director (co-directed with NJ Saravanan).

What could have been a sharp satire slips into something that is just so-so.

AN AVERAGE FLICK !!

RATING - 2.5/5

PS - Streaming on Disney+Hotstar


SOORARAI POTRU (TAMIL) (2020)

This biopic is inspired by the life of Captain Gopinath and recounts the struggles faced by him to realise his dream of making the common man fly at an affordable cost by establishing a low cost airlines.

Director Sudha Kongara is no stranger to the realm of the triumph of underdog. Her impressive debut, Irudhi Suttru which was set in the world of professional women boxers belonged to the same template. Her narrative here is fairly predictable, loaded with genre cliches, "mass" scenes to service the star and packs very little to set it apart except for the character of Bommi (Aparna Balamurali - a revelation) and her dynamic with Maaran (Suriya). 
 
The film benefits greatly from the exceptional performances from the ever reliable Suriya, Aparna Balamurali who holds her own in a spunky role. GV Prakash Kumar has embellished the narrative with a memorable album filled with superbly penned songs set to catchy tunes.

While the predictable narrative with some noticeable lag in the latter portions and the synthetic massy moments apply brakes to the narrative, the movie remains eminently watchable. It is by far, the best Tamil flick to find direct OTT release till date and cruises along like a turbo-prop in delivering a value-for-money viewing experience.

Alas, it could have easily been a Dreamliner and soared much higher. 

EMINENTLY WATCHABLE !

RATING - 3.5/5

PS - Streaming on Amazon Prime



SCAM 1992 (HINDI) (2020)

The ten part web series directed by Hansal Mehta is easily the best I've seen yet among Indian shows.

Based on a book by Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Sahu, this balanced narrative is well acted especially from the lead Pratik Gandhi who lives the role and ably supported by Shreya Dhanwantry, Rajat Kapoor, Anant Mahadevan, Satish Kaushik who are excellently in their own parts; 

The title track from Achint Thakkar is catchy and hooks you immediately; the episodes clock along crisply at a healthy momentum and the series also benefits immensely by staying true to the Gujju roots of its lead characters.

Kudos to the entire teamπŸ‘πŸ½

MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5 

PS - Streaming on SonyLiv



PAAVA KADHAIGAL (aka STORIES OF SIN) (TAMIL) (2020)

This Tamil anthology mini web series consists of 4 episodes directed by noted Tamil directors - Vignesh Sivan, Gautam Vasudev Menon, Vetrimaaran and Sudha Kongara. 

Each episode narrates a story that revolves around the common theme of violent sins related to honour and identity which is associated with the usual elements of caste, class and gender. There are also subtle connecting threads that run across these episodes.

Expectedly, the material is dark and except for the episode directed by Vignesh Sivan featuring dark sarcastic humour, the mood remains grim, intense and frequently, tense. 

The ensemble cast featuring Anjali (looking fresh, in a dual role), Kalki, GVM, Simran, Prakash Raj, Sai Pallavi, Shantanu and Kalidas are impressive and along with the supporting cast provide neat performances.

On the flip side, the stories tend to trod a predictable path and the melodrama is often amped up. Nevertheless, the predictability does not pare down the impact significantly, thanks to the handling and the melodramatic parts too serve a similar purpose.

In all, this is an admirable beginning that augurs well for the Tamil webseries space.

WORTH A WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

PS - Streaming on Netflix



Sunday 6 December 2020

TENET (ENGLISH) (2020)

In Tenet, Nolan has borrowed several template elements from the universe of James Bond - dapper spies trying to save the world from total annihilation by megalomaniac super-villains, astounding action set pieces in exotic locations, tongue-in-cheek humour and not to forget - the damsel in distress to be rescued. Into this mix, Nolan injects his favourite narrative concoction of reality bending time inversion which sees people and objects moving forward and backward in time simultaneously.

While complex stories re-arranging the notions of reality and time are par for the course in most Nolan flicks, with Tenet, he seems to have outdone himself. The narrative demands one to be fully immersed into its inversion mechanics and to the details that are densely packed in each frame. Nevertheless, it is highly likely that most of us might have to depend on repeated viewings along with the explainers on the web if one wishes to make clear sense of the proceedings. 

As with any Nolan movie, the staging of the entire movie is expectedly grand with Hoytema's magnificent cinematography and pulsating score from first time collaborator Ludwig GΓΆransson (no Hans Zimmer). However, it is Nolan's writing that is under-cooked here. especially the portion involving Debicki seeking to escape with her son from the clutches of abusive arms-dealer husband Branagh. Consequently, we are not interested enough in their fates and how the same gets entangled with the mission of our protagonist. The long talkie portions -  which are strangely muffled - where the characters try to explain stuff to one another does not help either and dial down the momentum of the rest of the narrative. 

What works brilliantly are the exhilarating action set pieces which are deeply embedded in those excruciatingly difficult-to-fathom sequences. The performances across the board are good to great. Leading from the front in a neo-Bond-esque avatar is John David Washington who carries the entire movie convincingly as "the protagonist" and along with Robert Pattinson, makes a fine tag team oozing suave and bromance. The supporting cast consisting of radiant Elizabeth Debicki, elegant Dimple Kapadia, Kenneth Branagh embodying malignant menace and the ever dependable Michael Caine making his mark in a single sequence deliver competent performances. 

With Tenet, Nolan reinforces his place as an ace auteur awing us with his audacious artistry and mastery over the medium as he redefines the big screen blitz with his spectacular show. He captivates you with his superlative craft and in equal measure, confounds you with his complex plot lines from an enigmatic narrative. Tenet begins with an extraordinary sequence at an opera venue. After watching the movie, one gets a feeling that perhaps Tenet is Nolan's operatic self- indulgence - his attempted magnum opus which seeks to blend the genres of spy thrillers with his own reality bending time travel sagas.

What you make off Tenet would depend on what you expect from Nolan. If you are fine with just mind blowing big screen experience in a breathtaking action saga, you might be getting a good bargain and possibly, enough bang for your buck. On the other hand, if you are a fan who seeks your action movies to be engaging at an emotional level too, you might find it a tad underwhelming - a spellbinding spectacle sans the sinews of affective sentiments - and a bit exhausting too.

There was never any doubt that Nolan is among the modern greats and Tenet is indeed a brilliant feat. Alas, if only it could've been more felt.

A NOLAN INDULGENCE !

RATING - 3.5/5

Sunday 18 October 2020

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (ENGLISH) (2020)

For his second directorial, writer-director Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The Social Network and many more notable screenwriting credits) has marshalled an ensemble cast for an engaging courtroom drama. The movie chronicles an infamous trial from the late 1960s when the Nixon administration and its new Attorney General prosecuted eight persons belonging to different anti-Vietnam war and civil rights groups on charges of conspiracy for causing bloody riots in Chicago during the Democratic National convention in 1968. 

While it is purportedly recreation of a dark episode in the history of American democracy, it brings into stark relief on how it continues to represent the present days. The timing is curious as the chaos and paranoia that were prevalent then find an eerie resonance today as a highly polarized America heads into what promises to be a momentous, messy and one of its most divisive elections.

The writing is superlative as Sorkin dives into the thick of action from the word go and energizes the narrative with his trademark sharp cuts, electric exchanges between a bunch of memorable characters that we would love / loathe in equal vigour. He dials up the rhetoric, keeps the proceedings gripping by crisply inter-cutting the courtroom scenes with scenes from the fateful day of the riots to sustain the suspense. The unfolding drama is layered as it captures the multiple competing cross currents of war and peace, democracy and disorder, racism, calls for rebellion and righteous opposition in the face of unrelenting force of powers that be.

              

The stellar cast that includes top-of-the-shelf talents including Michael Keaton‌, Joseph Gordon Leavitt, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, Frank Langella and Yahya Abdul Matteen II and the performances are terrific across the board as they sink their teeth into these colourful characters that shine brilliantly even in crowded scenes.  

This might be a story from another era of stormy unrest on how corrupt and unbridled state power aided by complicit pliant institutions could corrode a democracy by choking the fundamental right of citizens to express dissent. Yet, almost half a century later, it presents a grim reflection of our own times as this movie underlines for us. As liberal democracy finds itself  dire straits, not just in America, but in several countries across the world, it is curious case of history repeating itself. Is it a tragedy or farce...? That is a zillion dollar question abegging an answer. 

And...  The whole world is watching.

A RIVETING WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

Friday 2 October 2020

THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (ENGLISH) (2020)



This documentary digs deep into the bottomless digital pit called social media and through lucid accounts from tech insiders, illuminates the existential threat it poses to humanity.

Contrary to popularly held notions, the menace of social media does not stop merely at seeing users accessing free content as products to be monetized through advertisements. In a mad rush to maximize profits, the AI engines at the heart of these social media apps continuously hack the users' psyche through machine-learning enabled manipulative algorithms that are highly effective.

The gullible user base - which includes each one of us - is pushed down a treacherous precipice into a vicious cycle of extended engagement with an endless stream of similarly toned, curated content - thereby creating and reinforcing disruptive biases, polarizing communities, eroding mutual trust, destabilizing democracies, augmenting the armory of autocrats and corroding common grounds for harmonious co-existence.

                   

I wish this becomes a mandatory watch for everyone engaging with social media and should be pinned right on top of our daily news feed from every app that we use.

Do yourself a favour and watch it before you take your next dive into your Facebook or Pinterest or WhatsApp or Instagram or Twitter, etc.

This could well be the best 90-odd minutes you spend this weekend. It holds the potential to alter the rest of your life for the better and heal humanity from a self inflicted digital cancer from the spectre called social media.

A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

PS - The Social Dilemma is currently streaming on Netflix.

Sunday 9 February 2020

1917 (ENGLISH) (2019)

War wreaks havoc on such a stupendous scale as it lays waste to once fertile fields, reduces resplendent landscapes to rubbish and rubble, delivering a deluge of death to unsuspecting scores while snuffing the life out of those left living as it renders them to a state of walking dead. It painfully wrenches the men from within the boys much before they could feel and enjoy the pleasures of boyhood as they are consumed by the insatiable appetite of obsessed adults who are at each other's throats. Little wonder that wars have captivated the imagination of story-tellers and by extension, film-makers for ages.

World War I.. French countryside.. British and German forces are deadlocked in a pitched battle of trench warfare where neither side is able to advance any more .. Lance Corporals Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) are assigned on a deadly quest to cut across enemy held territory to deliver an urgent message to another advancing British column which is about to walk into a German ambush.

In 1917, director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins have achieved a milestone as they stage the entire movie which is based on a wafer-thin premise to feel like a single seamless shot. The result is spectacular as it renders a rare fluidity and an immersive experience for the viewers who are sucked into the center of the action brimming with creeping consternation with each passing moment.
We are pushed off the comfort of your seat as we are forced to take the plunge into the trenches .. scurry across the open fields .. get soaked .. taste the dust and grime .. buffeted by the swirling currents .. dragging ourselves across the scores of unfortunate men and animals lying dead.. wondering if they were actually fortunate to reach their fatal ends long ago rather suffering the sorry plight of those living, if one can call it that.
The movie benefits enormously from its technical finesse in almost every aspect, including elaborate production design that recreates the stomach curdling carnage of war and a tense score by Thomas Newman that makes even the intervening silent moments feel deceptive like the passing through the eye of a cyclone heralding the impending perils.
While 1917 rightfully feels like a milestone in cinematic achievement and richly deserves the multiple awards for technical categories, it does not go the whole hog as it falls short of being a masterpiece in storytelling.


AN EXHILARATING WATCH !

RATING -3.5/5

Saturday 8 February 2020

JOJO RABBIT (ENGLISH) (2019)

It is the final phase of second world war. The Allies are knocking at the threshold of Germany. But, it is business as usual in Berlin where our protagonist - ten year old Jojo Betzler considers himself the ideal Aryan as he prepares to join a weekend camp of indoctrination by Hitler Youth. The Fuhrer is his greatest idol and also imaginary best friend - a confidante with whom he has several personal conversations and seeks guidance. Jojo  lives alone with his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) while his father is away fighting in the war. 
Jojo aspires to rise through the ranks of Hitler Youth and become a personal bodyguard of the Fuhrer. But, underneath the facade of his Aryan pride, Jojo is a kind and sweet boy who flinches at hurting another being. JoJo's orderly world gets a bolt from the blue when he accidentally discovers that his mother has been hiding a much older jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) in the attic of their home. Jojo intends to betray Elsa to the authorities and regain some of his lost prestige by winning a medal for the act. But, he faces a dilemma as he feels that it could put his mother in peril.

Thus unfolds a coming-of-age drama that sees our little Jojo on a journey of self discovery of understanding his beliefs including the systematic indoctrination of hate he was subjected to despite his tender age.
While most parts of the movie breezes through as a well made satire filled with oodles of irreverent and dark humour, these are interspersed with moments which are poignant and underline the grim realities of the time without resorting to any melodrama.
Without being preachy, the movie casts its focus on how ideologies - howsoever well meaning - if let loose, could crush the idiosyncrasies that make us human and could convert us into unthinking automatons under the command of powers that be.
Roman Griffin Davis is endearing and  absolutely spot on as the vulnerable Jojo. Scarlett Johansson brings a natural warmth and mirth as JoJo's mother Rosie and richly deserves her Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. The talented Sam Rockwell shines in a short cameo while Waititi is having a whale of a time playing Hitler.

Director Taika Waititi (Thor Ragnarok) has delivered an important movie which, despite being set during second world war, resonates strongly with our own times that is marked by a rising tide of restlessness and distrust across the globe. 

A GEM ! A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

Thursday 16 January 2020

ALA VAIKUNTHAPURAMULOO (TELUGU) (2020)

This is a regular story that involves two babies mixed up at birth. As anyone could guess, one of the babies (Allu Arjun)  grows up in a middle class household while the other (Sushanth) in an ultra-rich household. The rest of the story is about what destiny holds in store for them.

Yes.. it is a story done to dust ever since stories were invented. 

And Yes.. it follows a predictable path till the very end and is packed with the cliches that we would have seen a zillion times.

Yet.. the film doesn't feel stale due to the writing skills of Director Trivikram who manages to infuse even these regular scenes with an element of freshness and fervour. Here, Trivikram is back in his forte delivering a well written family drama filled with enough entertainment quotient that keeps even the template tropes ticking. He has cooked up a winning recipe for a delicious festival blockbuster that has all the ingredients in near-perfect proportions.


Stylish Star Allu Arjun appears to be in his elements and enjoying himself as he emotes with ease, aces his comic timing, oozes effortless charm and swag that befits his image and dances with relish to the hit numbers. While there are many, the scene when he imitates the dance moves from other actors in the scene set in a boardroom is a stand-out.

Commendable cameos from a bunch of talented stars including   Tabu, Jayaram, Sachin Khedekar and especially, Murli Sharma who outshine their respective roles that are pretty minor as compared to their immense potential. Besides there are many more notable names including Vennela Kishore, Sunil, Nivetha Pethuraj, Rajendra Prasad, Rohini and Navdeep who (dis)appear in blink-and-miss parts.

As one would come to expect from any movie mounted on such huge budgets, the film boasts of superlative technical finesse - in terms of resplendent cinematography by PS Vinod who has captured the proceedings in picture-perfect frames and superb action set pieces choreographed by Ram-Lakshman that make  a pronounced style statement while dialing down the violence meter. Music director Thaman deserves a special mention for providing an energetic soundtrack with foot-tapping numbers which are already chart-busters.

Overall, despite its flaws and the predictability of its template, this is a perfect family entertainer which is a veritable Sankaranti feast presented by the duo of Trivikram and Allu Arjun.

AN ENJOYABLE ENTERTAINER !

RATING -3.5/5

Monday 13 January 2020

DARBAR (TAMIL/TELUGU/HINDI) (2020)


The GOOD, BAD & NOT-SO-BAD

GOOD

Superstar Rajni - For his undiminished charisma, style quotient and energy through which he fits into the role of a super-cop, when he is almost seventy, including courageously gymming out in all glory. He is a living testimony to the adage that age is just a number and remains the primary reason to watch this otherwise avoidable flick. And.. that is a near impossible feat that he can rightfully claim that only Rajni can accomplish.

Nivetha Thomas - For her commendable performace in a meaty cameo as Rajni's daughter.

Anirudh - For an energetic background score and few good (not great) songs.



NOT-SO-BAD

Yogi Babu - who fares decently with his comic one-liners.

Action set-pieces - While none of it is exceptional, the railway station piece is well choreographed and packs a punch.

Nayantara - She continues to look like a billion bucks and oozes elegance and grace even though she has a nothing role here. While there is a weak pretense to rationalise the semblance of a romance, it is what it is -  at best, a weak pretense, if not entirely phony.


BAD

The Villains - Sunil Shetty and co who are bad because they are not bad-enough baddies to challenge the hero in any meaningful way.

A R Murugadoss - Director ARM appears pretty directionless as he puts up a tepid show with weak writing which is all over the place. Looks like the chart-buster "Summa Kizhi" was actually inspired by a reading of this ragtag script. If not for the Superstar who shoulders this pretty sloppy outing and salvages it to watchable category, this would have been declared DOA - dud-on-arrival.

A DISMAL OUTING !

RATING - 2.5/5

AVANE SRIMANNARAYANA (KANNADA/TELUGU/TAMIL) (2019)

This is a story set in the 80s in a fictional South Indian village of Amaravathi which is reeling under the sinister shadow of a gang of deadly dacoits called Abhiras. The story kicks off in the form of a lost bounty of treasure that the dacoits are after and is hidden from them by a band of visiting theatre artists who get greedy. Fifteen years after, Rakshit Shetty enters the village as the titular maverick cop with malleable morals who is also in pursuit of this lost treasure. Thus begins an epic fantasy tale that is fantastic fun oozing, nay, overflowing with style.

Filled with action, adventure and flamboyance in almost every frame - the narrative utilises the grandeur and richness of movies as a medium to the hilt to exceptional effect. Imagine Jack Sparrow as a cop in a wild western terrain in the search of a hidden treasure, a la Mackenna's gold set to the sensibilities of a Guy Ritchie directorial.  The result is a heady mix that combines multiple genre elements of revenge, drama, action, mythology, mystery, theatre, thriller and irreverent black humour with equal aplomb. 

Leading man Rakshit Shetty and his team of writers weave an incredible story and a grandiose narrative that transports us - lock, stock and barrel - to this fictional landscape of Amaravathi  on  a witty quest to locate this lost treasure. Rakshit Shetty radiates charm and excels in his comic timing as he handles most of the heavy lifting as the lead writer and the leading man. He is ably supported by veteran Achyuth Kumar as an apt sidekick providing perfect foil as well as meaty cameos by Balaji Manohar as the prime antagonist Jayarama and Shanvi Shrivastava.

Composer B. Ajaneesh Loknath’s cooks up a background score to match the quirky proceedings while the cinematography by Karm Chawla captures the unfolding adventure in grand visual tapestries

On the flip side, one has to concede that..

Yes.. It does tend to overdo the style quotient and smarts ..

Yes.. It does feel more than a tad stretched with a run time spanning an overwhelming 186 minutes..

Nevertheless, it is a jolly good ride for the most part as director Sachin Ravi, Rakshit and their team are in fine form delivering their wares in aces in an ambitious venture that is set to expand the horizons of Sandalwood cinema much more than KGF ever did or could.

AN EXUBERANT ENTERTAINER !!

RATING -3.5/5

BAWAAL (HINDI) (2023)

In Bawaal, starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, Nitesh Tiwari (Dangal) directs a drama about a young couple set in modern Lu...