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

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

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

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

STAR WARS - EPISODE IX - THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (ENGLISH) (2019)

An above average flick that is quite enjoyable in its own right. Nevertheless, it does fall short of the previous installment - The Last Jedi - which continues to stand tall like The Dark Night.

In any case, creating a film that could be considered a satisfying finale for an iconic series that has spanned more than four decades is akin to attempting an inter-galactic leap of several zillion light years. 

Director JJ Abrams has succeeded to a fair extent in this formulaic flick that checks multiple boxes including magnificent action set pieces, several nostalgic nudges to the previous movies and enough emotional heft that one could seek in such franchise fare.

AN ENJOYABLE WATCH !!

RATING - 3/5

PS - I watched it in a 4DX  Audi ... My first experience of the 4DX format .. was thoroughly enjoyable as it added an element of zing to the on-screen action .. and, most importantly, i loved the fact that there was no break and I could enjoy the entire movie in one go.

GANTUMOOTE (aka BAGGAGE) (KANNADA) (2019)

In Gantumoote, debutante director Roopa Rao beautifully blends a coming of age tale with an in-depth character study of her protaganist - Meera, who is also our narrator. The major portions of the movie which is set in the early 1990s revolves around an intense teen romance of Meera with her classmate Madhu. It is a romance that lingers on to create ripples through her life well into her adulthood. This teen love story is showcased with a rare sensitivity and without any frills that cry out for attention or sundry commercial compromises.

Director Roopa Rao builds the narrative of this school time romance with a good deal of poise and grace. The budding interests, and its evolution  into a warm romance is captured with great care and authenticity punctuated through poetic voice-overs, several stolen glances, those sheepish looks, multiple magical moments when two sets of eyes converge to exchange private notes within a crowded classroom and the loving gazes that sets both the hearts aflutter. 

The fact that she could convey the intensity of the emotional tumult within Meera as she goes through the journey of life without translating the same into melodramatic scenes is a testimony to the maturity of Roopa Rao and her mastery over the medium.

The cinematography by Sahadev Kelavadi is unobtrusive as it captures the precious moments without compromising on their innocent charm. Background score and songs by Aparajith Sris has the rythm of a summer day's gentle breeze that caresses the back of our neck to pleasently surprise us.

Roopa and her team deserve kudos for their apt casting choices for the lead pair as well as the entire supporting cast. Teju Belawadi dives into the heart of the character of Meera and aces the entire palette of emotions with those big expressive eyes. Nishchith Korodi provides a perfect foil as he rings in the right kind of boyish charm as well as the vulnerabilities of Madhu.

Gantumoote feels like a personal conversation that we have with our closest of friends. During the course of the movie, we feel similarly connected to Meera as she confides in us and bares her soul. Both the debutantes - the director, Roopa Rao and the lead actor Teju Belawadi - have heralded themselves as talents to look out for the future.

Overall, Gantumoote is a delicately crafted, deeply personal, poetic movie that surprises you often with its unique perspective and is sure to stay on with the viewers long after they have watched it. 

A GEM ! A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

PS - Gantumoote is streaming on Amazon Prime Video