thedesicritic

Overview: Did not really enjoy this movie. The plot was almost like a fantasy with played out tropes. A major problem for this film is that there is not really a clear antagonist amongst the racing community which makes the points of tension not very interesting for the audience.

Plot: The plot follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) a failed F1 racer now later in life racing on a smaller scale. He gets recruited by his friend Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) to join hi F1 team in order to save it from being sold. He encounters resistance from his younger teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

The plot is quite convoluted with not much focus on the thrill of racing. I'm not a fan of F1 and to the casual watcher, there is a lot of boring going round and round the track. There is also a shoehorned love story that has no point in the movie other than to give Brad Pitt a love interest.

Acting: Acting quality is generally good without being particularly amazing.

Conclusion: With a cast of this talent this movie was a bit of a let down.

4/10.

Overview: This movie was a poor attempt from a very bored looking Adam Sandler to churn out some content and get paid by Netflix. The original Happy Gilmore was a charming underdog story. This movie attempts to reignite the magic of the first instalment but fails miserably. Cheap attempts at generating nostalgia by having a throwback to the first movie every 5 seconds certainly don't help this film establish itself as a stand alone.

Plot: The story starts 30 years from the end of the first movie. Happy is now a broke drunk tortured by accidentally killing his wife in a golfing incident. He decides to get the clubs out again in order to fund his daughter's ballet school fees. Meanwhile golf is being threatened by a new golfing franchise who has managed to modify human beings in order to make golfers hit further - it was ridiculous.

Acting: Adam Sandler took up most of the screen time and honestly he just seemed bored to be doing this movie. It was an incredibly low effort acting job by him.

Conclusion: Don't spoil your fond memories of Happy Gilmore by watching this movie.

2/10.

Overview: After a long time, the Hindi film industry has brought us a true romantic drama full of real emotions and captivating characters. I really enjoyed this film, it was meant to pull on the audiences' heartstrings, and it really did its job. The performances were great by the two young leads, the music was phenomenal, and overall, it is a great watch.

Plot: The plot centres around Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda), a young woman left at the altar, and Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday) an upcoming musician burdened by his own inner demons. The two strike up a romance and collaborate on music together as they navigate their early careers. Tragedy strikes when Vaani is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.

Acting: The performances are fantastic by the two leads. Ahaan Panday should be very proud of his work; I have not seen a debut this good in a long time. Every emotion was conveyed effectively and the audience really connected with his character. An exciting young actor in an era where talented male leads are in short supply. If he keeps up this level of performance and picks his projects right, there is a green field opportunity for him to become the star of Gen Z.

For Aneet Padda, this was her first major mainstream project, and she did a wonderful job. Your heart broke with hers through her journey. She was relatable in a way that not many young actresses are anymore.

Music: For a film that focusses on a musician's journey, it was so important to have good music. This movie delivered on that front in a big way. The score, soundtrack, and lyrics are fantastic. The film's title track "Saiyaara" delivers an impressive emotional climax.

Conclusion: This is one of the movies of the year. Well worth the watch, a high quality and thoughtful project. Hoping Bollywood delivers more of this level of quality moving forward.

8/10.