Reviews
Delhi Crime (2019)
Background score is the edgiest thing about this
The incident we all know and it still rankles and horrifies us. I think the creators of the show took a bold step and told the story from the perspective of the police, a department which is constantly vilified in popular media. And the show remains true to the case files.
However, as a crime thriller which should horrify, grip and overwhelm you, it fails. A lot of this has to do with the acting. While the show has an enviable ensemble, somehow everyone (except probably Shefali Chhaya) seems to be skimming the surface. Even the first interrogation of the main, and probably the most demented suspect, was rather caricaturish.
I see this is a common problem with a lot of the supposedly edgy thrillers where the characters just don't feel real. It seems the creators are banking on great background score, expletives and some innovative camera work to create the emotions which just don't exist in their characters. For now, there is a big market for this new age Indian television but at some point the grain and chaff have to get separated.
Stree (2018)
This was fun
After wading through the tripe Hollywood has been dishing out this year, was refreshing to see something as innovative as Stree. As many reviews have mentioned, its the right blend of comedy and horror while being on spot with its social messaging without being overbearing in any department. And I never thought a small town in Madhya Pradesh could be so beautifully captured on camera.
Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi are so consistent now that you don't think you need to specifically mention it. See Rao in one of the scenes where he has to get "Prem Bhaav" in his eyes when in fact he is mortally terrified - amazing! Khurana and Banerji were superb as small town boys. Shraddha Kapoor was a surprise cast, but did very well as the mysterious girl.
Could Stree have been tighter and funnier, probably. But that takes nothing away from the bold and solid attempt by the filmmakers.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
What the hell was that
The two stars are for the special effects. The film was sorely lacking in anything else anyways. It was a torture sitting through two seemingly interminable hours seeing the actors slow walk through their family history and love interests. I had hoped for some kind of a harry potteresque showdown at least between grindenwald and the good guys but that just turned out to be a damp arson fest.
Give this one a wide miss, some franchises are best left unstretched.
The Revenant (2015)
Innaritu out-does Park Chan-Wook in the revenge genre!
I have always been a fan of Korean revenge genre and nothing thus far in Hollywood had come close to some of the offerings by Park Chan- Wook. Until The Revenant! Interestingly, PCW was supposed to be first choice to direct this movie. However, I believe Innaritu has outdone him with this movie, and believe me its tough to out-do the master when it comes to revenge. A lot will be and has been written about the cinematography, the locations and Di Caprio's intense performance. However, for me the real winner was the camera-work particularly in the action scenes. It was some of the most innovative work I have seen in a while, and none of the shaky camera stuff which seemed to be the holy grail of out-of-the-box thinking thus far. Every scene seemed so visceral and real, was like having a 4D effect in a 2D movie. Might seem like an exaggeration, but its not. Revenge, nature and the human spirit are the basic ingredients of the plot and really that's all you need to know about that. Just go with a strong stomach and revel in what will be a riveting 2 and a half hours.
The Martian (2015)
Really?
I like sci-fi as a genre but I completely hate it when film makers assume a general level of dumbness in their audience and resultantly try to peddle whatever they think can sell. I am appalled both by the movie as well as the number of people here on IMDb who actually found the movie worthwhile. I am not even going into the scientific aspects of what Whatney did and whether or not the fiction was any close to truth. In general, I don't like to poke holes in sci-fi, simply because the second word is 'fiction'. What got me was just the childish and rather superficial treatment accorded to everything. Not once did you feel for Whatney or any of the other crew members. The dialogue is gcheesy, bordering on inane. Clichés abound - there is a half-hindu (a separate dialogue was introduced in the movie just to highlight this fact) good-natured scientist and helpful Chinese space agency to boot. Even the special effects are underwhelming. There are instances where you can quite clearly see and feel its a toy car on the red soil. I think Hollywood is running out of ideas, 2015 has generally been god-awful and Martian is just another on that list.
Fury (2014)
One of the most biased war time flicks ever
On the positive side, I think the action sequences were very well directed. The cinematography was great, and despite the grey bleak landscape and most action in the dark, it was still easy on the eye. However, the story is where it all really breaks down, is thin to say the least and even if the director just intended to show the ugly insides of a war, he could have been a little less biased when he did that. Again, I don't have issues with the performances or the technical qualities of this movie. Just that its about time someone made a more balanced movie about The War, or how about we have had enough WWII movies for a few generations.
Agneepath (2012)
Pedestrian at best
For all the talk of the new one being better/different from the original one, this one was very disappointing. Basically despite the honest effort that Hrithik tries to put in, he just could not match the angst and presence that big B had, even in his twilight years. That kind of summarizes it all. Lethargic direction, reasonably cinematography, passable acting, clichés thrown all over it. In the original one there was a build up to the climax with Vijay and Kancha but in this one the anticipation and angst never really got there. And without angst, there is really no Agneepath, notwithstanding the compulsory poetry rendition in the finale.
Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge (2011)
Do you wanna make fraandship!
I thought this was an exemplary effort. From the very start to the montage in the end, this was some imagination at work. Relatively simple case of complicated online identities and adolescent issues, but the sharp dialogues and the leading couple take it a notch up from being a normal college flick. Some of the lines absolutely cracked me up! What works even more - the hero's sidekick...the drag sequence was hilarious. What doesn't work - the other couple, who could jarr at times.
Kudos to Yash Raj for moving away from run of the mill again. Go ahead watch this on a Sunday evening, time well spent.
Powder (2010)
The best TV show... period
Well, much has been said by the three reviews before me and each of them is spot on! Powder is probably the best thing to happen to TV in general and Indian TV in particular. Its quite unreal how real everything in the show is, the characters, the locations, Mumbai streets, the blood, sweat, grime. All just comes together perfectly to make a pretty heady concoction. I am so enamored that I just finished watching the whole season again! I realize there might not be a season 2 of this because general audiences might not have liked it enough for this to make the TRP cut, but still would like to personally congratulate the producers and Atul Sabharwal for making something timeless! Hopefully one day, the economics will justify another season (or more) of this, and I will be waiting for that.
Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010)
What a joke!
I guess the joke is not as much the movie itself, but the reviews that I have seen on various supposedly neutral critic review sites. It is being hailed as a breakthrough gangster movie, when really it is nothing more than a pretty pedestrian one with a catchy soundtrack. The story writer has taken his own liberties with how slow or fast he wants a love story or a gangster's ascendancy to be, and sometimes the whole transition can be pretty unnerving. Direction is nothing to write home about, but well, we've seen worse from the same guy before. Devgn is all right doing his own drooping eyes and drooping moustache act, but the hashmi guy and the ranaut redux are as pathetic as they come. The recreation of 80s mumbai, which was the much talked about point, is pretty shallow. The director seems to believe that just by planting red impala cars and polka dot shirts, he will be able to transport us back to that era... unfortunately doesn't work. On the positives, well... the soundtrack kind of keeps you gripped to an otherwise ungripping story. And the guy hooda has a good presence. Sure...go ahead and watch if you have nothing better to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Else, skippy trippy.
Little Zizou (2008)
Self indulgent feeble attempt
I don't know if I am elibigle to be a reviewer considering i watched this movie for only the first 30 mins. Well I guess I am very eligible to be a reviewer because to be honest, I couldn't handle more. Its a terribly self indulgent attempt at film making with the director under the impression that just showing a parsi neighborhood and throwing in parsi phrases can make up for the lack of substance in general and a script in particular. It certainly is not so. The film might actually have have a story which someone who stays on for the full length might be rewarded with. However I just didn't think the risk reward was worth it!