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Coma (1978)
Last 15-20 minutes let it down
1. One of the few films _directed_ by the great Michael Crichton, the writer of Jurasic Park
2. Based upon eponymous novel by Robin Cook, a medical thriller, which happens to be one of those books that has been pirated the most in India
3. Starts off well and stays super strong till the last 15-20 minutes where too many things happen too conveniently
4. It's content was considered deeply disturbing five decades ago and it will still make you uncomfortable
5. Ed Harris in a cameo in a 46 years' old film was one of the highlights for me.
6. It has too much medical jargon, which has not been simplified for the viewing public. It is difficult to follow at many times, especially initially.
The Bounty (1984)
Loved it
1. Incredible ensemble - Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson (in a 1984 movie, his longevity is unbelievable), Daniel Day Lewis, Lawrence Olivier
2. Gibson and Hopkins are incredibly intense, Hopkins particularly so as the disciplinary and driven captain. His scenes of driving his crew via anger will remain seared in my memory for some time.
3. Vangelis's haunting score. His Chariots of fire BGM was still a couple of years away. This will worm it's way, once you have been an eyewitness to it.
4. The magnificence and the scope of the drama. It has not aged with time and is still a masterpiece.
Do watch if you are in the mood to watch a powerful drama.
Kumbalangi Nights (2019)
Almost perfect!!
1. Straddles several genres - comedy, romance et al and aces them all
2. Memorable characters that you would grow to care about, as the film progresses
3. Brilliant soundtrack
4. A look at seedier side. It is matter of fact, in your face, but still presented in a witty way, which ends up bemusing you
5. Fahad Faazil in an unexpected turn steals the show. This might just be amongst his top 1 or 2 performances.
6. The final 10 odd minutes could have been better. But, I think it is difficult to top the absolutely brilliant 110 minutes that precede them.
7. Have seen great drama, thrillers over the last 8-10 days, but haven't had this much fun in a while.
A true gem. You would remember this for a long, long time.
It is a cult classic and deservedly so.
Conclave (2024)
Oscar contender
Early contender in Oscar for
1. Best book to film adaptation - much superior than its source material
2. Best supporting actor - Ralph Fiennes, in the role of a lifetime, elevates it heads and shoulders above the book. Bravura performance by Lord Voldemort.
3. Edward Berger's direction- another gem after last year's All Quite on the western front, Berger is a talent to follow closely
4. The background score, which ebbs and swells and builds & defines the mood.
The ending might not be to everyone's taste.
A top of the line drama, with the pacing of a thriller. Very strong contender for the nomination for best film Oscar.
Gladiator II (2024)
Mescal a poor choice
What did I like
1. Action set pieces, several of them, involving men & animals-small, medium and enormous. Brilliantly choreographed, these will have you glued to the screen. Scott, at 86, is in prime form behind the camera in the build up.
2. Acting - Pascal and Washington are superb, the latter especially so. I have been watching Washington act over the last 20 odd years , but this might be the first time I have seen him on the big screen. He is magnificent.
What was NOT to my liking
1. The connection between this and the first part- the tilt in the second part towards the Roman politics and the behavior of the protagonists didn't feel organic.
2. The editing- second half felt stretched and a run time of more than 140 minutes started to take its toll.
3. The lead actor is not a shadow on Russell. He is wooden in several scenes where he has to motivate his troops. Those felt unreal
Very entertaining first half, let down by a second half where Scott tries to tie together multiple threads.
Meiyazhagan (2024)
Unbelievable dramatic feat.
It is difficult to craft simple stories, without any superheroes or CGI, bereft of any world- changing agenda. Especially newer, better variants of stories showcasing the beauty and complexity of relationships, of discovery of oneself via the eyes & opinions of others. This succeeds spectacularly.
Arvind Swami and Kaarthi have done cinema on a much bigger scale than this. But, I daresay that this might be on both of their personal favorite list because of its poignant moments, interspersed with doses of humor. Both of them bring their A game to this.
There is nary a dull moment. It reminded me of the times when I visit my hometown after a while and try to spot the changes that time has brought about, both in the place as well as in my perception of it. It felt immediately relatable.
Must watch for the lovers of cinema. Streaming in Hindi on Netflix.
The Apprentice (2024)
Trump's evolution
This is about the early days of Trump, who, in the supervision of NY fixer- lawyer Roy Cohn, transforms from a babe-in-the-wood developer to a ruthless hunter- killer real estate dealer, with eyes on bigger prize.
Jeremy Strong is an early contender for best supporting actor Oscar. He is stunning with his stilted delivery, his enunciations and his brutality. Sebastian Stan (winter soldier) is wholly believable as the real estate developer who begins believing in his own myth. His gradual physical transformation over the course of the film is quite stunning.
I had issues with the last 30 minutes of the film which address many conspiracy theories pertaining to Trump's personal life and physical appearances, without much documentary proof for either of them.
It is a solid film, made to entrance the watcher, irrespective of your political opinion. Do watch.
Zwigato (2022)
Kapil + Nandita = unlikely duo delivery a 5 star experience
India seems to be a k-shaped economy. How does the other half, the one who delivers stuff- expensive or otherwise for us, the one whose professional and personal life were impacted by COVID and who had to resort to desperate measures, to survive, live? What do they dream of?
Zwigato, a play on Zomato + Swiggy, is a heart-touching, slice of life film. The delivery rider, played with uncharacteristic seriousness & astonishing brilliance by Kapil Sharma, is the protagonist through whose, sometimes amused and mostly tired & hopeless, eyes we see the normal world, which we inhabit. His efforts in getting incentives and his family's attempts to stay afloat would leave you gutted.
I don't agree with Nandita Das's politics, but she has really gone into the depth of the characters and their lives, to come up with the screenplay, full of vivid situations in which the delivery partner finds himself in.
It is thought provoking, gripping and will make you be respectful towards the so-called gig workers.
Runaway Train (1985)
Unexpected, brilliant
One of the rare occasions, when Prime Video's recommendation has led me to a hidden gem.
Written by Kurosawa, this has fantastic characters that suddenly don't change their stripes in the midst of the film. Prisoners and their wardens stay cruel, bureaucrats of 80s stay sexist & racist.
The action scenes blew me away. Shot in the pre- CGI age, these must have been incredibly difficult to execute, as all of them are shot on location, atop a speeding train.
Job Voight, future real-life father of Jolie, is in the form of his life as a convict who has just got the taste of freedom, but is unable to go off his violent ways. The other actors are equally brilliant.
Must watch. Like a true classic, it has lost none of its charm with its aging.
Loved it.
Trap (2024)
M (not N) for Nepotism.
Manoj shyamalan has the nepotism blues worse than Kjo and his likes.
His decision to cast his daughter and pivot the story around her in the second half seems absolutely moronic as it destroys a promising thriller and takes down Josh Harnett's second coming.
Watch this for Harnett. He is brilliant, with his ever watchful eyes and twitches, which betray his mind. Loved watching him as the main protagonist after a very long time.
Shyamalan keeps the tension high in the first hour, but then the mood as well as the acting shift and the result is a resounding flop at the box office.
Hugely disappointed as it had tremendous potential.
The Bikeriders (2023)
Terrific drama, memorable characters.
The Bikeriders is many things.
Prima facie, it is a story of a group of bikers, over a period of 8 years from '65 to '73.
It is a terrific tale of several interesting characters, with different motivations to be a part of such a group.
It explores how the nature of these characters changed with the end of the Vietnam war and how the group changed to gang.
It is a tale of (sometimes) misplaced loyalty, fierce kinship.
It shows how organisations change as they expand into uncharted territories and incorporate new members.
It is a testament to the call of bike riding, the fealty that you feel towards your fellow rider and the freedom you experience, when you are one with the machine.
Absolutely blown away by it. Brilliantly constructed film. Superb performances. Must watch.
Bastar: The Naxal Story (2024)
Educative, but has cardboard characters
Unlike the terrorism in Kashmir, the Left Wing extremism (LWE) prevalent in the Indian Heartland, especially in Chattisgarh, doesn't have the same intensity of resonance and revulsion, as it seems to be generally localised and is not, overtly driven by religion.
This film tries to educate by condensing the events of a decade in a coherent narrative, in less than 2 hours.
It was poignant for me as CG sits abutting my home state of MP and growing up, I used to read about these happenings in the dailies.
It contains, possibly, the most graphic sequence of dismemberment of the human body, that has been showcased in Indian cinema. It also reminds us of the 2013 massacre of the entire Congress state leadership in an attack on its convoy in Jheeram valley. Then there are visuals of CRPF soldiers set afire and the celebrations that this had triggered in JNU .
It succeeds because it is generally engaging as it keeps the narrative very simplistic. There are clearly demarcated good and evil characters, who are monochromatic, with no shades of grey.
There is an Arundhati Roy like figure (Raima Sen, again cast in the role of an anti Indian, after Vaccine War) whose role is a caricature of a conniving journalist, who exists at the intersection of NGOs, industrialists, anti- mining lobbies and politicians.
It fails because there are only cursory references to the rise of Naxalism and the reason why many tribals in CG embraced this violent way of retribution against Indian state.
More effort should have been invested in creating believable characters, with solid background and motivation rather than just relying on a chat GPT generated good and evil persons.
Civil War (2024)
Brilliant cautionary tale
This is rip roaring dystopian entertainment, which just happens to be so scary, as it portrays an uncomfortably realistic- looking picture of the civilized world, where the differences, real or imagined, have led to permanent societal fissures, resulting in the titular Civil War.
And who better to chronicle the fall of a nation, then its journalists.
It is a master stroke to set this via camera journalists' POV, as the story gets the license to traverse, from the open expanse of the country to the halls of the White House.
There are several scarring scenes that would remain indelible.
Car wash as a hanging spot
Militia hunting down the military
Military killing the citizens. Fire fights in the midst of cities.
It is hard to imagine that Alex Garland, it's director, was a best selling author once, who wrote _The Beach_, which was made into a Di Caprio movie. He has gone on to direct Ex - Machine and Annihilation before this. He has written and directed this and in all honesty, this is a league apart from his earlier ventures.
Dunst is superb as the battle hardened journalist.
I believe that if Trump wins in the '24 elections, as he is widely expected to, this will get an Oscar nomination for Best Film as a cautionary tale of what could happen. It should be nominated otherwise also, as it is one of the more thought provoking & gripping films of the year.
CODA (2021)
Predictable, yet immensely enjoyable
Winner of the 2021 Oscar for best picture, CODA is a true crowd pleaser, where you can predict the end, but will still be pleasantly surprised by the gamut of emotions that it ends up evoking in you.
Because of the richness of its characters, the trueness of their acting (the deaf cast is either completely or partially hard of hearing. The best supporting actor Oscars was won by Troy Kotsur who became the first deaf actor to win it), and the humor that they share & the laughs that they elicit.
There is nary a moment that you feel pity about those whom you might causally label physically challenged and that to me was one the biggest pluses.
Must watch. Very entertaining.
The Fall Guy (2024)
Solid entertainer
I hated the first 45 minutes. It felt as if the director was trying really hard to establish that this was a super intelligent film about the direction and stunts during film making, with huge dollops of romance thrown in.
But when the mysterious bit started closer to an hour mark, it was as if a switch had been thrown. I was mesmerized but the breakneck stunts, the super witty dialogues, the background music & the choice of songs and the chemistry between Blunt & Gosling.
Fell in love with it, by the time it ended.
However, it is not worthy of the extraordinary hype that was generated around it. It is crowd pleasing, but it demands patience. So those seeking instant gratification should stay away. It is not the best of this year, like its reviews proclaimed, but it is a good enough watch, which would leave you with a smile on your face.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
Predictable, yet fun.
Unlike the _inglorious bastards_, which had a somewhat similar plot of hunting Nazis behind enemy lines and carving them up in imaginative ways, but was a fantasy, this is based on real events and is populated by real world characters, one of whom was the author Ian Fleming and it's characters are supposed to have inspired Fleming to create James Bond and his boss, M.
It is well made, is very fast and has three solid action set pieces, which kept me entertained. Guy Ritchie has incorporated his trademark dry British humor and his selection of Henry Cavill to be his lead, is apt.
It is predictable, yet fun.
Abigail (2024)
Wasted it's potential
If is rare for a horror movie to give away it's twist in its trailer. And still rarer to hold your interest, after the aforementioned cardinal sin, for almost its entire length, because of the vivid characters, their banter and their gory endings.
The producers of Abigail did the first sacrilege before its release, leading to it crashing at the hustings.
The director and the script writers nearly pulled off a miracle by still making a gripping thriller, which looses some steam right at the very end.
This is an even- toned film. It maintains its momentum and its editing doesn't let the speed flag down. The last 20 minutes are slightly convoluted as if the writers couldn't think of a way to end it.
Liked it. Had the potential to be a real classic.
Aavesham (2024)
FaFa is extraordinary. The film, not so much
This is an average masala film that is lifted upon and carried for almost its entire length upon the strength of Fahadh Faasil's extraordinary act.
FaFa has a track record of delivering envious roles. But I was not prepared for this level of brilliance. Physically, he is not intimidating. Even after having witnessed his transformation as a ruthless Godfather in _Maalik_ , it is difficult to imagine him as a menacing gangster. His energy and screen presence will make a true believer out of every jaded viewer and require a separate note of its own. This is, undoubtedly, his best act, by some distance.
I found the movie problematic because it dealt with a super serious issue such as ragging in a light hearted manner.
Also, the multiple incidents of levity redirected towards Hindi, were unwarranted yet seemed intentional.
The background score and songs are catchy.
This is entertaining for the most parts. However, it will be remembered for long because of Fafa's bravura work.
Manjummel Boys (2024)
Triumph
I saw this with my family members, who are generally sceptical about my non Hindi / English movie viewing proclivities and include both septagenerians as well as pre - pubescent kids, on a family vacation. All of them were spellbound by the cinematic magic that first time director, Chidambaram, weaves on the screen and were jubiliant by the end.
The "rescue" genre is one that the Indian film industry has produced any milestone films. There have been recent disasters such as Mission Raniganj, which sank without a trace on the box office. This shows the way it should be done, with its laser focus on the characters as well as the screenplay, with deft movement between the present and the past.
The technical bits have been done very well. A triumph. Strong and early contender for India's Oscar nomination, where it should stand at par with the offerings of other nations.
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
The best creature film. A seminal film
A Godzilla movie that is so emotionally resonant that it brings a lump in your throat.
A Godzilla movie that is juxtaposed with the end of World War 2 and captures the mood of a defeated and devastated nation, yearning for its days if lost glory.
A Godzilla movie that has the most insane creature & destruction sequences and effects of all monster films.
A Godzilla movie that is as seminal as the original Jurassic park was, back in 1993, in (falsely, in retrospect) heralding the age of great storytelling, poignant characters, effective drama and heart stopping action.
Truly a cinematic event. Should have been nominated for the Best Foreign Oscars. Richly deserves it's win for the best C. G. I. At this year's Oscars.
Mind, blown.
Bramayugam (2024)
Brilliant sophomore outing by the director
Revisiting his theme of haunted homes after the amazing _Bhootkalam_, Rahul Sadasivan delivers another twisted gem, this time set in the 1700s, with elements of horror, mystic and regional folklore, powered by an extraordinary performance by Mammootty, who is evil personified, here.
The fact that it has little to no jump scares and has been shot in black & white, yet still manages to hold the viewer's attention for almost all of its 2.25 hours run- time is a testimony to the strangeness and unpredictable narrative as well as it's supporting cast, who have even more screen time than Mammootty.
Sadasivan reminds me of RGV of 90s when he gave two memorable horror classics, in Raat & Bhoot.
Liked it. Reminded me of Tumbadd, with its similar messaging of the perils of greed & the resultant horrors.
Monkey Man (2024)
Immature and disrespectful film
There is in-your-face propaganda movies. And then, there are films such as this.
Ostensibly inspired by Hanuman, this is a poorly made & at times, incredibly disparaging tale of revenge, against class enemies, which shape shifts to include favorite Western themes of Indian democracy being in peril and of the Indian minorities being subjugated all across the land.
There are two telling signs of this disrespect. There is a sex worker named Sita. Out of nowhere, there are montages of placards showing save Indian minorities. I couldn't understand the reason behind the first and the logic behind the second, in context of this.
As far as the story goes, you would have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of such films. Police raid a village, kill people, the young eye witness grows up and decides to take revenge.
Laughable to see it's critical reception and easier to understand why it bombed at the box office and how it has come on VOD within 3 weeks of its premiere.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Innovative and effective
Any innovative & path breaking film in the horror genre is rarer than an IPL trophy in the RCB cabinet and hence, perhaps, more to be welcomed. This 2023 movie, set in 1977, stays true to its spooky roots but is also an intelligent take on the syndicated, daily shows & the battle for the all important Ratings. The actors' pathos & terror comes through superbly. I loved the editing & the script and the manner in which it ratchets up the tension, dollop by bigger dollop. Would have rated it even higher if not for 1-2 unnecessary scenes at the end. Must watch for horror fans. Shudder films have outdid themselves.
Thevar Magan (1992)
Acting masterclass
Thevar Magan (Thevar's son) is one of the best dramas of Indian cinema. It is also not easy to find.
It is not available on any OTT or on YouTube. I found it on Telegram, via a random thread on Redditt. Also, I ended up manually adjusting the subtitles close to 200000 milli seconds on VLC to sync with the film. But, man, it is worth the effort and then, some.
Starring two of the top actors to ever grace the screens, Sivaji Ganesan and Haasan, along with Revathi, Nasar & Gautami, it has too many supremely powerful scenes to describe here.
It was India's official entry to the 1992 Oscars and was *remade in Hindi as Virasat*.
In my formative years of cinematic understanding, in the 2000s, I could never understand the craze for Kamala Haasan. I had seen _Appu Raaja_ (in Hindi), in the 90s and had been blown away by its technical brilliance. However, as Haasan didn't fit into the conventional _hero_ mould, in looks, I could never connect with him.
However, after watching his earlier cult classics, such as Virumandi, Naayakan, Heyy Ram and then this, I believe that he is truly _Ulaga Nayakan_, the hero of the world, the term that his fans use. He is breathtakingly brilliant in both his avatars, one of a urbane, fun loving guy and then, the uber serious Thevar.
This is truly a God level acting masterclass. Can't be recommended highly enough.
Maidaan (2024)
Best sports movie since Lagaan
When the lights came on during the interval, I checked my watch. Only 70 minutes had elapsed, out of the 180.
The first half had been a breeze, very well made. It was a prime exhibit of extremely assured direction and storytelling, with no resorting to easy distractions , helped with brilliantly shot football matches, but I didn't realise that almost two hours of runtime were left. I was worried that the curse of the second half would come to alive.
However, this rises and soars to heights hitherto unseen for any Indian sports movie, excluding perhaps only _Lagaan_.
The almost two hour long second half is a testament to the power of great cinema to hold the viewer ransom and his eyes & mind glued, to even forego the call of the nature and to just sit, spellbound.
For those that don't know of this, it is a story of the decadal progression of Indian soccer, from 1951 to 1962, led by the Indian coach S A Rahim.
Ajay Devgan, who has given a series of top notch acts in his almost 3 decade long career, gives _the_ performance of a lifetime.
It has amazingly shot soccer sequences, almost as good as in any football related film made worldwide.
It is easily the best Hindi film of some time. I hope that it sets the box office on fire so that more such films get greenlit by the studios and more such inspirational tales are showcased on the big screen.