Penguin (2020) Movie Review - Telugu Version

On Amazon Prime Video, another direct OTT platform movie has dropped in named Penguin. The combination of Keerthy Suresh and Karthik Subbaraj has attracted audiences to the film. It is also the first film of Keerthy Suresh after the masterpiece Mahanati which took her to new heights. So, how did I feel about the film? Let's find out.

Penguin is a 2020 mystery thriller drama starring Keerthy Suresh, Lingaa and Madhampatty Rangaraj in lead roles. It is directed by Eashvar Karthick. The story revolves around Rhythm, who loses her first child in a mysterious scenario and when her second child is also in danger, she will protect them no matter what.

This film is an improvement to Pon Magal Vandhal, the other Tamil release on Amazon Prime. The thriller element is good in the film and from the minute the lead actress appears on the screen, we are engaged to the film. The writing in the film is very good. From the word 'go', it is gripping and holds our attention for long. It may take time for some to make sense of what is happening but afterwards, it is a solid thriller. It has some flaws. Consider these my flaws. So, this film follows this formula of psycho thrillers constructed nowadays in Indian Cinema. The beginning where the killer kills somebody, the introduction of the lead, some characters around him, some killing by the psycho killer, some clues and the case solving. This film follows this template but to remain different it has two endings in it. One from the formula and then the twist upon it. It makes sense but I have a question? Why? The twist of the film derived from another thriller HIT - The First Case has some issues and does not 100% satisfaction to the audience. Also, the element of Rhythm (Keerthy Suresh) having two husbands never goes anywhere and is pointless in the grand scheme of things. So, overall it is a good thriller but due to the formula it uses, it is not so fresh.

POSITIVES:

1. Keerthy Suresh : This film has a limited cast and only Keerthy Suresh stands out in the bunch. It has several reasons. One is that I am not familiar with them and the second is that they serve their roles instead of owning them. Keerthy Suresh on the other hand, nailed the mother sentiment of her role. She is in fine form after the life-changing performance she gave in Mahanati. The love of a mother, the grief and trauma she faces after the missing of her child and the revenge she takes all is well done by the actor. She is one of the pillars of the film.
2. The cinematography : This film is shot in the Nilgiris. So, the cinematographer gets ample scope to show the beauty of the city. While doing that, he makes use of mist and smoke to install a sense of fear in us with those same locations. It also has some modern style framing inspired from Wes Anderson in the film which adds to the good cinematography.
3. The Score : As I always say, a good thriller is incomplete without good BGM. Santhosh Narayanan known for his BGM in Kabali of course gives a very different sounding thriller BGM. All scores sound unique and also boost the situation in the film.
4. The mother message : This film should take full marks for the message of how a mother loves his son/daughter and will dare to risk their lives just to save them. The thriller formula of the film also gets slightly altered because of this very message. 

NEGATIVES:

1. The Dub : The dialogue for the dub is very basic and some words in Telugu are mispronounced. It says that this film is shot simultaneously in both languages. That really bogged the film experience down. The dub is dead before it even began.
2. The plot holes: Without revealing spoilers, there are smaller issues in the film if you dig deeply.

Overall, I would say that this film might had have a decent run in theatres if the situation was okay. This film is a good thriller with a good thrill factor, a good performance by Keerthy Suresh and a good BGM by Santhosh Narayanan. But, minor plot holes, the crappy Telugu dialogue and the formulaic nature of the film brings the film down to being just good. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

My Rating : 7.5/10

Public Demand Thursday #7 - Fight Club (1999) Movie Review

This review is a birthday present of sorts to my new friend in College. Amid lockdown, this was my only way to gift him. So, I decided to review his favourite film,Fight Club. Ever since I was into films, this film popped up in my discussions and unfortunately I was revealed the spoiler of the film. So, I have a different perspective towards this film. How did I think about the film? Let us find out:

Fight Club is a 1999 Comedy drama starring Brad Pitt,Edward Norton in lead roles. The film revolves around the unnamed narrator whose dissatisfactions in life drive him nuts.

There are 2 ways to look into the film. One is the surprising way and the other is the second time watch. I was revealed that Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are both the same, Tyler Durden. That aside, the direction is fantastic. There are no loose ends in the screenplay and certain scenes in the film show how genius David Fincher is. The character of Tyler Durden seems to be macho, free and the embodiment of an ideal human being but deep within he is a dark and disturbing guy. Whatever he does in the film, it questions us. The social implications of the film are apt even now. The study  it puts on capitalism and consumerism is spot on. Also, it says that attacking stuff is not the right way. That really impressed me. The film is also very funny and charming to watch. The interactions between Brad Pitt and Edward Norton is also excellent. There is no single moment that I had a problem with. So, it is a perfect screenplay. Also, who can forget the iconic Fight Club dialogue.

POSITIVES:

1. The Acting of the film is excellente. Brad Pitt is the best performer. Perfect and Oscar Worthy. Edward Norton is also great as the unnamed narrator because he acts out the complicated parts of the character really well.
2. The cinematography is also very good. The unique taste of David Fincher creates a very different looking film. It is hip and cool while being gritty. The film has a tinge of green in all sequences of Fight Club. In other sequences, it is clean and neat. This contrast really shows the narrator's perspective. 
3. The score by The Dust Brothers is matrix-like but it is before Matrix and so it is extraordinary. I really dug in the rock themed music of the film which essentially helped the rugged look of the film.
4. The direction and how he left no thread loose.
5. The editing and how it keeps us engaged in its 2hr 31min runtime.

NO NEGATIVES...

Overall, this film is one of those gems that teaches us to accept ourselves and try to push from the regular. I was shocked at knowing that this film was a flop at the box office. It did find a cult following thereafter and influenced many people around the world including my friend. So, Happy Birthday friend and enjoy watching Fight Club for a million times. 

P.S. The version I saw on Amazon Prime has 2 scenes edited out and so if you can tell me where to find those deleted scenes it would help me.

IMDB Rating : 8.8/10

My Rating : 9.5/10

Gulabo Sitabo (2020) Movie Review

One of my most anticipated OTT release in this lockdown was Gulabo Sitabo. Obviously, you know why? But, I was sceptical about why they released this film on OTT platforms? The trailer and teaser of the film were not connecting to me despite my trying my level best and the film released on OTT released before it Pon Magal Vandhal disappointed me raising my concerns? So, did this film surprise me or did it prove me right? Let's have a look at my review of Gulabo Sitabo:

Gulabo Sitabo is a 2020 comedy drama directed by Shoojit Sircar starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Amitabh Bachchan in lead roles. The story revolves around Fatima Mahal and how Mirza and Bankay try to own it completely.

This film will be a non-spoiler review and so I will not bring even a single plot point out. But, I should say the screenplay was not the best of Juhi Chaturvedi. Let me start with the positives. The film set in Lucknow uses the dialect and language of Lucknow which gives the movie a fresh feel. The dialogues also are very fresh. Fun Fact, this film uses Shudd Hindi and so I explored some very formal words for scolding somebody. The writing is also very good bringing out some quirky humour to us. They are not laugh-out-loud but are very enjoyable. The tension element of the film is also well established and we try to guess what is happening with the film. Now, here are the problems. First of all, the freshness of the script caught me off-guard and so it took me at least 15-20 minutes to get onboard. There are really tiny plot elements in the film which could have removed entirely and the movie would not have changed. But, the puzzle however for me is the climax. As, I am a big fan of Ayushmann Khurrana and Amitabh Bachchan, watching them lose is kind of saddening for me. Not saying it is bad or something, it makes sense considering the characters which are completely obsessed by the mansion. But, for general public like me, it did not register that well. So, this film will take time to digest but I will say this film has a fresh screenplay that has very limited audience reach as said by Komal Nahta.

POSITIVES:

1. The Acting : Top-Notch. Ayushmann Khurrana, Amitabh Bachchan, Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala and Srishti Srivastav are my picks for this film. All of them get under the skin of their roles and shine on their own. One of the best ensemble cast performances in a long time. Also, props to Big B for carrying all the prosthetics and maintaining that unique body language.
2. The Music : A folk dominated album with all songs playing in the background. Again, the director and screenwriter make use of the Lucknow setting and really give a very fresh sounding lyrics and music.
3. The cinematography : It captures the major attractions of Lucknow really well. The film is filmed beautifully. It is visually pleasing and different from other films. 
4. The Comedy : As said before, it is enjoyable. It is not a in-your-face comedy. It is subtle and satirical. It will take some time to understand but the characters and dialogue make it clear to us.
5. The character of Fatima Begum : This lady needs a special mention. Whenever she is on screen, she was lit. The way she spoke or whatever the character does at pivotal stages defines the film and so the director surely made that part entertaining.

NEGATIVES:

1. The Expectations : This film has a very limited audience reach. So, whoever expected the film to have awesome confrontation scenes between Big B and Ayushmann will be disappointed because after 30 minutes of the film, they are mostly separated and the moments between them are few and far between. Also, the ones who have no idea about the film will have a hard time getting on board with the film.
2. The slow pace : This film is designed to be a slow burn. So, the film gets boring in parts. I had got the big picture of the film almost after 40 minutes of the film and so I was anticipating a twist to come around which made the film even slower. There was no twist but the intensity of what I thought was more than expected.
3. The aftermath of the climax : I was depressed after the climax but made sense of it. It can take time for many to settle in with the climax. 

The message the film tries to give is unclear to me but I feel it would be about not being materialistic and try to connect with human because the ending of the film tries to show this point. So you feel the same? Comment me down below. This film is available on Amazon Prime Video now. A very subtle comedy that could have been even better.

Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year (2009) Movie Review - Ranbir Kapoor's most Underrated

So, this week I have decided to review some of Ranbir Kapoor's best films. When looking at his filmography, I found them to less cinematic and more rooted to reality. Yeah, he made some romantic films as well but they are not as good as the other ones. Today, I saw his most underrated movie, Rocket Singh. Whenever people talk about this film, I hear it to be a film for entrepreneurs as they get to learn a lot of good lessons of business. How did I feel about the film? Let's find out:

Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year is a 2009 Bollywood drama starring Ranbir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee, Naveen Kaushik. Gauhar Khan, Prem Chopra, Manish Chowdary, Amol Parashar and D. Santhosh. It is directed by Shimit Amin written by Jaideep Sahni. The story revolves around Harpreet Singh Bedi, a commerce graduate who faces and wins challenges after joining AYS.

The screenplay I should say is really good. The characters made are very relatable. It is very difficult to find these characters nowadays. The environment is very playful and the tone of the film is very positive which sucks us in right away. It teaches us lessons about following moral values, being positive, to be honest and so on. The character of Harpreet Singh is really very good. He learns really fast. He makes us think about ourselves and it is stirring my brain for hours now. I really agree that this film is a 101 guide for entrepreneurs. The dialogues of the film are also very good. The negative character of the film also gives us some important lessons. You can find videos on Youtube talking about the lessons from the film if you want to dive deep. There is also a very big heart with which the film becomes some of the most heartwarming films.

POSITIVES:

1. The Acting : Simply Fantastic. Each actor in the film has his/her own moment to shine. The relatable characters help as the actors too become one with the character they have been given.
2. The Writing : It is deep, relatable and very heartwarming. You can see the description above.
3. The Music : Like the script, this music is also very heartwarming. Two songs in particular caught me. They have the touch of some Waheguru bhajans which give the songs a particular edge above the rest

NEGATIVES:

1. The 2000's vibe : This film was released in 2009 and so it is dated in a sense because it has those same problems as Chak De India or any other Yash Raj film as it has editing problems and the cinematography is alright to say the least.

Overall, if Ranbir Kapoor was a teacher, he would have been like Rocket Singh. Positive, honest and heartwarming. Leaving some editing problems and the 2000's vibe aside, it will teach you some important lessons of life that will stay forever. Wonder why this film was a flop or even underrated??

IMDb Rating : 7.5/10

My Rating : 8.5/10

Chintu Ke Birthday (2020) Movie Review

The trailer for the movie was really exciting. Produced by AIB, this film went through some production issues due to the effects of #MeToo on AIB itself. But, after overcoming them, the film has finally arrived on Zee5. How did I feel about the film? Let's have a look at Chintu Ke Birthday:

Chintu ke Birthday is a 2020 family anti-war drama film starring Vinay Pathak, Tillothama Shome, Vedant Chhiber, Bisha Chaturvedi and Seema Pahwa in lead roles. It is directed by Satyanshu Singh and Devanshu Kumar. The story revolves around the Tiwarys moved to Iraq from Bihar and stuck due to the famous US Army attack and some factors. How this family celebrates the birthday of Chintu, the youngest in the family whilst all the chaos is the main premise of the film?

This screenplay of the film is very well done. It is tight and engages us. First of all, all the characters designed in the centre of the film steal the show. This family is very real. The uber optimistic father, a very supportive and practical mother, a nagging but loving grandmother, a pragmatic and mature sister and a cute and innocent brother. The scenes establishing the family i.e., the first half hour is excellent. I have to add by saying that the animation scene in the beginning of the film perfectly sets up the mood and environment of the film. After widely smiling for about half hour, the writer designs the entering of soldiers with shock and I knew then that this film will work genius. We see two soldiers entering the house, investigating the house and they were happy enough to leave the family as they are civilians. But, then there are two threads in the film that completely screw the situation up. I won't reveal any of them so that you can enjoy. 

Now, the message of the film. The film tries to establish multiple perspectives in the film but everything ties up to the concept of humanity. The perspective of the child is seen through the animation clip where he describes the situation of his location with words like "The Great American Uncle" etc. The perspective of the family as a whole is shown to be very positive with minor hiccups. They do not have to do anything with the situation. They just want to get out of Iraq and live a happy life. There is an Iraqi person in the film where he sees Saddam as god and would call Americans "dogs". The American soldiers in the film are also stuck like the family and so they are frustrated. The scenes between the family and soldiers feel human and real because of that. There is also an American kid who sells bad CD's as his school is burnt. This is the only element I found out of place. With all these characters, I really got the message of humanity. 

POSITIVES:

1.  The Acting : The stellar cast did what they do the best, connect us to their characters and make us empathise with them. We know how Vinay Pathak, Seema Pahwa and Tillothama Shome perform with good roles but the surprises for me were Bisha Chaturvedi and Vedant Chhibey. Vedant Chhibey is cute and innocent. It is quite easy to portray it but perfectly done. Bisha Chaturvedi is my find from the movie. She acted very very well. She is very mature and it shows in the film. She is very sturdy until the scene where she cries. 
2. The writing and message: Look up...
3. The technical prowess: The editing is sharp. The length of 85 minutes perfectly captures everything. The cinematography is also very good. I want you to observe the long shots taken because you may not observe it because of the characters.

NEGATIVES:

The unnecessary American Kid which put me off the film for 5 minutes.

I should say, AIB and the directors have given us a very interesting drama film filled with amazing acting and thoughtful messaging. Zee5 has given a good film that I highly recommend check out.

The Raid franchise (2011 - 2014) Movies Review

I am quite an action junkie. In fact, the last 3 English films I watched in the theatre were Mission Impossible Fallout , Rogue Nation and Avengers Age of Ultron. So, it was a shocker for me that I did not review an action movie in a long time. Then, I came across The Raid on Amazon Prime Video which actually has a cult following and is my first outing to Indonesian films. I thought to check this film on my checklist and so how did I feel about the duology itself? Let's find out.

The Raid : Redemption and The Raid 2 are released in 2011 and 2014 respectively and stars Iko Uwais in the lead role. It is directed by Gareth Evans. 

Here is a breakdown of both the films. Both films are continuous in nature and focus on one thing. Action. The first film sub named Redemption begins with establishing the driving force for the hero, the family. 3 shots of it and then we are immediately shifted to a vehicle with armed SWAT officers who are about to attack Tama Riyadi in his place, an 15 floored apartment where all criminals reside. Then, the film goes savages with its action. Hereafter, the film is a blockbuster action film with smaller thread-like subplots like the lieutenant's distrust over his squad which contained young blood aka Rookies. Also, we see Rama's rise and how he survives the ghastly attack with 2 others. I have purposefully hidden some important elements because (A). there are not many and (B). they will spoil your experience. Before continuing to the next film, there is one major spoiler remained to drop that connect both the films. REZA. You will understand this word in the further proceedings. The second film begins after 2 hours of the attack where Rama is forced to go undercover to catch hold of the guys behind Tama. They are the Goto Family and Bangun who are a part of the gang war. This film actually is longer and has more story than the original. So, as a part of his mission Rama is sent to prison for 2 years to get Uco, son of Bangun. Winning Uco's trust, Rama gets himself a job at Bangun's office. Then, we get to know that Uco and Bejo (a growing crime boss) shake hands and kill Bangun to occupy the crime boss status. Stuck in this mess, Rama now goes savages while listening to orders of senior officials. Also, there is a plenty of action in the film. 

POSITIVES:

1. The Action : This action cannot be emulated in any other film. I only have one word. Brutal and Savages. Many Hollywood action films have a more refined and cleaner look to their action but this film has raw action. Bloody, gory and extremely brutal action. The first film is the best example for it. The second film has the best action but some of the uniqueness of the first film is lost in budget. Overall, I have to agree with some of the statements of the film stating it as one the best action films ever made.
2. The Score : Complementing the savage action, the score has the rock element in it which suit the scenes perfectly. Whenever an action scene comes, it goes boom. Elevates the action scenes two notches higher.
3. The Cinematography : I have to say I am not a fan of shaky cam. But, this film uses it in the best way possible. Also, the angles and frames used for the picturisation of the action scenes need to be appreciated. The second film takes the level higher as the use of changing aspect ratios hooks us to the screen.
4. (Only applicable to The Raid 2) The Storyline : While the first film runs with a very straightforward simple plotline, the second film tries to expand the world it is set in beyond the building. Both films feel drastically different to each other due to this. Also, the setting of the tone and pacing change in both the films and it works for the second film because it engages us more than ever.

NEGATIVES:

1. The Acting(Applicable to only the first film): I have to say, the actors in the first film except Iko Uwais did not impress me. I was subjected to bad poker faces by some of the actors and the others just manage it along the way. The second film improves on this flaw a lot. 
2. The English Dub : I know it is a difficult task to dub over Indonesian languages as they have a lot of Indian influences over them. But, I definitely know they could have written the dialogues better. When the subtitles of the film are much better than your dubbed dialogues, you know the dialogue gets campy.
3. The exhaustion : The action in the first film becomes so much that sometimes it gets exhausting.

Overall, I like both the films. I liked the first film for its racy pace and exhilarating action and the second one for its world-building and action. I prefer the first film as it has the rewatch ability that drags action junkies like me. Action junkies should definitely watch this film for sure. It is not for families as the action is brutal. Make sure you are watching this films with your buddies as it will give you the best experience. 

IMDb Rating : 7.6/10 & 8/10

My Rating : 8.7/10 & 8.5/10

Maheshinte Pratikaram (2016) Movie Review & a Teaser Breakdown of Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya (2020)

Coronavirus has just shut all theatres down. Everybody is in lockdown. I watched away all the Telugu films of the year and am left with no new mainstream Telugu films to watch. Also, the disastrous OTT film "Run" on Aha added to the pain. So, I had a look at some of the major releases of the year in the two Telugu-speaking states. In them, at least 5-6 films are remakes of some other language films. They include: Vakeel Saab (PINK), Krack (SETHUPATHI), That is Mahalakshmi (QUEEN), Red (THADAM), Narappa (ASURAN) etc., But, the film that really caught my attention was Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya. It is a remake of the 2016 Malayalam film Maheshinte Pratikaraam. So, I thought I will give a look at this Malayalam film in order to satisfy my hunger for new Telugu films.
This is my opinion about the film and also a trailer breakdown of the remake so that you can decide your priorities.

Maheshinte Pratikaaram is a 2016 Malayalam revenge comedy drama starring Fahaadh Faasil, Soubin Shabeer, Aparna Balamurali, Alencier Lay Lopez and Anusree in the lead roles. It is directed by Dileesh Pothan. The story revolves around Mahesh Bhavana, a photographer who tries to avenge his embarrassment caused by a stranger.

The story and screenplay of the film is interesting to say the least. For the audience who want entertainment it is a very clever comedy. But, here is the catch. The world built in here is so good and so natural that you instantly connect to each character and when they crack a joke, you laugh heartily. This is the strongest positive of the film. Let me break it down for you. The film's first 5 minutes is an introduction to the village the film is in set in, Idukki. Kudos to the songwriter who wrote this song ,the music director and the cinematography because they breathe life into these mere pictures with a very apt comparison of the village/town to a beautiful lady. (That's what the english subtitles said though.) Then, it introduces the characters. The characters here are brought alive because of the strong acting and good writing. We get to see a relationship between Soumya and Mahesh from their high-school days which is cute but has a bitter end because of obvious reasons. Then, comes the series of events which lead to the main conflict of the film, the revenge. I really liked the theme behind these series of events, the anger. It was really funny yet gripping. That is why, this complete episode is quite enjoyable. But, it is revealed that the guy who hit him has fled to Dubai for a better job. The second half of the film really embraces the realism, wit and charm in a revenge plot. We get to see Jimsy, sister of Jimson the bad guy in the movie. In a scene, she criticises Mahesh in a photoshoot due to the nature of his photography. This point actually gets a buildup from the first half as he goes "Chin Up", "Shoulders Down", "Chin Down", "Eyes Open" every time he clicks a photo. So, it gets a fitting close as they also answer some of our questions in the first half about Mahesh's father. Mahesh gets to know the real meaning of photography and in this progress falls in love with Jimsy. I had a complain about this part because it slowed proceedings a bit and I was waiting for the final conflict. Then, the final conflict comes and the film ends in a very fun note. It was a whistle-worthy climax as Mahesh comes to hospital and asks for marrying Jimsy in front of the wounded Jimson who was beaten up by Mahesh himself.

POSITIVES:

1. The Acting : Fahaad Faasil is such a gem. His acting in the film is just pure gold. He was literally expressing multiple feelings with his eyes which is a rare feat. Wonder if he learnt it from the Lalettan himself. Aparna Balamurali as Jimsy also really won me. Her expressions were damn impressive and her chemistry with Fahaad was really good. Soubin Shabeer and Alencier Lay Lopez in smaller roleshave given some good performances as they fit in the environment of the film seamlessly. The director Dileesh Pothen and Unnimaya Prasad also appear in smaller cameo appearances also give good performances.
2. The Writing : I have broke down the film enough that you know it is a very unique and well detailed film. The dialogues of the film are also very good and bring out some good laughs.
3. The Cinematography, the Editing and the Music : I kept all 3 of them together the best moments of the film have come because of all 3 sectors working well together. All the songs are beautiful to listen to. Added to that, when the cinematographer captured the beauty of Idduki in a very soulful manner the songs become even more beautiful. The editing also is very good. It is really very good. 

NEGATIVES:

1. Smaller parts of the film : I say this because of the parts in the second half especially the very charming but slow love story between Jimsy and Mahesh. It really pulled the pace down. Also, some bits throughout the film should have edited out.
2. As you can see, I am struggling to pick negatives here and so you know it is a perfect and unique film.

So, in conclusion I would say this film is one of the perfect Malayalam movies till date. It is because of the unique writing which blended in comedy and revenge drama together in an interesting manner. The acting, music, cinematography, editing and dialogues are big added bonuses that lifted the film from a script to a very real village. You should not care about any more reviews and just jump right into it on ...(www.Movier....com)...  and make sure you stay for the teaser analysis of "Umamaheshwara Ugra Roopasya".

IMDb Rating : 8.3/10

My Rating : 9/10

Now, the teaser breakdown of Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya. From the teaser, two things are certain. Satyadev Kancharana is the best found choice for the role of Mahesh and Venkatesh Maha is the best available choice for directing it. Arka Mediaworks who produced the epic Baahubali series bankrolled this feature and kept faith in the C/O Kancherapalem director. I also feel that it is his comfort zone to direct feature films based on villages. In the teaser, I saw some new faces as the heroines. Senior Telugu actor Naresh is doing the role of Babychettan wonderfully done by Alincier Lay Lopez and Suhaas is playing the role of Crispin originally played by Soubin Shabber. The film also backs the same songs from the original film by Bijbal which are awesome anyway. The lyrics of them seem to be good as I hear to the Telugu version of Idukki. From the trailer, it seems to be a shot-to-shot remake but I feel the director has changed up some scenes. One thing the director will find challenges in is the tone of the film which is serious yet funny. Also, some frames in the film suggest some flaws in the making of the film as some of the photoshoot scenes look exaggerated a bit. Here's me hoping for the best for Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya.