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.

Defending Jacob (2020) Series Review - A comparison with Indian Crime Web Series.

While scrolling on Youtube yesterday, I found a series called Defending Jacob. It got good reviews and it was a crime suspense drama. So, I thought to give it a look so that I would be warmed up to watch some bigger English series like Breaking Bad or Money Heist. Also, I was curious about the differences between the Indian Web Series based on crime and the english ones. Considering all these aspects, I watched the series today on Apple TV+. Let us see how it is:(SPOILER FREE REVIEW)

Defending Jacob is a 2020 crime suspense drama miniseries directed by Mortem Tyldum and written for the screen by Mark Bomback. It stars Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and Jaeden Martell in lead roles. The story revolves around a mysterious death in a park in the community of Newton. When Jacob Barber is accused of murdering this child, the Barber family try to prove themselves not guilty. So, is Jacob not guilty? Find out in the series. 

The screenplay of the series I should say is good but it has some significant negatives. This series is an adaptation of the book with same name written by William Landay. So, I was expecting riveting stuff as a book can give a lot of matter to work with. The writers really did their best with it. The best thing which worked for the series is the central family dynamic. They are projected to be a happy family before the accusations come along. Then, whatever they showed after the accusations is too realistic and if we think from their shoes, maybe our situation would have been similar to theirs. The character design of them is also commendable. Also, the acting by Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery and Jaeden Martell as Andy Barber, Laurie Barber and Jacob Barber do a terrific job in their roles. Their best comes in some scenes where it is absolute turmoil in the family. Next thing I liked about the series was the relation between Andy Barber and his father. The actor who played and his character is a spoiler and I am sure you will be surprised. It is really fascinating, the dynamic between them and how they behave. It also adds to the whodunit element of the series. The first three episodes set up things very beautifully and I was really becoming a fan of the series at that point. Episode 4 and 5 slow things down a little bit but I thought it happens to every webseries. Then, Episode 6 picks up speed and Episode 7 was really the best episode of all. It gets the courtroom drama perfectly as we are reminded of all details and we make sense of everything. But, then from the end of Episode 7 things go off the rails. (SPOILER ALERT). At the end of episode 7, Leonard Patz confesses the murder which is a very simple ending for all the build-up and suspense built. It was odd because there was another episode remaining. Then in Episode 8, they go to Mexico on a vacation and some shit happens which is linked to Jacob. First of all, this did not make sense at all and it was unnecessary. I would have accepted it if the series would have given me a proper ending. It pisses me off when there is no proper ending. It is not an open ending. Nope. They say Laurie is pissed off at her son and speeds the car to go off road and hit herself on the edge of the tunnel. Then, both of them are in hospital half alive and Laurie forgot that she intentionally hit the car. You can make a decision about it. 

Now, the comparison of this series and the Indian crime web-series. One thing I have to say that this is linked to the cultural roots of India and America. Both countries have different family systems. You get to really understand it with the Coronavirus cases count. Just think about it. So, you should have been observing excessive cuss words and intimate scenes in many Indian web-series. But, the curious part I observed was how it was put to a minimal in this series. Taking out F*** , which has lost its meaning there were no cuss words and the one intimate scene was deserved by them keeping their circumstances in mind. This is because of one thing. Such scenes are very common in their culture and they are not here. Indian audiences get attracted to such scenes because they are not allowed to view them. When comparing the most recent Indian web-series Paatal Lok to this web-series, I would choose this series because it is so realistic in its portrayal. Sure, it ending got screwed but some of the moments in this web-series were far too worse than this ending. I can understand taking inspiration. I would not mind it. But, take the right stuff from it. I would say TVF is the best example about it. The concept of web-series is to tell a story which cannot be squeezed into a film. So, TVF takes stories from our Indian roots and tells them in a clean and efficient manner. Take the example of Kota Factory, their most well-known series. They told the story of students in Kota already a unique story that cannot be filled into a film. They gave it some memorable writing inspired from real situations without any vulgar scenes having some clean romance. 

Hope you have enjoyed my blog. Make sure you follow my blog and my insta @rursreviews. I am reviewing movies and shows from all around the world that you should or should not watch. It would be helpful if you support it. 

Pon Magal Vandhal (2020) Movie Review

Frankly speaking, I was not looking forward to this film. In the past 2-3 years Jyotika has not been giving her best work. In fact I can say, they have been pretty mediocre. So, I thought it was a good move by Suriya's 2D Entertainments and Jyotika to premier this film on Amazon Prime Video today. So, did this courtroom drama surprise me or is it what I expected? Here is my take on Pon Magal Vandhal:

Pon Magal Vandhal is a 2020 Tamil courtroom drama starring Jyotika, R. Parthiban in lead roles. It is directed by JJ Frederick. The story is about Venba and how she proves Jothi who is termed a serial killer innocent. 

The screenplay is very mixed. First of all, the story and messaging of the film is very good and noble. They could have helped the film to be a very strong courtroom drama. But, several aspects of the screenplay actually weigh the film down from its absolute potential. The comic touch given to some scenes in the beginning were unnecessary as in they water down the intensity of the first 5 minutes which were very well staged. Then, the court scenes themselves. They were not so strong as they should be. They run on emotions rather than running on evidences. These scenes could have made sense if the director would have made it clear with evidences. Also, this film repeats the crime story 2 times. Not kidding, the same crime story is repeated two times. Once it is told to us by Jyotika and the other one it is shown to us with Jyotika's narration. This really frustrated me. So, this film has a very good story and a very noble message but it is botched down with the glaring flaws in the screenplay.

The acting department too reflects the flaws of the screenplay. I am not a big fan of Jyotika. She tends to overact when the situation demands subtle emotions. In this film too, it shows. While dark imagery is being shown in the background, the goofy over action of her really puts me off the mood of the scene. But, I have to say, her acting as a lawyer was good. Considering all aspects though, she is not the perfect fit for this role. R. Parthiban as the prosecutor is the best this film offers. His body language, expressions blend in well with the natural demeanour of the actor to give his role some respect. Other actors in the film do serviceable jobs in the film. The junior actors in this film like any other Tamil film overact a lot which is also a flaw for the film. 

The technical department was perfectly serviceable. The cinematography and editing were functional but I feel they could make full use of a beautiful location like Ooty. The music by Govind Vasantha is nice. I like the Ilayaraaja touch he gives to his music. I have a question for the creative team of the film? Would bronza make the lead actor look like a village person? I ask this because I was not able to convince myself that Jyotika was a village lady migrated from Jaipur.  The costume-design too was fine.

Overall, I would say that this film is best suited for OTT. It is a perfectly serviceable courtroom drama that you can pass time with. The messaging and story gets full points but the screenplay was not upto the mark and the acting except Parthiban was lacklustre. So, if you want the film you have to lower your expectations a fair bit.

My Rating : 5.5/10

Public Demand Thursday 5 - Predestination (2014) Movie Review

2 weeks ago, when I announced the Public Demand Thursday segment, an instagram channel named "@filmy_emporium" suggested me to watch Predestination which I knew very little about. After watching this movie though, I want to thank the guy for suggesting me this movie. This review will be very short. I do not want to give away spoilers as it may ruin your experience completely. So, get ready for an appreciation blog about Predestination.

Predestination is a 2014 Australian sci-fi drama starring Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor. It is directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig. It is based on the short story "---

I will not and must not reveal the story of the film. It will be an understatement to say that this film is mind-bending. It has a deep philosophy. Thinking about the film, the elements which I thought were not making sense actually make sense. The acting of the film too is terrific. Ethan Hawke is an established actor in Australia and this film proves the fact. Sarah Snook gets to play a character with multiple shades. She kicks it out of the park with her performance. Her character and Ethan Hawke's character are huge spoilers. It is engaging, thrilling, mind-bending, unexpected awesome film that you need to watch no matter how. It is available on Netflix.

At this point of time, you should not care about the rating and watch about it.

Public Demand Thursday 4 - Rush (2013) Movie Review

Since my Ford vs Ferrari review, my car lover friend has been recommending me this film. He even states this film to be the first choice for car lovers where I stated Ford vs Ferrari as the first choice. So, I watched the film today. This review will have some comparisons between both the films to know which film is the best for car lovers. So, let us check out what us the best film between the two?

Rush is a 2013 biographical sports drama starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl in the lead roles. It is directed by Ron Howard. The story talks about the rivalry between Niki Lauda and Chris Hemsworth in the 1976 Formula One season. It also covers upon both their personal lives, growth and the reasons for their rivalry.

The screenplay is excellent. The best part of the film is the characters of Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Niki is serious and is a genius in setting up his cars. No wonder he was given a contract by old man Ferrari himself. On the other hand, James Hunt is a playboy and enjoys his life with full freedom. The force of both these lives is the passion for driving and the rivalry between the two. It really pushes them to their fullest potential. Yet, they respect they each other. The climax of the film really hits us with how opposite both their lives go. While James Hunt retires and runs out of money, Nikki Lauda is back to work and becomes the world champion back again. While Ford vs Ferrari has some known cliches of sports dramas blended into a real story, this is mostly accurate to the source material. The rivalry in the film is exaggerated to a certain degree but we don't care about it. The racing scenes in the movie are good but I feel the scenes in Ford vs Ferrari are better and more fluid than this film because of the cuts. One visual I really liked was the accelerating piston. Used 4-5 times it really sums up the film itself. A well-oiled machine which accelerates our body throughout the course of the film.

The acting contributes in the on-screen rivalry. Chris Hemsworth acts like himself in the film with the swagger he carries but in some important scenes he really goes under the skin of the character and really gives us a kick. Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda is perfectly cast. His acting too is the best of the film. He really shows his acting prowess in the scenes where he gets vulnerable as he gets married and he starts getting doubts in mind. The rivalry both Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl share in the few scenes they talk is excellent. Other actors get small and not-so-prominent roles. I would say the actors who played the wives of Niki Lauda and James Hunt looked beautiful and did serviceable acting. 

The technical aspects of the film too are perfect for a sports film. The cinematography achieves to get the vibes of the 1970's. It is revving with finesse with minimal use of shaky-cam which is used regularly in some of the films. The editing is very good. It has a quick pace and you might not know when did you end it because it is that fast. The score by the legendary Hans Zimmer is grand and CD worthy. It's use of rock really amps up some of the racing moments of the film. The costume design, hairstyling department and the set designer have to be lauded because the sets look realistic and contribute the on-screen grandeur. The smaller contributions of VFX also should be praised. 

So, the final question? Which of the two films is the first choice film for car lovers? Ford vs Ferrari or Rush. Both of them are solid drama films. While Ford vs Ferrari is more of a drama than a sports biography, Rush is a pure sports drama. I prefer the racing scenes of Ford vs Ferrari as they are more fluid than Rush. But, Rush has a quicker pace than Ford vs Ferrari. Both the films have strong characters. If we see through the car aspect, before you watch both the films you will some considerable knowledge about cars as these films assumes the fact that these film will be watched by car lovers the most. Keeping that in account I would say Rush is the first choice for car lovers while Ford vs Ferrari remains my favourite of the two as the drama in this film is a little more heart touching.

IMDb Rating : 8.1/10

My Rating : 8.5/10

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) Movie Review

Well, this film was on my watchlist quite a while ago and it has 13 Oscar nominations at the 81st edition. So, I thought to have a look at the film. This is my first David Fincher movie review. So, I will make sure that I will review more of his filmography. How did I feel about this film? Here is my take on The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an adaptation of the short story of the same name written by F. Scott Fitzgerald directed by David Fincher. It stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in lead roles. The story as the title suggests talks about Benjamin Button, who ages in reverse and his entire life.

The screenplay is really good but it has its issues. This film has a concept with which they could have made a web-series full of content. It is that great of an idea. The story and screenplay writers, Eric Roth and Robin Swicord squeeze it effectively into an almost 2hr 50min length. This film takes a cliched approach with the beginning i.e., a diary narration. Although we cannot question it, maybe some change should have been made there. But, when the main story begins, we are hooked to it immediately and it is a very smooth and steady ride with him. But, in between some of the film's best moments, the film stretches a bit and some particular patches of the film get boring. This is caused because of the indulgent nature of the film. But, pushing all these aside, the last hour of the film where the main romance of the film really takes centerstage, the film becomes very rich and emotional in its storytelling and gives us a very solid climax to end the film. Special props to those guys who have inspired from some particular scenes in the film and made some interesting films like Paa and Nannaku Prematho. This screenplay engages you for almost 3hr despite the boring patches which is an achievement.

The acting in the film is very very good. Brad Pitt in some of his most challenging works period delivers a strong performance. His husky voice and old man like body language works well in the film. His expressions cannot be seen due to some heavy make-up but we tend to forget it because of reasons which I will talk about in the next section. But, in his younger portions, he gets to shine really well as his goodwill and innocence show in his face brightly. Cate Blanchett too copes up well with the make-up and gives a really good performance. The chemistry between both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett works out well and brings out appropriate emotions. Taraji P. Henson as Queenie gives a

very good performance showing the love of a mother very effectively. Credit to all the other actors in the film as they deliver their best in their limited screen time.

This film is a technical achievement beyond your expectations. For 2008, this film was a sensation. It also aged well. First, the make-up department. Bollywood is still struggling to get the receding hairline right and Hollywood has shown a complete man's ageing process that too in 2008. The complete make-up department won their Oscar with some highly award deserving hyper-realistic make-up work. The VFX helps the make-up team a lot with very photo-realistic old-man effects and very beautiful to look at backgrounds. They too won their Oscar with some ground-breaking effects. If a certain de-ageing process would have been discovered, this film could have been much better. The locations and sets of the film are super stunning to look at. With the film's historical setting spanning both the World Wars and the retro style from the 1960's, the designers get some real work to do and they deliver with ease. The costume design add to this fact. The cinematography of the film is quite good by capturing all the hard work of the art department in some beautifully crafted frames. The editing could have better by avoiding some of the duller moments of the film particularly the Russian Romance. 

Overall, this film is one of those films that you should never miss as it's high on concept idea and rich screenplay transport us into the the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It is available on Amazon Prime Video in the Best of Oscars section. Go have a look and enjoy.

IMDb Rating : 7.8/10

My Rating : 8/10

Marriage Story (2020) Movie Review

When I thought of some English films, I thought to cover some Oscar nominated films from across 40-50 years. So, why not start from the 2020 Oscars? I have already reviewed 1917, Joker, Ford vs Ferrari and Parasite. So, I took a look at Marriage Story which received 5 Academy Award nominations including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress and Best Picture in which Laura Dern won the best supporting actress award. How did I feel about the film? Let's find out:

Marriage Story is a 2019 drama film starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in lead roles. It is directed by Noah Bumbach. The story revolves around Charlie and Nicole, who are on a coast-to-coast divorce and the rest of the story is how they try to stick together. 

The screenplay of the film is really good. You have to know that this film is based on the American family system. Glad I am a part of the Indian family system. So, this film may not connect to Indian audiences. Also, it is a dialogue-heavy film. So, we have to strain our ears a bit to understand the situation. Other than these, this film is a very deep. The concept and story of the film is not unheard or something but the direction and screenplay of the film really makes it stand out. It boils itself to some universal concepts such as marriage, love towards your child etc. Around them, it writes some beautiful scenes both visually and dialogue-wise to make it a very engaging film. It begins slow showing the smaller differences between those who already decided to divorce themselves. When this couple turns to the law, it gets very ugly and tremors begins between them leading to some of the best scenes of 2019 (The Fight). The climax of the film too is boom. It pulls your heartstrings. It is actually quite refreshing that it shows us the conflict without the usual fights. The subtlety and the unique touch of Noah Bumbach really brings out our emotions without the necessary emotional scenes. Observe some of the fine details he gives to some scenes and how they amplify the scene's emotions 10 times. Overall, it is a very understated movie which really brings out our emotions.

The acting is sensational. This film is my introduction to Adam Driver, the actor. He does everything perfectly. The body language, the expressions and every single detail in the film has worked in his favour. Scarlett Johansson also gives a powerful performance. She is some of those elite actresses working right now who can cry at ease and can convince us. Both of them were worthy for Oscars and both of them should have won it but I have no idea how Laura Dern won it. It is true that she gave a very good performance. But, according to me there are much superior performances out there that outshine her performance. All the other actors also give very solid contributions from their side although it is not the level of Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver who absolutely smash it out of the park. 

This film is technically very sound. First of all, the cinematography take a bow. He and the director together put in some meticulous frames in the film that visually tell us everything about the scene and the progression of the film. The music by the famous Randy Newman seamlessly blends itself into the film and its environment. The editor did a fabulous job to keep this film running with a smooth pace. There was a risk of over-indulgence in such films but the team made it a crisp edit. The locations and the costume-design of the film also very realistic and very fine-tuned. 

Overall, I had a very emotional experience with this film. It is not that film which will make you cry but it will make you think about your marriage and its progression. The director's unique touch added with the sensational Oscar worthy performances by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver really make this film a very good watch. It might be slow to some and many Indian audience may not connect to it because it is about a broken Family System as a whole. Check this film out on Netflix as I go watch another Oscar nominee tomorrow.

IMDb Rating : 8/10

My Rating : 9.5/10

Appatlo Okadundevadu (2016) Movie Review

If I have to talk about today's film Appatlo Okadundevadu, I just have to say that this film was forgotten very quickly. When it released on 30 December 2016, audiences and critics really loved this movie and that is why, it was a modest hit at the box office. But, a certain film called Dangal was stealing profits of many such films to become an all time blockbuster. Maybe, that is the reason it was forgotten slowly. I watched Dangal on 31st December 2016, one day after the release of this film and at that time I never knew this film released. It took years for me to know about the film. So, I watched the film today. How was the film? Let's find out:

Appatlo Okadundevaadu is 2016 sports crime drama film starring Sree Vishnu and Nara Rohith in lead roles. It is directed by first-timer Sagar K. Chandra. The story revolves around Railway Raju, an aspiring cricketer whose life turns upside down due to unforeseen circumstances. When Imtiaz,  police officer is found responsible for it, a cat and mouse game between them. 

The director of the film should get credit for a unique brand of direction. I have to say, this screenplay is perfect. No doubt. The screenplay writing of the film is really on point and really brings out the emotion in us. The main plot of the film i.e., the cat and mouse game between Raju and Imtiaz is established really well. In the first half, they connect both their stories with a naxalite backdrop. I was thinking they might go the political route and mix in some philosophy in it but it is ended at the right time as it was kind of pointless in this setting. The comedy of the film is directly connected to the main story which is very rare in films. It also has a natural flow which make them work. The second half too keeps the pace of the first half with some gripping screenplay. We are left in confusion because both the sides have valid and reasonable arguments. Then in the last 20 minutes, the story is really well resolved but we are left with smaller questions as in the final 5 minutes. The romantic track of the film was kept to a minimum which I appreciate but maybe it could have been removed entirely as it is kinda pointless in context to the film. Overall, this film is really good.

The acting in the film is really good. Sree Vishnu steals the show. He was a rising star and with this film really grabs our attention. We have to appreciate the effortless nature of his acting as we just connect with him right away. Nara Rohith has been choosing such unique scripts and he proves with this role too that he is a gem of an actor. I had doubts of how he would enact a Muslim role as he never looked the part. But, he did justice to the role and convinced us from his side. Bramhaji, Prabhas Sreenu gets some important roles in the film and they really had a good rhythm and flow that made the lighter scenes of the film work. The heroine of the film is a glamour touch-up to the film and there is little acting scope for the film. Other actors too give good performances in their respective roles. 

The technical aspects of the film give good output with a minimal 2.5 CR budget. The first to get the praise are the cinematography and editing. The cinematography really brings out the 90's films vibe and gets some beautiful frames. The editing is super sharp and tight. The make-up especially the old guy getups are not that good. Other aspects too are good.

Overall, this film is an underrated film. I really recommend this film to all the film lovers here. Enjoy this film in Amazon Prime Video and Youtube.

IMDb Rating : 7.8/10

My Rating : 9/10

Paatal Lok (2020) Series Review

My knack of watching series continues with the latest Amazon Series Pataal Lok. It has 9 episodes 45 minutes each. With my father, I finished this series in two days. I have been listening to praise of it since the past week. I know I am late but yeah I found my time now. How is the series according to me? (Just in case you do not know I was not able to tolerate the extra-liberal approach given to some Amazon Originals like Made in Heaven or Four More Shots Please.)

Paatal Lok is a crime thriller series released in 2020 on Amazon Prime Video. It stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee, Gul Panag, Ishwak Singh, Niharika Dutt, Swasthika Mukherjee, Jagjeet Snadhu, Anuraj Arora, Aasif Khan, Bodhisattva Sharma, Mairembam Ronaldo Singh in important roles. It is directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy. It is created by Sudip Sharma. Anushka Sharma is one of the producers for the series.

The trailers for the show was showing me nothing. So, it was just the cast that attracted me to watch the show. But, the screenplay of the series really impressed me. It is one of the tightest screenplays I have ever seen. This series hooked me for 6 hours straight and that is an achievement. This series revolves around 4 criminals caught under the conspiracy to murder Sanjeev Mehra, a renowned journalist in Delhi. As Hathiram Chowdary bags this high profile case after 15 years of service, he is determined to solve this case so that he can prove himself worthy. Because it is a web-series, the makers also throw light on the personal lives of all these main characters. These incidents eventually give us the clues for the solving of the case. This gist of the plot might sound familiar. After all, this is a crime thriller and many web-series in India from Sacred Games to The Family Man are basically crime thrillers. So, what makes this series special from all the other shows out there for me? This series turns things around a bit. You will know it after watching the series. It has the usual positives that every good crime thriller has, the tension, the suspense, the morbid and dark humour etc. Also, it tries to shed light on the tactics and strategies of media personalities just for some TRP. It shows the exact meaning of humanity in several instances. Mainly, it tries to focus on the current government and you can observe several connections. The beef matter, the dalits and many more issues just show stuff like it. But, for a person who do not care about politics, it was just nothing. It was definitely not Hinduphobia for sure. It is just a bad person. Keeping all of the political stuff aside, the things I most liked and the most disliked were the family stories of both Hathiram Chowdary and Sanjeev Mehra. Both are flawed personalities. They have their issues. Siddarth, son of Hathiram has problems connecting to the high class guys in an English Medium school(I also faced it quite a bit.) and so he begins to go against his father. His mother is strangled in between them and her brother who is a fraud trying to sell some Chinese goods. This particular side plot is very good and it gets a proper ending as well but the gun culture and goondagiri involved in it just felt out of place. The story of Sanjeev Mehra and his wife is a different thing in itself. I was able to understand the broken relationship but some details in this story left a sour taste in my mouth. You should have observed that some details in the show are off. Other than that, this is the best series that India has given. Thank God, this series does not have an open ending.

This web series has some of the best casting and acting for a web-series period. The credit goes to the director for the control he had over all the things. But, the actors are serious gold. I cannot pick one actor that has not given a bad performance. It is that good. They bring out each and every detail of their character alive. The technical aspects of the series too are really good. Overall, this series is worth your time. But, you need to keep aside your feelings to enjoy the show. 

IMDb Rating : 7.5/10

My Rating : 9/10

Public Demand Thursday #3 - Khaleja (2010) Movie Review

Now, an SSMB fan and my friend from my college, Aditya Kumar has suggested me to review the film that every Telugu cinephile will definitely review. Khaleja, urf, Mahesh Khaleja. I decided this review will be a roundup of the film off and on the reel. If I had to talk about Mahesh Babu, he is indeed very handsome and his fitness maintenance at the age of 44 is impeccable. My favourite film of his is Dookudu where he just exploded on screen. Before Dookudu though there was Khaleja, which was amidst controversy and a lot of expectations. After the flop film Athidhi in 2007, he decided to take a break that extended to 3 years. Khaleja was the comeback film of SSMB and now after all this years, it is considered an underrated film. Why? How? What? Let us see:

The above interview of Mahesh Babu with Anupama Chopra gave me the actual reason of why this film gets a lot of following. Mahesh Babu in the film has a flow which until then nobody has expected from him. Every dialogue in the film spelled out by him is a sixer. He was just so fluid. The main plotline of the film is very good. The main question this film asks is who is God? He is the one in you. When you pray for something right, you will do right. Also, the comedy of the film is in the Trivikram Zone. My favourite scene of the film is the AbhayaHastham scene. It is very hilarious. The scenes with Siddha and involving the village are on the top level with some meaningful dialogue and a very intense feel. With all these perfect elements, it should have been a blockbuster? But, this is an underrated flop for the reasons down below:

1. The comedy of the film although good is completely contrasting to the film's main plot. The first half of the film is just comedy taking out 10% of the film. The introduction of the hero, the 4 meetings with the heroine, Rajasthan episode and Tom Bhaiyya, all are funny and entertaining but I feel these elements should have been quickly wrapped up and the director should have gone into the plot instantly. This effected the balance of the film and took a toll on the length of the film.
2. The music of the film. It is a good album from Mani Sharma. 2 songs of the film are important and 4 songs are just fillers. We know it and I guess the crew too knew it. I not saying it but the song picturisation of the film shows it. The best and the most important song, Sada Siva is picturised beautifully. It brings out the devotion to Lord Shiva from all of us. Piliche, the second important song showcasing the romance of the leads by comparing them to Lord Krishna and Radha is the best picturised song of the film. It looks beautiful to the eye. But, the other songs of the film take a 2000's music video approach with cut after cut after effect after effect which completely ruined the catchy tune of the song for me. It seems like the makers did not care.

If the above mistakes were rectified and the commercialisation were a little low. The film would have been a hit then and now. Some things I forgot to mention are the cinematography. the age of the film shows now but still I guess nobody explored Rajasthan in TFI and the one who explored did it really well. The character artists of the film are simply stunning. It has all top artists of the time ranging from Brahmanandam, Ali, Sunil, Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam, Prakash Raj, Subba Raju etc.,

But, the standout is Shafi as Siddha. His monologue in the film (written beautifully) has stunned me even now. 

So, I look forward to more requests in the near future. Make sure you follow my blog and my insta @

Public Demand Thursday #2 - Ace Ventura Films

In this edition of Public Demand Thursday on the request of @__mr_attitude____ long ago, I am reviewing the Ace Ventura films starring Jim Carrey. I was never so interested in these films but my father really recommended me to watch these films. I guess now is the right time to review these films. Point to note is that I really love Jim Carrey as an actor. He tends to be a living cartoon in some scenes immediately transitioning to some really good performances instantly. That is the power of hardwork and determination towards our work. So, how did his first film work out? Let's find out.

Ace Ventura series consists of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls on 1994 and 1995 respectively. It stars Jim Carrey in the lead role with different castings in different films. Tom Shadyac has directed the first film and Steve Oedekerk has directed the second one. The story is basically about Ace Ventura, who understands animals and so becomes a pet detective. The two films basically are two fairly simple cases solved by him. 

Let me talk about the first film first. This film was an experiment of sorts because it was an introduction to Ace Ventura a.k.a Jim Carrey. It is an exploration of scenarios around the lead actor. So, the plot of the film is very very simple. The director just left Jim Carrey alone and maybe that is why he gets a writing credit too. That is why I have nothing much to say about the film. The other actors in the film took a back seat to Jim Carrey and the villain who tries to emulate the cartoony nature of Ace Ventura just gets hammy. That is the speciality of Jim Carrey. He might try to overact or even become a living cartoon but we never observe it because of the unique acting style of Jim Carrey that keeps the film afloat. One last thing I have to say is that this film is only funny at parts even with Jim Carrey. It is entertaining though. Not funny but entertaining.

The second film is actually much better than the first film for me. It has a simple plot but the screenplay has some meat. The makers try to bring a different side to Ace Ventura to bring a contrast from the first film by putting him in an Ashram. Also, the mission he goes on is a perfect match for the animal loving side of him. It is very vibrant and colourful. This film gives a small sidekick to Ace Ventura in a forest officer who is quite a nice addition. This film is everything that is the first film and more. It has every joke from the first film (it is also a negative and a positive) but with the contrast given, it gives him a small character. I forgot about the pop culture references. They actually ruined my memories of The Lion King. Also, there is a reference to Mission Impossible in the first film. Yes, this film takes elements from Gods Must Be Crazy but I can forgive them as it is quite funny. One more point I have to mention is that this film has the same screenplay format as the first film. Therefore, it is just better than the first film.

Look, this film series is worth your time for the very famous and popular performance of Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura. If you can some of the pop-culture references, it is a serviceable fun entertaining franchise with a par and simple screenplay, some okay acting and some(really some) clever jokes with the usual low brow humour. Have a look at Ace Ventura.

MY COMPLETE RATING FOR BOTH FRANCHISES IS 6/10

Lucia (2013) and My Opinion

For today's blog, I thought to move away from the usual movie format to talk about Lucia (2013). It is a Kannada film with quite a following. It is crowd funded with a budget of 50 Lakh Rupees. Before watching the film, I was looking at all the IMDb scores and reviews of the movie. Many who watched the film were like this is India's Inception and stuff. So, I set my expectations high. After watching the film though I was a let down but still this is a good film. I was not on the same page as e everyone else unfortunately. This blog will particularly look at the positives and negatives of the screenplay and technical aspects of the movie as the acting is not actually a hero here even if all actors give good performances. 

THE POSITIVES :

1. The main sci-fi element is the biggest strength of the film. The concept of lucid dreaming is kind of unknown to audiences in 2013 and since been explored a lot. The most recent example can be 118 which bended it to fit the film's story. 
2. The quality and output of the film's images with 50 L is mind-blowing. The production of the film is so good. They did not limit themselves anywhere to save the budget yet they deliver some fantastic visuals.
3. The scenes which solely focus on the lucid dreaming concept. The interesting concept of the film hooks us in the beginning of the film. Then, in the last 20 minutes of the film is the main highlight of the film. A small twist in the tale and the detail given to it is simply outstanding. 
4. Also, this film achieves something that is unique to itself. It is a tribute to Indian cinema. So, it adds in some elements of films like a talkies owner and an usher or a star and his team. An item number, a commercial masala dialogue etc. Heck, it also adds in some references to Tamil and Telugu cinema along with the Kannada film references. So, it is a sci-fi film along with a cinema-based film.

THE NEGATIVES : 

1. The above mentioned positive is also a negative to the film. It being a tribute film comes with some decisions that is a compulsory but would not gel well with sci-fi plot it has. The introduction of a heroine in the film is not exactly the problem but the romantic track between the hero and heroine. It weighs down the sci-fi element because the concentration on the track weighs the element down and so, it could not show its true potential. The track itself is kinda boring and I thought those foreign girls were unnecessary. The director should have thought better about this. 
2. The other side characters except Shankaranna are not given enough character. Some of the other characters are just forgotten by us in the next scene.
3. The pace of the film. It was quite good in the first 20 minutes or so. But, it immediately slows down drastically as there is slow progression of story. In between the film, there is absolutely nothing happening.

My expectations for this film were high. The director tried to take two ideas of a sci-fi story and a tribute to films. These are two different things and the film could have been destroyed. I will give props to the director for blending them well but it succeeds only partially. Even though the film hooked me for a smaller time and the science fiction element did impress me, the film's major chunk was a let down as it had nothing much to say other than a love story. 

If the director tried to bring out the real potential of this concept and created some mind-bending scenes like in the pre-climax of the movie, it would have been an excellent film for me but yeah it is just a good film. Nothing Special. Let me see how his next offering U Turn fares out. See you soon.

IMDb Rating : 8.3/10

My Rating : 7/10

Loser (2020) Web Series Review

I don't watch web series that much. I am more of a films guy that takes emotions in doses. So, it is not my thing to binge 5-6 hours straight. But, because it is lockdown and even my Online classes have been finished, I thought I could try a web-series. I do know about the brilliant Indian Web Series like Sacred Games or The Family Man but I was searching for a "family-friendly" one as we cannot tolerate the high society culture shown in some web-series. Then I found LOSER, a Telugu web-series that released on Zee5 on the 15th of May. I was hearing praise throughout and so I decided to watch it. Did the series impress me or did it make me sleep. Here is my take on Loser:

Loser is a 2020 sports drama web-series starring Priyadarshi, Annie, Shashank, Kalpanika Ganesh, Shayaji Shinde, Banerjee, Komali Sharma, Pavani Gangireddy, Viren Thambidorai in lead roles. It is directed by Abhilash Reddy. The story revolves around 3 players divided by religion but united by the spirit of sport. Their stories and how it coincide with one another to reach success wraps up the entire series.

You should remember that I don't watch many web-series. So, I had to consult some people and websites to make a right decision about my opinion. The people who I consulted were talking about the improvement of the Telugu web-series in OTT platforms. Other than that, their and my opinions are mostly the same. First of all, the second best thing in this series is its dialogues. They have a sense of poetry in them. They were very apt to the various situations it focuses on. Writers Abhilash Reddy, Sai Bhardwaj and Shravan Madala also succeed in elevating the emotions of each character with their characterisations. Point to note is that no character is unwanted. Also, after looking into the article of Film Companion, I could not un see the fact that the intentions of the makers was very noble. The feeling of national integrity seen in all these sports people just breaks the walls of religion and class. 
The writing of the film is really good for the most part. The environment and timelines shown are very accurate and the writers give us clarity on it very well. While watching this series, you know that there are all kinds of sports cliches involved in the film and takes inspiration from many sports films like Chak De India, Saala Khadoos, Jersey etc., It shows talent, sports politics, religious problems, alcoholism, ego all connected to sports. So, you know that the series will get exhausting. By the time you reach episode 7 you are tired and I had to take a break to actually continue it again. Episode 9 actually is the ending but it drags on to Episode 10 which was unnecessary. Sometimes, the series can get preachy. It is inevitable in a sports drama but it could have been handled well. Overall, this series is a very very strong series.

Oh I forgot to mention the best thing in the film, the casting. It is perfect. I told that each character in the series is important. Therefore, every artist in the film gets to shine brilliantly. I purposefully mentioned all credited actors at the beginning. Priyadarshi as Suri Yadav is pure excellence. Despite being a recognisable enough star, he has a very relatable face value where he can be cast in any role. His acting range is quite shown in this series and he is proving that the is not just a comedian with his film and series choices. Annie also known as Baby Annie most known for her role in Rajanna is also very good. Her acting sums up the colourful and simple world of Ruby Shabana which comes to an end after a very unfortunate end. The surprise I would have never seen is Kalpanika Ganesh as the elder Ruby. The simplicity of the character is maintained by her but this role had some complications that the actress shows well. Shashank, an artist who gave good performances in films like Aithe and Anukokunda Oka Roju just slipped into the role and just lived it. His unique body-language, egoistic mindset and extreme anger is well emoted by the actor. Also, he also nails his old-age shade. The actor satisfies us in a well-rounded arc which leads to the final realisation. Sayaji Shinde most known for comic villain roles in Tollywood is very solid. His character arc is my favourite one as he just knocks it out of the park. Banarjee in just 2-3 scenes motivates us with his brilliant oratory skills(also the dialogue). Overall, this film is a collective effort in the acting department. 

The technical aspects led by some executives in Annapurna Studios lives up to the standard. The cinematography of the series is very good. The editing should have been improved. The music and BGM were a highlight. The sets, art direction, costume design, make-up department have to be applauded for showing three different versions of Hyderabad in a subtle yet clear way. There was one thing that was sticking to me like a sore thumb were the B&W effect and the budget allocation. The monochrome effect was good almost distractingly good. Compared to the best web series, this film's resolution and production is not the best.

Overall, if I had to suggest a series to get introduced to Telugu Web Series, you can start with Loser as it shows the emotions that make Tollywood a success and the subtlety that could potentially be seen in the future. It feels dragged for some but we can do nothing but to appreciate the writing of the film which is so good. Pair it with the excellent casting and we get a very good web series and misses the tag of the Best Web Series of TFI just by a little.

My Rating : 8/10