The Matrix Reloaded (2003) Movie Review

After the mind-blowing experience of the film, I decided that I will watch the entire series. So, The Wachowskis shot the two sequels of the film, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions at the same time. They then edited two films of it and released both of them in 2003. I see good praise for both of the films. So, how are these films? In this review, we will talk about The Matrix Reloaded and tomorrow I will give my opinion on The Matrix Revolutions. Here goes:

The Matrix Reloaded is the second instalment in the Matrix franchise with Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss reprising their roles directed by the Wachowskis. When Zion is threatened by an attack, the One with Morpheus and Trinity try to rescue Zion. Can Zion be protected? Find put in the film.

The screenplay of the film is a little under when compared to the original. It has a very good plot. The writers try to expand the world of Matrix by introducing us to Zion. Zion is a mix of Rastafarianism with machines. Then, they tried to develop some new characters like Commander Lock, Councillor Hamann etc. But, they are weakly developed. The old ones though get good development. Neo is trying to make a choice between Trinity and Zion. It makes for a solid character growth in Neo. Morpheus and Trinity have lesser character development but in important scenes, their characters get critical motives. Another downgrade this film gets in its storytelling. Clearly, the directors lean more towards the action scenes and due to that I was left puzzled with some of the aspects in the film. They needed more attention. Credit where it is due, the staging of the action scenes in this film is ambitious. They really took risks with some of the action. Some worked well whereas some worked partially. Overall, this film is very good as it is but it fails to reach the level of its predecessor. 

The acting does not need anything to say. Like in the first film, the recurring cast members Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss give amazing performances. The new cast too give good performances. Jada Pinkett Smith as Captain Niobe gives a good performance. Other new additions like Harold Perrineau, Randall Duk Kim, Monica Bellucci, Lambert Wilson and others give apt performances for the film.

If there is one thing that this film does a good job more than the original, it is the technical aspects. The cinematography of the film took new heights. The wide angle shots and slow motion have improved from the original but this time they got the rotations. Slow-motion rotations. They look stunning. The editing this time around needed to be sharper as the film suffers from slower pacing. The VFX of the film has improved considerably. Barring the Burly Brawl scene, the film has some of the most mind-bending stuff in the stuff with slow-motion truck clashing, bullet-time improvement etc. The action choreography like the original uses Japanese techniques to the fullest use as they are marvellous to look at. The set design, makeup, costumes of the film have swagger in them and are really good.

Overall, this film is very good but could not reach the heights of the original. Watch this film for its amazing action and a good cliffhanger.

IMDb Rating : 7.2/10

My Rating : 7/10 

The Hunt (2020) Movie Review

This film was supposed to release in September 2019 but due to the mass shootings in the USA, it got delayed to Febrauary 2020. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus pandemic, the film lost its theatrical run and faced losses. Anyways, the film got its VOD release a week after. It was also surrounded by controversy when articles criticising its right vs left approach when test screenings took place in August 2019. I got attracted to it and I watched it today. Here's my opinion about the film:

The Hunt is a 2020 Horror thriller starring Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank in the lead roles. It is directed by Craig Zobel under the Blumhouse Productions banner responsible for The Invisible Man and some other darker toned films. The story revolves around 12 strangers who are being hunted by elite liberals to get a Manor in Vermont. 

The screenplay has its good and bad. Let's begin with the good. The dark humour of the film is simply hilarious. Those particular dialogues though over-the-top, make us laugh really hard. Another thing I liked was the death scenes. The director really staged these scenes well where we feel the thrill of the situation and the curiosity builds around it. Watch out for the gas station scene. It is really cool. Also, the subtle references of George Orwell's Animal Farm, I really liked. This is the only legit, well thought-out part of the film. Now, the thing this film has been receiving the criticism for. The social satire. It takes up everything from right vs left, climate change, Refugees, Media etc. But, in this process they crank it in the plot where every time they wanna talk about social stuff, the actors are hyper and very in-your-face. The dialogues regarding it having unnecessary cuss words or cool lingo. Overall, I like the humour and the subtle touches of the film but it is still crude and had to be filtered in its social satire and dialogues.

The actors all get lesser than usual screentime because there were about 30 actors sharing equal screentime in a 90min film. The lady who gets the most screentime, Betty Gilpin just has that swagger in her. Her physicality really matches the girl in army services. Her acting too with her satirical expressions is actually quite nice. Another actress who gets more screentime is Hilary Swank, the one who made this sport. She does a great job and she just appears in the last half hour of the film. She does create an impact. All other actors serve their job well as they show off their on-screen persona.

The technical aspects of the film are nice. The cinematography of the film is quite nice. The camera angles in the hunting scenes is good. The editing of the film is super sharp and super smooth. It is as fast as a bullet train. The practical effects of the film are executed pretty well. Like, when anybody explodes in the film, it looks real. The action design too is really nice. The climax catfight is the highlight of the film. The film's decision of making the film look gory and brutal really helps with the set design of the film too. A simple forest set with some real dangers in it is easy to make and so it also saves the budget of the film.

This film can be watched in two ways. One is keeping the social satire in mind and another is without the satire. If you watch it understanding the social satire, you will appreciate the subtle touches of the film to the Animal Farm and enjoy some bloody brutal fights. If you ignore the social satire, you will happily enjoy the action and will be relieved of the over-the -top, in your face social commentary. It is up to you. You can watch it anyway. 

IMDb Rating : 6.4/10

My Rating : 6.5/10

The Matrix (1999) Movie Review

My father is a big fan of the matrix. My mother and father have memories watching this film again and again. I at that time wasn't that much of a cinema guy and I was a year old baby. Now, after becoming a cinema fan, I was thinking what makes this film such a classic. Yeah, I know their action scenes are super innovative but I wanted to know why this film works? Here is my opinion about the matrix.

The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction action thriller drama starring Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburn in lead roles directed by The Wachowskis. The story is about a dystopian future where humans are mere batteries. When Neo becomes the chosen one, their team tries to free the world from the Matrix.

The screenplay of the film is ridiculously insane. I would have never imagined computer software and AI the way the Wachowskis did. I will never forget this experience in my lifetime. I know many have watched it before me but for the many who will watch after me, I am not gonna reveal any element of the film. But, I will say this you need subtitles to understand the exact story. We may be carried away with the visuals but underneath there is such an interesting world with so many rules and such a good world building. I'm at loss for words. Anyways, this is some of the best cyberpunk films I have ever seen.

The acting in here is brilliant. I am loving Keanu Reeves more and more day by day. His persona, charisma is natural but in this film he has to grow as a character who is just a regular guy in the Matrix to being the One. He pulls it out really well in one of his career best performances. Lawrence Fishburne really impressed me in this film as he portrays belief, smartness with such attitude. He is the guy who introduces us to the Matrix and he needed to be a good actor to make it understand. Carrie-Ann Moss as the Trinity really shines as her swagger is mixed well with her vulnerability and love to the One. Another special mention goes to Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith. His face expressions are limited bit yet his eyes scare us away. He gets the best scene and the best dialogue of the film where he compares humans to a certain Virus. Overall, the acting is fantastic.

This film belongs to the technical aspects. The cinematography is marvellous which makes best use of the wide angle shots and the slow motion technique. The directors intentionally left a green tinge to all the shots in the Matrix as it is just a program. With the colour grading, the film looks really unique. The editing of the film is smooth and sharp. The BGM of the film is great adding the element of Rock with the conventional music. The main highlights of the film are the visual effects, action chereography and set design. The VFX is dated when it tries conventional stuff like alien like machines, fire effects and some of the ripples. But, when it tries something innovative, it succeeds in ti with perfection. This film is the pioneer of bullet time and some of the slow-motion. It coupled with the mind bending action really blows my mind away. This technique had been replicated several times but none reaches the impact of this film. The set design and the art department of the film really shine as there is years of hardwork and passion seen in each setpiece either it be the ship itself or the matrix. It is so special that just a white green screen had some meaning in this film. Overall, this film is a visual wonder.

If you are bored and tired of this lockdown or not able to sleep at night. I suggest you quickly open Disney+Hotstar Premium and start watching Matrix right away. If you have watched it, tell what you thought about the film in the comments section. For many who have not watched this film though, close the blog and enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience with The Matrix. 

IMDb Rating : 8.7/10

My Rating : 9/10

Love Aaj Kal (2020) Movie Review

Imtiaz Ali is regarded as one of the best directors Bollywood has ever produced. But, he has been in a slump lately. He made good films like Jab we met, Love Aaj kal etc. When Jab Harry met Sejal bombed at the box office, he tried to re-create one of his successes Love Aaj Kal with the next generation. It is a great idea while being a bad one. If it worked, it would have given both Kartik Aryan and Sara Ali Khan a break in their budding careers but it bombed with both critics and audiences. I have nothing to do in this lockdown so I watched this film. I know nobody wants it but I'll share it anyway. Enjoy the rant-y review of Love Aaj Kal in Lockdown.

Love Aaj Kal is a 2020 romantic drama starring Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan, Randeep Hooda, Aarushi Sharma in lead roles. The story revolves around 2 love stories set in 1990 and 2020 shown side-by-side. One is based on Zoe Chauhan and Veer. Another is based on Raghu and Leena. When one comes to know about the another, how will the love story change? Don't worry, if you have watched the 2011 Love Aaj Kal, you know everything.

The screenplay is a rehash. It follows the same pattern of the original. It adds some elements for the new generation and some 1990's elements. The director succeeds in emulating the screenplay pattern but the main problem here is the story. It begins well with the introduction of the characters and with the 1990's story taking full shape I thought I would like it but slowly these stories change into one mess. A cute story turns into a confusion where the hero becomes a tharki and leaves the heroine. Thoda jyada hi ho gaya. Present day story is already a mess. The character of Sara Ali Khan is very overdeveloped. Like, she wants her own career but wants her love. She always swings around with this stuff which confuses me. One small confusion with the plot is why have two Kartik Aaryans. When Randeep Hooda could have acted his role. Seriously. This screenplay is one of the weakest of Imitiaz Ali.

The director had full faith in his actors but it worked partially. Let us begin with the best. Randeep Hooda as the narrator of his own actor gives a really good performance. He gives a good feel off his performance just with his narrating skills. Aarushi Sharma in her debut role gives a superb performance. She has a bright future ahead as she too acts naturally and can emote very nice expressions. Kartik Aaryan is good and shows the variations of two different roles. But, as its not his comfort zone, he tends to struggle in some important scenes. But, easily the worst part of the film by a long shot is Sara Ali Khan. She received lot of criticism in the film for her performance, so I thought let us ignore it for this time but her character itself had a lot of flaws in it. So, I had to analyse it and so, I observed the two stages of her performance. One is where she does the simpler stuff. She does well as she is a proved newcomer with her good expressions. But, in the second stage where she has to do the typical Imtiaz Ali scenes, she cracks as her performance becomes unintentionally funny. Otherwise, this film has good performances leaving Sara Ali Khan.

The technical aspects of the film are in the standards of any Imtiaz Ali film. The cinematography has those special angles of angled closeups, under-table shots and some colourful and vibrant images. It's just that I had to see Sara Ali Khan in it. The editing is good emulating the screenplay pattern of the 2011 original. The music in the film is the only highlight of the film. Whenever the songs came, I found relaxation from some of the bullshit the film provided. Although it had recreations from the 2011 original like Yeh Dooriyan and Twist, they work well as they get a fresh treatment. The original songs in the film too are really good. Pritam, you beauty. The art department, costume designers, make-up department and set design really put their all into the film as the it is so colourful and vibrant looking. Overall, atleast the technical aspects are good.

This film has 3 stages. It is best when the songs come, meh when Sara Ali Khan is not there and unintentionally funny when she is in the screen. This would not have been the case if the screenplay was good. I know nobody will watch it but if you wanna watch it, it is on Netflix and Jio Cinema. I recommend you to skip it. You can listen to the songs of the film on Jio Saavn instead. 

IMDb Rating : 5.5/10

My Rating : 5/10

Bad Education (2020) Movie Review

New movies in lockdown. That is possible only because of the various OTT platforms. There are new regional films releasing as well. But, as of now, I found this film called Bad Education on HBO Max and for us Indians, luckily HBO has partnered with Disney+Hotstar for new content. I have been hearing great things about the film. I watched it today and I am going to share my opinion on it now.

Bad Education is a 2020 docu-drama starring Hugh Jackman, Alison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan and Ray Romano in lead roles directed by Cory Finley. The story revolves around the biggest embezzlement scheme of school districts of the USA.

The screenplay of the film is quite great. This film has an interesting plotline about the fraud committed in the Roslyn School District. It is essentially a character driven film and it comes straight to the point in the first 5 minutes. We follow these characters until the end as their layers come out one-by-one. It is slow for sure but it engages us. We see the relationships and ambitions of the main leads of the film to bring their school to the top position. This film depicts the crime in a subdued manner. It is not glorified but yes, it is a crime committed. Due to its realistic nature, the impact of this crime went slightly off and we don't come to know how big it is. Overall, the screenplay is missing some elements but it is surely great.

The film being a character-driven film benefits from some Oscar-worthy performances. Hugh Jackman who I have only seen in the X-Men so far has given such a wonderful performance. He has definitely understood the complexities of Dr. Frank Tassone and in each frame we understand the character's intentions through his eyes. His ever-lasting charming persona adds to the acting genius to give a really good performance. Alison Janney, another person who stole money from the school district also gives such a nice performance. She had got some of the more expressive acting in the film and she shines brilliantly. Geraldine Viswanathan gives a very nice performance as the school journalist who uncovers the secret. I can see good future ahead for her. Ray Romano in his comeback gives a solid performance. Overall, the acting of the film truly shines and justifies all the praise it is receiving.

The technical aspects of the film are handled in such a way that they emulate a real environment around us. The cinematography shows the realism and the editing is smooth but has a slow pace. All other departments work well with the director to give a very real experience.

This film is a subdued crime docu-drama which is realistic and is benefited by Oscar-worthy performances by Hugh Jackman and Alison Janney but suffers with slow pace and missing punch of the crime committed. Yet, I strongly recommend this film as it tells us something new with which we will know that fraud can be committed in anyway.

IMDb Rating : 7.3/10

My Rating : 7.5/10

Anjaam Pathiraa (2020) Movie Review

Today on Sun NXT, a new Malayalam film dropped. It is Anjaam Pathiraa, a thriller film which received a lot of praise recently. It was a super hit and collected 50CR at the box office. I being a thriller lover had a look at it today. So, how was the experience? I'll tell you in just a second.

Anjaam Pathiraa is a 2020 crime thriller starring Kunchacko Boban, Unnimaya Prasad, Sreenath Bhasi among others. It is directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas. The story revolves around a killer who specifically attacks police officers and so a team of police try to catch this guy before it's too late. Could they find him?

The screenplay of the film is familiar yet effective and engaging. It follows similar beats of the crime-thriller genre. There is a murder, a team is appointed, they fall behind the race as murders increase but they bounce back to catch the criminal at the end. This cat and mouse race usually involves the policeman tracking murders of innocent people. But, in this particular film, those innocent victims are the policemen themselves. This unique twist adds more freshness to the film. Add to that, this film has really good detailing which is a result of good ground work. Therefore, even if this film is a slower film, it grips us. Another plus for the film is the motive of the killer which is clear and makes valid questions against the policemen. Amidst all the positives though, my small gripe is that some of the techniques the killer uses are unclear to us(if you got them, please leave a comment down below). Especially, the sleeping pills. At the end, this screenplay is really very solid.

The acting of the film is very good. This is the first time I have seen Kunchacko Boban in a film. I liked his performance as he expresses excitement, curiosity, sorrow all in a very subtle, down to earth manner. Another standout for me is Unnimaya Prasad as the the lady DGP. First of all, I have never seen a DCP get a prominent role in a film. It being a lady is a bonus. Add to that, when such a role is given that real attitude minus the over the top nature, this character is a dream for many artists. With the role, Unnimaya Prasad delivers a strong performance maintaining all the textures of the character alive. All the other actors get smaller roles but I should say each of them give really good performances.

The technical aspects of the film too are good. The cinematography of the film is well done as the greens of Kerala is as good as the gruesome dark murder shots. They give the right feel required for the film. The editing of the film maintains a steady flow while being slower than its counterparts. It definitely grips us. The background score, an essential element for any thriller is really good and some tracks of the film are hummable as well. All the other departments of the film give their best to make this film and it shows.

Overall, this film can feel regular as it follows the same template of some of the other crime thrillers but it is engaging and effective. It consists of some good performances, a solid screenplay and good technical aspects

Kanulu Kanulanu Dochayante (2020) Movie Review

There is a lot of buzz around this film after its release regarding its OTT release. It got its Tamil release in Netflix and it was receiving a lot of praise. Then, everybody were waiting for the Telugu release. I was one of those guys. Then, Aha video took the rights of the film and immediately released it yesterday. I watched it today. How did I feel about the film? Let's find out.

Kanulu Kanulanu Dhochayante or Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal is a Telugu-Tamil bilingual thriller romantic drama starring Dulquer Salmaan, Ritu Varma, Gautham Menon among others. It is directed by Desingh Periyaswamy. It revolves around Sid and Kallis, two hackers who meet their love of the lives and then... Watch the film to know more.

The screenplay is really good. The best part of the film were the twists. When things move smoothly, interval twist comes along and that is one of the best interval twists of recent times. Again, when we see the usual scenes after such a twist, we encounter another unique twist. Then the climax of the film gives a double-twist which is really awesome. In between these twists lies a very charming romantic story which brings a smile on our face. They also try to address the value of money with some subtle touches. The philosophy of the characters too is genuinely intriguing. With this story, the twists also give a good impact. The trendy lingo, the film references stick well with the film and are are only mildly used to add a bit of flavour. Also, there is one particular scene in the film involving Gautham Menon which is pure gold for cinema fans as it has a very famous film reference. Overall, this film has a strong screenplay with unpredictable twists.

The acting of the film is very good and they are the main reason for the movie's charm. Dulquer Salmaan is the most charming actor in recent times for me. His acting as always is natural, cool and he maintains a solid flow throughout the film. Ritu Varma in her Tamil debut bags a superb role and she delivers really well. Rakshan as the ever reliable Kallis gives a very nice performance. He keeps the trendiness and the native touch of the film. Niranjan Ahatian as Ritu Varma's friend also gives a very cool performance. Anish Kuruvilla gets to be the bakra for the film and he executes it accordingly. But, the star of the film is Ace Tamil director Gautham Vasudev Menon. I never knew he had such good acting skills. Like, he gets wide variety of scenes. He shines in each shade given and yeah at the end, we have nothing but pity towards this guy. The acting of the film is really good.

The technical aspects too are nice. The cinematography of the film is good as he captures vibrant colours and gives a joyful feel to this film. The editing of the film is surprisingly good. Even though the length of the film is 2hr 40min, the film maintains a brisk pace throughout the film. The music is just lost in translation. I guess the Tamil songs were good but the Telugu songs have some bad lyrics. Like, some of them feel cheap and some of the songs just do not match the rhythm perfectly. The art direction, set design, production design of the film are good.

Overall, this film will be known for its strong and unpredictable screenplay and some very good acting performances by the cast. For thriller lovers it is a treat and for others, it is a fun and light journey with some amazing twists. Watch this film right now on AHA.

IMDb Rating : 7.7/10

My Rating : 9/10

Extraction (2020) Movie Review

I am a big action junkie. It's been a while for me though since I have watched a big blockbuster Hollywood action movie. So, I was waiting for this film since a month. Also, the addition of Randeep Hooda and Pankaj Tripathi really excited me. Then, when I found out that the writer-director pair of the Avengers series were producing it, Joe Russo was writing the screenplay of the film and Sam Hargrave, the stunt co-ordinator of the Avengers Series was directing it, I liked it. Finally, after a long wait this film was dropped on Netflix today. So, let us see how the film fared out.

Extraction is a 2020 Hollywood action thriller written by Joe Russo, directed by Sam Hargrave and starring Chris Hemsworth, Rudraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda. The story revolves around Tyler Rake, a killer who is handed an extraction mission of Ovi Mahajan, son of a mafia don in India who is kidnapped by another don in Dhaka. Will he succeed this mission?

The screenplay is like all other action films out there. But, it is at the top in this bunch. It has a very straight line. When a film is adapted from a comic named Ciudad, I did expect some depth. Keeping that aside, the film keeps its intensity intact all throughout the film. It is gory and the action scenes are staged perfectly. I like the element of having 2 people saving the same guy. But, the film mainly suffers from the cliche of the hero having a flashback. In this case, it is because they do not address it well. They show a blurred frame in 3-4 occasions and it usually breaks the flow of the film. But, overall this is a perfect popcorn entertainment. But, I had a very weird problem. When I put the film in English, there was this lady voice which does not shut up. It describes every single shot of the film for no reason. Luckily, I had a Telugu dub for the film. 

The acting of the film is very good though. Chris Hemsworth who has previously worked as Thor with the Russo Brothers does a great job. His screen presence, charm and sincerity showed throughout the film and he will definitely entertain us. Pankaj Tripathi in only one scene proves how good of an actor he is. His intense expression gripped me to the screen and that scene was very good. Randeep Hooda who gets a very good role knocks it out of the park. I never expected that he would fare out well with the action scenes as well as his emotional ones. Rudraksh Jaiswal in his first role does a fine job. He was asked to do simpler stuff and so he delivers. David Harbour, Priyanshu, Golshifteh Farahani also do good jobs in their respective roles. Overall, the acting keeps the ship afloat.

The technical aspects do a good job. The cinematography of the film is awesome. For an action thriller, there are one-shot scenes and angled shots which are spectacular and risky at the same time. The editing is good and sharp enough. The background score of the film is fine. The stunt choreography of the film though is the highlight of the film. With the stunt co-ordinator at the helm of affairs, the film shows off some spectacular gun-fights, car chases and a very intense climax. The colour palette of the film is saturated and really shows the nitty-gritty nature of the film. 

This film is strictly for action junkies. Others may like it lesser compared to action fans as it has a predictable and thin plot. But, the action scenes of the film are great and they drive the film forward with a brisk pace. It is available on Netflix and I had a good time with it.

IMDb Rating : 7.2/10

My Rating : 7/10

Birbal (2019) Movie Review

I had no idea about this feature. I have recently found it on Amazon Prime Video and because my brother loves Kannada, I watched it. As far as I came to know by searching on the web, it is a part of aa trilogy series by an RJ turned actor MG Srinivas aka Srini and it ran for 50 days after its release on January 2019. So, how is the film? Let's find out.

Birbal: Finding Vajramuni is a 2019 Kannada murder mystery thriller directed by MG Srinivas starring himself, Rukmini Vasanth and Abraham Marrett. The story revolves around a murder at night which gets re-opened after 8 years. Mahesh Das, the lawyer for this case tries to crack this case and bring justice. You know what happens. 

But, what you do not know is how it happens? It is a very well made thriller and made in such a way that you will enjoy it. This trilogy of the film do not connect with each other other than the leading man. It takes a case each film and solves it in a fun way. All questions posed are answered and all thriller lovers are satisfied. I saw these types of thriller before with 16 Every detail counts. But, it has its own good differences. They should have removed 10 minutes from the film which deviate from the plot and show this relation between the hero and heroine. This relation is entirely forgotten at the end where all the mystery is revealed. Other than that, I have no complains about the film. The burkha scene though is very good. There is nothing much to talk, it is a fun little thriller film that entertains.

The acting too is the same. Very decent and fits the tone very well. Other than the lead pair, many of the other actors are not credited on IMDb and this film does not have an Wikipedia page. So, I do not know who played what roles. MG Srinivas as Mahesh Das is excellent. As he is the director of the feature, he knows it all and executes it perfectly. The heroine gets a role to act but it has limited scope. She performs well where scope was given to her. The guy who played the hero's friend did a very good job and maintained some charm balancing it with the dumb nature of the character. Other actors who played the roles of the police, the suspects and some other important characters did well when required.

The technical departments showed the ambition of the film. For a fun thriller, the output is top class. The cinematography had some tricks up on his sleeves. He uses modern day shots like the rotating camera, stop motion like shots and some classical wide angle shots to great effect where they elevate the look and feel of the film. Also, the 4th dimension scene was the best scene the cinematographer has done. The editing is very good but I think maybe they should have trim down some smaller parts of the film. The BGM of the film is great though. Especially in the burkha scene, I was humming the score all throughout. An important aspect of any thriller covered. All the other departments work well.

Overall, I don't know why this film get recommendations from cinephiles or critics because I think this film is one of those thrillers which will entertain you throughout although this screenplay pattern is known to us. I know now why this film ran for 50 days at theatres. A must watch for thriller lovers, Kannada movie lovers.

IMDb Rating : 8.7/10

My Rating : 9/10

Super Deluxe (2019) Movie Review

On Netflix, There is a film that every Tamil movie viewer recommends me, Super Deluxe. I was intrigued with the make-over of Vijay Sethupathi in this film. Also, the lineup of actors and technicians in this film assured me of the fact that it will be an amazing film. Also, I am a thriller lover and Tamil thrillers have their own magic put into it. In each and every way, this film is in my alley. So, I watched it today. How did the film turn out? Let's find out.

Super Deluxe is a 2019 Tamil thriller drama film starring Vijay Sethupathi, Samantha Akkineni, Fahaad Faasil, Ramya Krishnan, Gayathri, Bagavathi Perumal, Ashwanth Ashokkumar, Myskin, Mrinalini among others. It is directed by Thiagarjan Kumarraja. The story revolves around 4 seperate stories. One is about Leela, a porn-actor who tries to save her child from an accident never expected. Second is of Mugil and Veambu, who try to escape from a tricky situation involving a bad intercourse. Third is about Shilpa, a transgender who tries to bond with his son and wife. Fourth is about 5 friends and their adventures to buy a TV before his father comes back.

The screenplay is everything but what you expect. I sat in the film without a look at the trailer and man it helped. This film starts off slow but slowly it makes us sit at the edge of our seats. The first twist of the film really thrilled me and so I was hooked. It is bonkers in all the right ways. In the second half of the film, we see stuff that we would never imagine in such a film. Literally, it is goddamn real. Yet, it has its heart at the right place. With all the things happening with each character, we connect to them as much. Credit should go to the director as it could have gone anywhere but with the help of exceptional writers such as Mysskin, Nalan Kumaraswamy and Neelan K Sekar writing each of these plots, this film becomes an unpredictable plot yet so philosophical. Yes, there is a very unique, one-of-a-kind message presented in the film that really won me over. This is real good writing. 

The ensemble cast too gives their best. Let me begin with Vijay Sethupathi. Like, I have no words for this guy. It is a brave choice of taking the role of a transgender. Then, executing it in such precise and polished manner. I literally bow down to Makkal Selvan. Then comes Fahaad Fasil. He is the guy who makes us relax with his humour and also makes us tensed. He is a natural talent from Malayalam spreading his fame all over India. I did not expect Samantha and Ramya Krishna to take these roles. These roles are not what you think of when you think of these actors. But, these bold choices helps the movie really well. Ramya Krishna is better off of the two. Her scene in the hospital begging for help really stands out for me. Bagavathi Perumal as Berlin performs very well. I consider this character one of the best frightening characters I have ever seen and credit should go to the actor who made it possible. Ashwanth Ashokkumar as a child actor performs beautifully. His chemistry with Vijay Sethupathi is so good that their scenes together really move you. Overall, the acting is exceptional.

The technical aspects match the standards of the names involved with it. First of all, the cinematography by P.C.Sreeram, Nirav Shah and P.S.Vinod. I never saw three names for a cinematography credit. But, their work really popped out of the screen. The closeup shots, the pan shots and the one-shot scenes make it modern yet classical. The editing too is solid although it is 3hr long. It is designed in such a way that you will watch it once more as it has a lot of easter eggs dropped in it. One I found is the Aliens poster on the wall which indicates a pivotal scene in the film. The editing is not sharp but yet brisk and smooth. The cuts transition well. The BGM by Yuvan Shankar Raja is extraordinary. For this film, he has particularly added the flavour of classic 70's and 80's music to bring such an environment in the film. The art department, costume design, set design, production department also succeed in bringing such a vibe around us while watching this film. 

Overall, this film can be named a modern classic in how unique it is and how it can be viewed multiple times. It is not for anybody as you can be bored with the film courtesy the slow burn treatment. Yet, I urge you to watch this film as it the most unpredictable bonkers film I have watched period. Try to avoid the teasers or trailers and dive into a fun ride with Super Deluxe.

IMDb Rating : 8.4/10

My Rating : 10/10

Mallesham (2019) Movie Review - 50th Review

This film being an art film was being ignored by my family ever since its release. But, I never thought this would be the best choice for my 50th review. Thank you for all the support you guys have been giving me. This decision comes from the poll I have put in my instagram regarding the language of the film for my 50th review almost a week ago. Telugu won in a fierce contest English, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Telugu. 

Talking about this film, I had no idea about this film until KTR actually gave a shoutout to this film on his Twitter handle. Then, when it came to the theatres, it got a seriously good critical reception but its theatrical reception was not great as it is an art film. But, now that I have watched it today, how is the film? Let's find out.

Mallesham is a 2019 telugu biographical drama starring Priyadarshi, Ananya Nagella in the lead roles directed by Raj R. The story is a biographical film of Chintakindi Mallesham who belongs to a textile family who tries to build a machine to help his mother who is involved in a very physically demanding technique called ''Aasu''. 

The screenplay is real beyond belief. This film is literally a life story. It begins with Mallesham's childhood where he is forced to leave school at 6th grade. It lays foundation for the emotional core of the film, the mother and son relationship. Also, some nostalgia for 80's kid with all the school scenes. Then, after it becomes an inspirational journey where each and every scene is deeply meaningful and teaches us many life and career lessons. This is what many engineers strive for, an "Idea". The struggle of Mallesham is shown very well with very good understanding of human nature and superb realism. As there are no films representing Textile Industry in recent times, this film takes some responsibility by showing scenes urging people to respect the art of weaving. This really impressed me. One small gripe I have with this film is the way Mallesham gets to make the machine. In this realistic setting, this part feels little out-of-place and does not gel well with me. Leaving that aside, if you are an engineer, you should definitely watch it. If you are an 80's guy, you should watch it. If you are a common man, you should definitely watch this film to take some inspiration and show that we are not common. 

The acting of the film is really good. This is one of those rare films which has a director for acting. This helps the film a lot. First, the casting is excellent. Each and every person in the film fits well with the role and some familiar faces in the film rock it. Priyadarshi yet again proves that he is not just a comedian but a very good actor. He has no hint of acting shown in the role but he lives it. His diction, his body language and his expressions perfectly sync together in one of his best performances. The heroine Ananya Nagella impresses in her first outing. Her scenes with Priyadarshi blossom very well and bring out a smile in her face. She has a wide range of acting and definitely has a bright future with her next project with PSPK. Jhansi as Lakshmi, Mallesham's mother steals the show in her scenes. We can relate the character with our mother and so we can tell that her acting was very solid. Chakrapani Ananda as Mallesham's father also shines as his struggles of maintaining his family and coping with some tough decisions resonate with us. All the other actors in the film act really well and this is the gold standard of acting.

The technical aspects of the film too shine really well as the director cruises along with his departments. The cinematography of the film really brought the village nativity and struggles to life. The intro shots of weaving really laid the foundation and the colours are perfect. Often when art films are made, makers tend to overindulge and make it long. But, this film with its editing really did not give it that feel. Neither is the film boring nor is the film long. The film is crisp and moves at a brisk pace putting us hooked every minute. The music too is very pleasant and puts a smile on our face. The BGM actually elevates some important scenes as they are very pleasing yet give out such impact. Kudos to the art department, costume design, production design for the realistic setting of the film. They bring to life, the world of Chintakindi Mallesham.

Overall, this film is a must watch. Yes, this film is not for everybody but this film is that film which will inspire you, make you work hard for that "Idea" and achieve success. The makers have achieved something big with the film introducing us to Mallesham and making us understand the importance of textile industry. It is on Netflix. Salute to Chintakindi Mallesham.

iMDB Rating : 8.5/10

My Rating : 9.5/10

Dookudu (2011) Movie Review

This film released when I was in my village. When I go there every year, it is a guarantee that I watch a film there. I watched the first film of my life (Shankardada M.B.B.S.) in my village. Some of the other films I watched there include Robo, Pokiri, Stalin, Greekuveerudu and this film Dookudu. This film broke records at the time. This film is in my watchlist forever with legendary films like Narasimha, Mirchi etc. I watched it again after watching maybe for 50 times. So, I tried to remove the nostalgia from me and objectively review this film for today. So, how is the film? Let us find out.

Dookudu is a 2011 Telugu Action romantic comedy drama aka commercial entertainer directed by Sreenu Vaitla starring Super Star Mahesh Babu and Samantha in the lead roles. The story revolves around Ajay an IPS officer who tries to exert revenge on the villain who is responsible for his father's death.

The screenplay of the film has the Srinu Vaitla's touch to it. With his writers Kona Venkat and Gopi Mohan, he made a very good film. It is essentially a star vehicle aka a masala entertainer. So, nothing special is achieved here. It has the same formula of 5 songs, 4 love scenes, 3 punch dialogues, 2 fight scenes and 1 larger than life hero. This film offers it in abundance but this time it works perfectly. It's length of 2hr 56min is justified by some awesome and hilarious dialogue between very well fleshed out characters in a very well knit screenplay. But, it is long and exhausting for us after the second half begins. The highlights of the film include the scenes between Mahesh Babu and Prakash Raj for emotion, Mahesh Babu with Brahmandam and MS Narayana for the best comedy like never, Mahesh Babu as police for superb punchlines.
So, you know the deal. This screenplay is essentially made for Mahesh Babu. Let's talk about that in the acting section. Overall, this film had set some high standards for commercial cinema. 

The acting in the film is excellent. This film belongs to Mahesh Babu. It is most expressive that he has been in a film ever and his fans are still waiting for such an active role. Although, he tried it again for Sarileru Neekevvaru, I find this the superior performance.Samantha gets some great scenes with Mahesh Babu in the first half but has only 3 shots in the second half. She though acted really well. The big supporting cast of the film shine. Prakash Raj as the father proves his worth for the billionth time. He shares some great scenes where he really shines. Next, come the comedians. Brahmandam gets a full-length role for the film. This role (I consider) is one of the best roles he has ever done considering his long record-winning list of characters. We literally laugh out loud at the scenes featuring him. MS Narayana too gets to shine in a very comedic role. His showreel is some extra-ordinary comedic acting. The joint family of Mahesh Babu serve their roles well with senior actors such as Tanikella Bharani, Chandramohan, Padmaja etc. The family of the heroine as well with Nassar, Pragathi give some good performances. The review will become long if I go on mentioning about the other actors. Onto technical departments.

The technical departments of the film shine. The cinematography of the film is good. It's colour scheme too shines. I am not a fan of its editing though. It is literally cut after cut after cut. Maybe, the style should have changed. Also, the VFX cover-up is clearly evident and so it gets extremely dated. The music though is not. SS Thaman gives some good music. All the 6 songs I like very much. Especially, the hero introduction song. The BGM too is good. Keeping the lead actors limitations considered, the choreography and fights of the film have done a good job but if they tried to extract some more it would have been better. 

Overall, in this lockdown I highly suggest film for non-locals as it contains some of the finest commercial masala writing with great punchlines, hilarious dialogue and scenes and one of the best performances by SSMB. It is on Disney+Hotstar for free and its hindi dub is available on YouTube. Sreenu Vaitla, please make a comeback soon.

iMDB Rating : 7.4/10

My Rating : 8/10

Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan (2020) Movie Review

After I watched Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, it was clear that the intention of the film was to present a taboo subject and make it digestable to the audience by mixing in some middle class emotions and some good comedy. I consider it very special as it worked wonders for me, critics and the box-office. Naturally, I was excited for its sequel which tried to package Article 377 and Homosexuality within this formula. My opinion towards it is absolutely null as I never saw it as any offence and I was ever told that way either. So, could Ayushmann Khurrana pull off another of those out-of-the-box roles that he has been doing? Did this film succeed in what they wanted to do? We'll find out in just a second after this picture.

Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan is a 2020 romantic drama starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Manurishi Chadda, Maanvi Ghagroo among the ensemble cast. It is directed by Hitesh Kewalya who previously wrote the script of Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, the predecessor. The story revolves around Kartik and Aman, deeply in love trying to convince Aman's parents in order to marry. The rest of the story revolves around their struggles to reach their ultimate goal.

The screenplay of the film is good. It succeeds once again in its intentions of bringing a taboo subject in an entertaining way so that it is well-received by the audience. It has hilarious and inventive dialogue in context of the film and in context to the real world scenario. It has some good emotions at the end of the film which touch your heart. Also, the film's ode to classic romantic films also evokes nostalgia in us. But, it could not deliver the impact it's predecessor delivered. It has various reasons. One is the saturation of such films with middle-class environment used by many people. Second is that film is formulaic because Ayushmann Khurrana has been starring in such out-of-the-box roles for 2-3 years. The film entertains us but because we have experienced it multiple times, it does not give away the punch better which Shubh Mangal Saavdhan did. Another problem is that the film is a cluster of several sub-plots. Other than the main plot, there is the running away of Goggle, the constant bickering of the Tripathi brothers and the past stories of Sunaina and Shankar Tripathi. Some plots tie up to the main plot but others are just filler. Thank God that the characters work well otherwise we could have easily found out the deviation of the movie towards these characters. Overall, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is still superior to this film due to various reasons mentioned above.

The acting of the film lifts the film. The lead actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar are both well established actors. They are such naturals and they pull off the task of being gays effortlessly. Especially, Ayushmann Khurrana who becomes Kartik with his body language and the trendy language. He could have been annoying but now he is seriously good.The chemistry between the both lead actors too is very good.But, this film works because of the film's USP, the supporting cast. Trust me the list is huge. Let us begin with Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao. These guys have made a strong statement. The scenes featuring them are so lively and fun that I thought these guys are my neighbours. Manurishi Chadda and Sunita Rajwar are very good in their roles. Maanvi Ghagroo gets a very good role. She is the patakha of the family yet the most sane. In this family of eccentric characters, she gets to shine with her dialogue delivery, body language and her expressions. Pankhuri Awasthy runs around making us chuckle quite a lot. Overall, the acting by the ensemble cast is brilliant.

The technical departments too do a good job. It is the same with all Ayushmann Khurrana. The music had remixes. But, it is good with some good beats. BGM too works well. Cinematography, Editing, Set design, Costume design, Production, Art are very good and maintain the standards. 

Overall, this film is good but fails to reach the expectations of it with some unnecessary deviations from the plot and the general saturation of such films. Yet, I recommend you to watch this as its main intentions are satisfied with some good messaging blended well with good entertainment. Your personal opinion about homosexuality matters here. Your viewing experience can differ with the opinion. Make your decision. If you want to watch the film, it is on Amazon Prime Video. Have a good day.

iMDB Rating : 6.4/10

My Rating : 7/10

Ashwathama (2020) Movie Review

Tollywood was celebrating the Sankranthi success courtesy two star vehicles which were extremely profitable at the box office breaking records. But, after that films were not able to carry forward the humongous momentum. Ashwathama too comes in this category. Like, it got average collections and faded away. So, I ignored watching it the theatres. But, I was genuinely curious about the fact that Naga Shourya,  the lead actor wrote the story for the film and gave the responsibilities of writing the screenplay and directing the film to his good friend Ramana Teja. Therefore, stating that unofficially he was in charge of the film. Many heroes do not write scripts or produce films for fun. I say that because of examples such as Nani, producing 2 very good films, Rakshit Shetty(Kollywood) who wrote some amazing scripts and most of the Bollywood superstars who always lend their support for the grandeur of their film. So, did Naga Shourya deliver with this feature? 

Ashwathama is a 2020 suspense thriller starring Naga Shourya, Mehreen Pirzada and Jishu Sen Gupta in the lead roles. It is directed by Ramana Teja. The story revolves around Gana who returned from London to visit his sister's engagement. But, he finds that her sister is pregnant and she is unaware of the cause of it. What actually happened to her sister? Find out in the film.

The screenplay is (frankly speaking) off the mark. The story line of the film had some edge. The writing though missed the edge. The first half of the film was very good. It was intense and gripping. But, the second half of the film completely messed it up. It has its moments but mostly its messed up and damped. Their decision of introducing the villain early did not pay off as most of the suspense is revealed in front of us and we keep waiting for the film to end. Next thing is the villain himself. This guy is really dark on the outside but then we understand that he is just a cardboard cutout. His decisions in the film are senseless. Another thing this film does is centering itself around the hero. Story by Naga Shourya makes it happen. Overall, this film misses the mark.

The actors except for the hero and villian have little scope to perform. Mehreen's role has little importance to the script and could have been ignored completely. All the family guys wander around the house. Prince gets two good scenes to perform and woosh.. he's gone. There are 2 great performances in the film though. Naga Shourya gives his best to the role physically and mentally. He looks and feels the part. The star performer though is Jishu Sen Gupta. He is a very well acclaimed Bengali actor. Keeping his name, he perform very very well. 

The technical aspects get more marks than the acting. The cinematography of the film is modern time. It has close-up shots, one-shot scenes and good angle shots. It is very pleasing to watch. The music is nice but they are inconsequential to the film. The BGM of the film is good for thriller standards. The editing too is very slick but could have been improved a lot. The VFX of the film is very noticeable. Some of the cuts were covered up by VFX in a very bad manner. 

At the end, this film has a good first half aka buildup but the second half messes it up completely with a weak villain and some senseless scenes. If you love thrillers, lower your expectations and have a watch. If you watch all telugu films, you will like it. You can watch this film on SunNxt and Jio Cinema. 

iMDB Rating : 7.2/10

My Rating : 6/10

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017) Movie Review

Ayushmann Khurrana on his road to success had some roadblocks. Then, his film Bareilly Ki Barfi released. It was a massive hit but it also stars Rajkumar Rao. So, it does not count as a solo hit for him. Then, released Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. This film became a huge hit. After Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bhumi Pednekar and Ayushmann Khurrana came together for the second film. So, in light of the digital release of its sequel Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, I watched the film today. I missed it somehow but now, here's a look at my opinion of 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan'.

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is a 2017 Bollywood romantic drama with a twist starring Ayushmaan Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar in lead roles. It is directed by R.S. Prasanna who also directed the original Tamil film Kalyana Samayal Sadham. The story revolves around Mudit Sharma and Sugandha who fall in love but a huge problem hits them mentioned in the trailers. The couple's struggle to convince their parents and themselves about this problem is the rest of the story.

The screenplay is written in such a way where audience can digest a topic which many do not dare to touch upon. It is seriously well written. There are intelligent scenes which very clearly explain the center point of the film. Around it, it has some charming scenes between Mudit and Sugandha. Some hilarious comedy scenes and it is just a fun experience to watch this film. But, after like the pre-climax part, the film drags and there is this unnecessary scene in the climax.Overall, this film does something that many films could not do. Present us a taboo subject in a way audience can understand and do not get offended. Note that the middle-class genre started to take shape around this time.

The acting is really very good. Ayushmann Khurrana is good. You know how many times you and I said this. He is just such a natural at doing such films. This guy never disappoints. Bhumi Pednekar too just impresses. She portrays the great intentions of Sugandha with ease. Both of these actors after this film carved a niche for themselves. This film as a film about middle-class families has enough screentime for the character artists. So, actors like Seema Pahwa, Neeraj Sood, Brijendra Kala, Supriya Shukla, Chittarangan Tripathy shine. Their experience just shows off as every moment of their screen presence is pure gold. No wonder why this film won awards.

The technical aspects are solid. The cinematography succeeds in bringing the middle-class environment to life. It oozes out of family fun and all scenes portraying the marriage are very real. The editing is very sharp. Not just because of the length but because the pace of the film is racy. It slows down after the 2nd half though but it is ignorable. The music is very good in the sense that they are very catchy and fun to hear. The costume design and production design are very well done according to its budget.

Overall, this film is a must watch. The intentions of the film pay off very well as it is now easy to discuss taboo subjects with your family watching this film. If you wanna ignore it, then too you can have a blast with this film as it has some great acting by the two leads and some charming scenes. I expect a lot from its sequel now. You can watch this film on Eros Now. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan review tomorrow. This film will be available on Prime Video.

iMDB Rating : 6.5/10

My Rating : 8/10

World Famous Lover (2020) Movie Review

What's up, What's Up Rowdy Boys.... This line has gained such cult following across the country courtesy Vijay Deverakonda. He has made some seriously good movies such as Pelli Choopulu, Geetha Govindam and the cult classic Arjun Reddy. But, after Geetha Govindam, he has got a big flop in Dear Comrade. He made World Famous Lover after that. As of now, it has got a reputation of being the disaster of the year. With that line, I am daring myself to watch this film. From morning, I have been seeing memes of avoiding this film. So, how is the film? Did it justify the tag it received or it is better than that? Let's find out.

World Famous Lover is 2020 Tollywood love anthology drama movie directed by Kranthi Madhav starring Vijay Deverakonda, Raashi Khanna, Aishwarya Rajesh, Izabelle Leite, Catherine Tresa among others. The story revolves around Gautham. When Yamini breaks up with him for reasons, he brainstorms to write a book according to his passion. What happens next is the remaining story. 

The screenplay is between bad and average. I say that because the writing has good elements but it got screwed up by the director. The first half starts off pretty solid with a great monologue scene between Vijay Deverakonda and Raashi Khanna. It carries forward quite well with a story he writes about Seenayya and Suvarna. This story got the exact measurements of realism and entertainment. But after that, OMG.. It becomes boring, sometimes excruciatingly boring. The rest of the characters do not connect and the writing itself becomes bland where details miss and unnecessarily there are fights added. The decisions the hero makes become senseless after a while. The film also takes direct influence from Arjun Reddy with VJ's hairstyling, some set pieces etc. Overall, even though the film has noble intentions of pure love, the writing misses the mark big time and makes this film a bore, the crime no filmmaker should commit. 

The acting tries to heal the cracks of the screenplay but fail as they are deeper than expected. Vijay Devarakonda gives it his all. He runs around half-naked, speaks 2 different dialects and with all this diversity, he never misses the mark by giving a natural performance. Aishwarya Rajesh in her role impresses with such raw emotions. Effortlessly, he charms us and her chemistry with VJ is so good that I wanted the rest of the story to be around them. Surprisingly, Raashi Khanna also performs nicely throughout the film repeating her performance from Tholi Prema. The other actresses just add some glamour quoteint, unnecessarily. I mean will a welfare officer working in a coal mine look like Catherine Tresa. Seriously?? Priyadarshi in his small role performs well. Overall, if you are a VJ fan, you can atleast turn your brains off and enjoy. 

The technical aspects are mixed at best. The cinematography is good where we see the rustic scenary of coal mines and polished beauty of Paris in the same film. Also, the production values of this film are very good and the film feels rich. The sets of the film too receive a shoutout as some of the ambitions of the film atleast work in favour for them. But, the music by Gopi Sundar just disappoints. The editor needed to cut most of the hanging mass around the film. Maybe, cut off the whole Paris episode.. The editor himself would have removed it if he were the director. 

Overall, this film tries hard to do something unique like an anthology film but that idea falls flat on its face because of its boring 2 hrs. We can enjoy the half hour track between Seenayya and Suvarna but then afterwards you can switch off your TV and save your electricity bill. It is not as bad as a disaster but it is surely very bad. Skip this if your time has value. If you are a fan of Vijay Deverakonda, you can watch it with your brains closed in SUNNXT. Follow my blog for more such reviews and don't forget to come back for my other reviews of any language.

iMDB Rating : 4.5/10

My Rating : 4/10

Train To Busan (2016) Movie Review

The lockdown has been extended and I get to watch another movie on virus - almost. This time it is Train To Busan. A recommendation by one of my college-mates available in 5 languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and Korean on Netflix. I watched it without even looking at the trailers. How did the film make me feel? Let's find out.

Train to Busan is a 2016 Zombie Drama Thriller starring Gong Yoo, Yeon Sang ho, Ma Dong-Seok, Jung Yu-mi,Kim Soo-Ahn, Choi Woo-shik, Sohee among others. It is directed by Yeon Sang-ho. The story revolves around a virus outbreak in Korea that turns many people into zombies. When some 20-odd people get stuck in a train full of zombies, they try to protect themselves and survive it. Could they survive the zombie threat?

The screenplay deserves a salute from me. These guys crafted a story that has the thrills, uncomfortable imagery and horrifying scares yet very emotional. Many films of this type lack some deep characters. That makes this film unique from some other manufactured horror movies. This film has 5-6 lead characters and we connect to each and every character. When they go through tough situations, we root for them. Some pivotal scenes of the film also melt our heart down and make us cry. That's an achievement. There is some strong messaging about human nature and how fear takes over the human brain to take drastic measures. A particular character embodies all of this where he is a zombie without the actual virus. When we come to the Zombie scenes, we can say that they make us dirty. When zombies pop up, you try to hide yourselves and when the film ended, my brother and me literally sweated to touch each other. Overall, this film has some of the strongest writing I have ever seen in a film yet. Korean Magic.

The acting of the film also shines. They are also the main part why we root for the characters. Including the extras(ZOMBIE GUYS), they naturally perform the emotions, the fear, the anxiety, the fight and the complex human nature very well. I feel the best acted scene belongs to Gong Yoo and Kim Soo-Ahn in the last 15-20 minutes of the film. That scene is legit goosebumps. 

The technical aspects of the film are excellent as per the standards of Korean film industry. The cinematography of the film is very well done showing the perspective of the zombies as well as humans. The BGM is very good, naturally blending with the environment. The editing of the film is brisk with enough acceleration to put us in the edge of our seat. The VFX used to create the zombies is unreal. It takes a third eye to actually think that it is VFX. The other departments of the film too give real and natural touches to the film where we come to think that his may happen exactly to us. 

Overall, this film is a must watch. Surprisingly being a zombie film, it is watchable with the whole family. Sure, you have to tackle some uncomfortable scenes of zombie fighting but this film's set of strong characters actually cater well with the family audience. So, convince your mom and dad to watch this film and give them a hand when they get scared. It will pay off well at the end and in this lockdown, get closer with them by watching more movies. 

iMDB Rating : 7.5/10

My Rating : 9.5/10

Kaamyaab (2020) Movie Review

Another film with awards in its back. Kaamyaab went to 23rd Busan International Film Festival, Indiememe Film Festival Austin, Festival du Film d'Asie du Sud Paris, Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, NYC South Asian Film Festival, ImagineIndia and won 5 awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Music. But, it did not struggle to get a release as Red Chillies Entertainment aka Shahrukh Khan released this film personally into theatres. The movie eventually tanked because it did not register with audiences and a pandemic hit eventually. It's release on Google Play made it possible for me to watch the film. So, how is the film? Did it justify its awards? We'll find out after this poster.

Kaamyaab is a 2020 Bollywood Drama film starring Sanjay Mishra, Deepak Dobriyal, Isha Talvar, Sarika Singh and a set of late 80's character artists including Avtar Gill, Manoj Bakshi and more. The story revovlves around Sudheer, a late 80's character actor who retires without realising that he has made 499 films. But when he decides that he will make his 500th film, he goes through a journey that he and we will never forget.

The screenplay has one word: Emotional. This film essentially is an ode to the character artists. As the film aptly states, they are like potatoes. They fit with almost every vegetable. Apply it to real life. I encountered these set of actors after watching this film and my respect for these actors has increased now. The film has a similar pattern to some of the other films of this set. A person who lost his sheen and becomes an alcoholic, stays single, disappoints his family and finally he gets success. Staying with this pattern, the film puts emotional heft and the heart is put in the right place. The dialogues of the film are on point. Some lines of the film possess such wit and charm. But, the climax of the film halts all the emotions. It just stops. Maybe, the film should have continued and give a better conclusion. Otherwise, this film is a very good drama film that stirs your emotions.

The acting is the pillar of the film. This film is about them anyways. So, it obviously shines. Sanjay Mishra has given a mind-blowing performance. It will remain one of his best performance of all time. He acts naturally throughout the film without any dips. In smaller roles, Isha Talwar (Gunde Jaari Gallathayyinde and Article 15 fame) as the neighbour, Sarika Singh as the loving daughter give very good performances and give enough support to Sanjay Mishra. Now, let talk about the rest of the cast. This film as a surprise has cameo appearances from many character actors such as Birbal, Avtar Gill, Manoj Bakshi and those they who are not here get mentioned via books or dialogues. All of them perform well and their presence just glows the screen.

The technical aspects of the film keep the film real and grounded. The music of the film is soothing and melodious. They fit right into the film and carry forward the flow. The background score too is very good. The cinematography of the film is very good. It keeps the realism of the film alive and running. The editing of the film too is sharp. I expect indulgence with such type of films but this guy just 

Madha (2020) Movie Review

A movie that fought to get into theatres. This film actually went to several film festivals including the Berlin Flash Film Festival, London International Motion Picture Awards, The Indie Fest Film Awards in California and Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and won about 26 awards in total according to Google including the Best Film and the Best Actress awards. But, it had to take support of certain film celebs like Harish Shankar and Navdeep to actually get a release despite its rich background. So, obviously I had to watch this film on Amazon Prime Video today. So, could it justify its awards or it raises questions against it? Let's find out.

Madha is a 2020 Telugu suspense drama movie directed by Sri Vidya Basawa starring Rahul Venkat, Trishna Mukherjee. The film revolves around Nisha who is a proof reader whose life changes after meeting Arjun, a cinematographer. The happenings after this fill up the rest of the story.

The screenplay is mostly solid. The story is good. It has some interesting concepts explored and the director wraps these concepts up with good enough screenplay. The 2nd half particularly makes us un-comfortable. It has good thrills, good character study. It also has jump scares sprinkled. It has some good tension throughout the film. The climax especially has a good bite. The best part of the film is the strong message it tries to give. It is important for everyone to know it. But, the 1st half of the movie fades off in comparison with the 2nd half. It begins with 2 bland love scenes and 3 scenes where things do not fit in well. The film essentially is the ghisa-pitha revenge film. How many times we have seen this before? So, overall this film has a great story to tell but it is wrapped around just decent screenplay.

The acting actually is pretty mixed. The best part of the film is the heroine. Trishna Mukherjee acts well as her expressions shine. She begins as a kind hearted woman and transforms herself into a very wild girl with ease. Maybe someone else should have dubbed for her as she struggles to speak Telugu fluently throughout the film. But, the lead actor Rahul Venkat is meh.. He carries three expressions across the film. The angry face, the observant face and the good guy face. All these expressions too have very little variation. But, credit where it is due, his dialogue delivery is good particularly the scene before the climax of the film. Coming to the more recognised actors, Anish Kuruvilla gets an interesting role to deal with and he surprisingly delivers well. Bikramjeet Kanwarpal as Dr.Subramaniyam too acts really well. Other actors perform according to their role.

This film belongs to the technical departments. The locations of the film are realistic. The colour palette the makers chose i.e., blue and red shades added to the locations really make you uncomfortable. The cinematography doubles up the tension with its framing and angles. The BGM of the film amps up the suspense and horror by blending them together to give a very different experience. The editing is meticulously done. It's length of 1hr 48min is apt for the film and it helps maintain the suspense of the film intact. The director who is one of the those rare female directors certainly proves that she is capable of producing high quality films despite budget constraints.

Overall, Madha is a good suspense film despite its shortcomings. It delivers a strong message which everyone should know with a good enough screenplay that maintains good suspense throughout the film. But, deep within it is an old school revenge drama and some scenes don't make sense. If you like thrillers or suspense dramas, you can give this film a shot. This film is certainly not for family viewing. It kind of justifies it's awards but I still have questions about it. Putting them aside, let us understand how our brain works with Madha(Why this title?? Please comment me down in the comment section.)

iMDB Rating : 5.6/10

My Rating : 7/10