Amma Rajyam lo Kadapa Biddalu (2019) Movie Review - 25th Review

RGV has been one of the trendsetters in the Indian Film Industry. Some of his films are so good that my family watch them repeatedly. But, it is a thing of the past. The films he made recently are (thinking of a good bad word)....... Seriously, the director is just making what he wants and producing some shit. His focus shifted to politics now and made 2 films, Lakshmi's NTR and Kamma Rajyam lo Kadapa Reddlu .. Oh Sorry Amma Rajyam lo Kadapa Biddalu. This film caught my attention in how satirical this film has come out. The trailers did attract me a bit.

THIS REVIEW WILL BE IN A PERSPECTIVE OF NON-POLITICS GUY. I DON'T CARE HOW THEY GO BUT I HAVE A CERTAIN DISLIKE TOWARDS THE INDIAN POLITICS.

Before moving on, look at this poster

And this.

The poster is not fan-made but official. This team is creatively bankrupt. 

So, Amma Rajyam lo Kadapa Biddalu is a 2019 satirical comedy drama suspense directed by Siddharth Thatholu with assistance of Ram Gopal Varma. It revolves around the 2018 AP State elections and how it affected ex-CM. That's it. We have no need to discuss about the story because the crew do not care. The screenplay tries to satirise the AP Politicians and politics. KA Paul, PSPK, Pappu, all get the same treatment. It is actually not bad. But, after 30 minutes, the writers realise they do not have a story and they make a suspense story. Oh dear, does it become a mess. They write this story instantly. No real thought and effort is put into it. It becomes so laughably bad that it becomes one of those films which are so bad its good. Some things I like. RGV satirises himself in this movie which takes guts which I respect. The person who played KA Paul is very good in his scenes. 

The acting is one note throughout. The ex-CM maintains the serious expression. Present CM gives a tense expression. The guy who played PSPK mimics him until it gets irritating. The ones who know how to act are not given proper direction. Seriously, Ali and Brahmanandam, two of the best comedians in India get to do these shitty roles.They do not PM and his sub-ordinate. We can sum up the technical aspects in one word : sub-standard. Special mention for the music which is bbbbaaaadddd. 

I am losing patience to write this. It is such a pain in the arse to review this epic disaster. I should have read the Wikipedia page once. It read "this film is one of the epic disasters in India. Recommended not to watch this film" 

...........DO NOT EVEN DARE TO WATCH THIS FILM............

...................................   -10  /  10    .........................................

The Test: A New Era for the Australia's Team (2020) Series Review

I am a cricket fan. I don't care which team plays. Of course, this has come through generations of cricket lovers in my family and all over India. It's equivalent to football or basketball in the USA. So, when I found out about the ball tampering in Cape Town, I was agitated. I threw a negative light on this side. But, I just forgot it and followed this team. I like how ruthless they get when in prime form. So, when they announced that there will be a docu-series on this complete journey, I was excited as hell. There are documentaries on cricket which many do not talk much about. So, let's dive in immediately to find out how this series turned out to be. I made sure that my love for cricket did not push me to ignore the flaws which there are.

The Test is a 2020 cricket docu-series directed by Adrian Brown starring the Australian coach Justin Langer, atleast 25-30 Australian cricket players including David Warner and Steve Smith, some Australian legends like Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and a list of cricket journalists and experts with our very own gem Harsha Bhogle.

So, this is the story. In March 2018, Cape Town saw one of the most shocking incident in cricket history. The infamous ball-tampering Scandal where the culprits Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft along with the vice-captain David Warner(Seriously) were banned for 2 tests by ICC and for 12 months by CA. This affected the Australian Cricket Team where they road-rolled themselves in England(0-5) in ODI's and were swept by an in-form Indian Cricket team in all formats despite having success in UAE where they beat Pakistan(1-0) in tests. Then they played Sri Lanka and boosted themselves up(2-0). But, they took real confidence when they beat India in India in a closely contested series. Then, Smith and Warner return to the side where they take a warmup with a series with Pakistan and head straight to the world cup. They lose the semifinal to England but they had their chin-up and were pretty confident. Then came the Ashes. They outperformed a World-cup winning England side to retain the ashes but it was a tough fight a the 5 match series ended at 2-2.
This thus brings the end to the series but just the beginning for the Australian cricket team to reach the same levels as their predecessors.

This complete story has been segmented into 8 episodes with each having a length of about 40-60 minutes. This series has its pluses and minuses. First, let us go with the positives. The series really taps into the individual players of the team effectively. So, now I know that Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa are best of the best mates and many more personal things about the team. Next is the cricket itself. Although, the footage is sourced the crew of this series effectively fits them to build a good sense of drama. Another thing they did a good job with is the team meetings. After watching this series, I know how the team strategy works and how the players know their strengths and weaknesses. The talk of cricket journalists and commentators like Harsha Bhogle, Isa Guha and the Australian reporters fill in to the voiceover and that is a smart decision. So, the promotion of the series as the unprecented access to the Australian Cricket Team is right. This series tells us about some universal values like handling pressure and expectations, how bad times come and we have to bounce back , team spirit and many others which is the best part.

Now, the flaws. The focus this series puts on other teams is unequal. I think if they would have some attention to teams like South Africa, Sri Lanka or Pakistan which are the 3rd level teams, it would have been a little respectful. They give a lot of attention to India which is very good but it felt a little gimmicky for me. It feels like the praise given to Virat Kohli is just to please some Indian fans. I love Virat Kohli but it is just about the series if any guy thinks I am crazy. The series could not dramatise the situation and so when those moments arrive it does not give you that kick if you understand what I mean. For a non-cricket guy, this series may not give proper introduction to cricket as this is just about a team and it's rise. This series completely ignores T20 cricket. For that you can watch Inside Edge on Amazon Prime.

Overall, this series is a definite watch for cricket fans. They will enjoy the personal feelings of the Australian Cricket Team. For non-cricket fans, it depends upon how you view it. It is definitely not a window to know about cricket-the sport. It is definitely a window to know about cricket-the emotion. So, this Corona Season where you are isolated even if you are not affected, you can tap into this series and get access to the Australian Cricket Team.

My Rating: 7.5/10

1917 (2020) Movie Review

As a part of my Hollywood movie review month, I watched 1917, released in 2020 all over the world but considered for the Oscars because it was shown at multiple film festivals. It won 3 Oscars for Best VFX, Achievement in Sound Mixing and Best Cinematography. It is now available on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K and in digital platforms. I was patiently waiting for the best time to watch it as this was my top priority movies to watch. now that I watched it, how the film turned out to be? Is this just trying to play tricks by the one shot stuff or is it the best WWI in recent times? My opinion after this title picture.

1917 is a British War drama starring George Mckay, Dean Charles Chapman in lead roles with cameo appearances by Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong. It is directed by Sam Mendes. The story revolves around William Schofield and Tom Blake and how they deliver a message to Colonel Mckenzie to stop the attack they were staging on the Germans. The germans were trapping these guys and this would had led to a massacre of 1600 lives.

The plot line sounds very simple. Deliver a message from point A to point B. But, this is WWI. It's easy to travel 9 miles now but then it is the toughest task. The screenplay by Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns take advantage of it and stage some exceptional hurdles for the leads to pass and it makes the experience more thrilling and gut-wrenching to watch. As this film was shot in one single take, the screenplay had to be filtered to the maximum extent before shooting and the director has done a great job. The best part of the film though comes in its emotional parts. In the first act of the film, we see the death of Blake and Schofield is not given enough time to recover as there is a more important task ahead of him.That 10 minutes is one of the best. The best part though is the complete night episode of about 30 minutes. That is the perfect example of how this film is. The thrill, the spectacle, the emotion and the magic. OMG, This is the best I've seen in a long time.

 The main leads carry the movie with them. Of course, they had the director's support but if not for them, the connect would have missed just a bit. All the cast has performed exceptionally. I personally liked the cameo of Benedict Cumberbatch after the two main leads.

But, the real stars of the movie are its technical department. First of all, the cinematographer Roger Deakins, take a bow. He's 70 years old and he's taking some extreme challenges and succeding in them as well. This is the platinum standard for cinematography. I guess 2-3 cuts were made while in the tunnel and while the bomb blast but that too is questionable. Half of the thrill and gut-wrenching stuff is due to this. We cannot move our eye away while watching this film. Next comes the Set design and locations. They range from being absolutely gorgeous to bone-chilling in a millisecond. The meadows and cherry blossom lead to floating bodies half rotten. This is that department which got depth into this film after the screenplay. The VFX. I did not even notice it. VFX ix getting very photorealistic nowadays and it is showing. The score by Thomas Newman was very good and was hooking me in instantaneously. Finally, Sam Mendes with his amazing technical achievements has shown that storytelling has no limits.

If I had to pick a negative, it is hard but I would say that a streak of 5 minutes every 30 minutes were boring me but I completely ignored it after the next scene. So, not a big problem. Had to be extremely picky throughout for negatives.

Overall, this film is a masterpiece in its own right. It picks the essence of WWI and war in general. IT shows us that hope is the best motivation and whatever the circumstances, utmost sincerity and discipline and determination will pull us away to success. A must watch for anyone(except kids, there is a lot of violence). Please check this out. It will be quite a ride. Definitely deserves its Oscars.

iMDB Rating : 8.4/10

My Rating : 9.5/10

Gravity (2013) Movie Review

Well, when a film gets 7 Oscar wins and it is instantly available on Amazon Prime Video we immediately watch it. I was thinking of a series of Hollywood films which unexpectedly started with this film.(Also, the reviews before are just precursors). The beginning of this series is with a space film. A technical achievement as its output is in the elite league of Avatar.As a result, it was one of the best films of the year. Let us talk about this film in a second after this picture.

1. Gravity is a 2013 space thriller starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in lead roles directed by Alphanso Cuaron. This film revolves around Dr Ryan Stone and Matt Kovalski, two lone survivors of mission STS-157 and their quest to return back to Earth. But, a Russian satellite smashed into pieces poses a threat to them. Will they return back to Earth?

The story is simple but because it is a space film, it becomes complex. To say the screenplay is good is an understatement. It brings great detail, skill and determination to bring such stories to life. There is absolute greatness involved with how the buildup is done, how voices communicate the threat, how living in space in tough as hell and that feeling when you are the lone survivor and you are on Earth touching sand and feeling gravity after a long time. The screenplay is engaging and puts us in the edge of the seat. I was not able to even go to toilet when this movie was going on.

This film has 2 cast members and 4 voices. The 4 voices of Houston Mission Control, Chinese Space Station, Explorer and the Engineer are good and are apt choices for their respective roles. But, the 2 main leads are spectacular. Giving a good acting performance is one thing, but wearing the space costume and putting themselves in a zero gravity environment is not actually possible for many actors. Sandra Bullock in particular is in her own league as her performance is lasting and real. George Clooney is great too bringing a light feel to an almost unsurvivable situation. He is the most experienced and the actor's experience too shines.

This film is an achievement in how realistic space could be. The space is the main part of the film and if it failed, the film would have become a joke. The Oscar wins mainly come from these departments. The score of this film is absolutely engaging and riveting. I actually thought this score in one of my favourite scores of all time. The editing of the film is sharp as hell. It's cut of exactly 90 minutes sounds fishy but actually it is very sufficient and immersive. The cinematography of the film is solid and the angles the cinematographer shows in this film are unseen and in a space film, the visuals are the most important thing and he delivers. Speaking of visuals, the VFX. It is the best part of the film. It's use is very unnoticeable. They show the Earth, a Satellite, 2 space stations and 2 escape pods. All of them are rendered to perfection and the best part the use of practical effects. The set design, costume design are made to perfection. The director of this has worked for years to make this film and his clear vision shows in the film.

Overall, this film is an experience we may not get anytime soon. Watch this film in IMAX 4K or UHD or 2K at least. 24 crafts with the best vision always give the best output and so, the 7 Oscars and the many accolades. I recommend this film to everybody. Enjoy this film.

iMDB Rating:7.7/10(Some say this film is overrated)

My Rating: 9/10(The story is simple)

Tanhaji The Unsung Warrior (2020) Movie Review

The first release of 2020. Collections of over 270 CR Rupees. Tanhaji has been minting money in a run of almost 50 days. Now, it got a digital release in Hotstar and I watched it. This film review will be from a perspective of a neutral. I have no roots of Maharastra. I know nothing about Shivaji Raje. So, I tried to gain knowledge and keep my opinions aside to judge this film as a historical drama action film. So, how this film turned out to be? Let's find out.

Tanhaji The Unsung Warrior is a 2020 historical drama action film starring Ajay Devgn in his 100th film, Kajol, Saif Ali Khan in a negative role and a plethora of acting talent. The film revolves around Subhedar Tanhaji Malusare and how he keeps his son's wedding aside to save their pride, The Kondhana fort. 

This story is simple. Therefore, the director takes advantage of it and makes a well thought out screenplay. Like, there are some iconic moments in the making in this film. The director was never too indulgent in his world. That shows in the world building. He basically shows the skeleton of this world and builds some skin around it. The director stages an action film with this world after the building. This is the best part of the film. The strategies they thought are some creative strategies. I really like the dialogues of the film too. They are very powerful and motivating. The usage of Marathi adds to the mood of the film. Overall, the film has a very good screenplay.

The acting is very solid. Ajay Devgn gives a good performance. Restrained and calm, the actor drives the film with him. Kajol in her 4-5 scenes delivers a powerful performance proving women are always the reason for their or other's win. Saif Ali Khan gives a menacing performance. His beats are inspired from Allauddin Khilji of Padmaavat but his performance is original in his own way. Sharad Kelkar as Shivaji Raje is excellent. He looks and feels the role and as per my knowledge this is the perfect portrayal. His scenes with Tanhaji work well. Neha Sharma, Padmavati Rao, and others give good performances as well.

This film is more a technical achievement than its acting. The VFX team has to be lauded. Except for 3-4 shots, the VFX has been top quality in this film. The cinematography is very good. His contributions are well found in the climax and the one shot battle sequences. The editing is top notch. A sharp cut of 2 hours is a miracle for a historical drama which attracted the masses. The art work, costume design, make-up work together in tandem to create a very good world. The music and BGM is great. The Ra-Ra-Ra BGM is still running in my head. The songs are hummable while fitting well in the film. 

The only negative I find in the film is that the film does not explore the other side much. It is actually a positive for the film because it has a clear direction. But, the exploration could have brought some meat to the film and made this film from good to great. There is almost worship of a person which is questionable for me at-least. 

Overall, this film is a great watch and as an action film, it serves its purpose. As a historical drama, it could have improved with a little depth but it is solid in its own right. Enjoy this ride.

iMDB Rating: 8.4/10

My Rating: 8/10

Mana Oori Ramayana (2016) Movie Review

Mana Oori Ramayana or Idolle Ramayana is a 2016 Telugu-Kannada bilingual film written, produced and directed by Prakash Raj. It is a remake of the 2012 Malayalam film Shutter directed by Joy Matthew who also wrote Mana Oori Ramanayam. This film is now available on Prime Video after 4 years of its release. This movie is a disaster at the box office due to less promotion and lukewarm reception. I did know that the film was releasing but yeah, did not see it. Now that I watched it, how is the film?

At the time the film released, the Telugu industry was in a dry period to say the least with flops every week. It may be a factor for the disastrous collections of the film. But, this film is actually a solid entertainer. If this film released now and clicked with the audiences, it would have been a great hit. Anyways, this film stars Prakash Raj, Priyamani, Raghubabu, Prudhvi, Satyadev in lead roles. It revolves around Bhujangaiah and how a lady changed his life.

The mood of the TFI was filled with good and simple stories along with commercial elements. Audiences were enjoying the emotions and fun. But, the type of story and screenplay, the audience was not ready for. The writing by Prakash Raj is excellent. Every detail is well thought out and intricately placed. It's reference notes to the Ramayana is very nice. It is also very tight and engaging despite its slow pace. It pulls you in the film. Small twists are added into the film but they are quite predictable. The middle portion of the film is the best part of the film. The discussion it makes about friends and honour is the thing to learn from this film.  But, the film is quite light and with the story in hand, they could have intensified some scenes. Altogether, the film is quite nice.

But, even better is the acting. Satyadev in the beginnings of his career has been given a meaty role and he delivers big. Raghubabu, Prudhvi give great performances. We see another side of both these actors who are just subjected to doing comedy roles in many films. Prakash Raj shows his experience and class to the role of Bhujangaiah. But, by far the best performance of the film is from Priyamani. He lived the role. Her scenes with Prakash Raj work so well. She definitely deserves another national award for this film.

The technical aspects of the film are very good like the captain. The cinematography brings the village like environment alive. The editing is phenomenal. The runtime of 1hr 48min is unheard of in recent times. Also, this film is void of any songs. But, Maestro Ilayaraaja's BGM brings the essence of Ramayana into the film. The artwork in the film also have to be commended for the same cause.
The colours of the temple and the grit of the shutter are well pictured.

Overall, this film is a very good watch. I definitely recommend you to check this out. A great direction and writing along with some beautiful performances and an engaging screenplay return an heartwarming watch although improvement can be done.

iMDB  Rating: 7.5/10

My Rating: 8/10

Sakhi (2000) Movie Review

20 years back in the beginning of the new millennial, a new actor made his debut with his dream director. That movie was a blockbuster and was a trendsetter in Tamil and Telugu cinema. It remained one of the best for a generation of people. That film is Sakhi. The actor is Madhavan. The director is Mani Ratnam. I watched this film just now. Does the film fare well or does it get dated? Lets find out.

 Sakhi is a 2000 romantic drama starring Madhavan and Shalini in lead roles directed by none other than the legendary Mani Ratnam. The story revolves around Karthik and Shanti, two modern(in 2000's) individuals divided by class but united by love. They fall in love and get married. But, they start struggling and quarrel while trying to sustain their relationship. Finally, a tragic incident unites them forever. If you haven't watched the film, watch it right away.

Expecting many would have watched this since it is a 20 year old film, I am moving to spoiler territory from now. The film tackles a subject which is eternal. The concept of love and how it is very difficult to sustain a relationship. Mani Ratnam after his film Dil Se makes an urban, new, fresh and feel good film for the 2000's. The screenplay has a good flow and we never feel the length of the film which is 2 hours and 23 minutes(long for today's standards). If the 2 hours of the film is good, the other 23 minutes is awesome as hell. The guest appearances of Arvind Swamy and Khushboo are a surprise anyways but their roles are good that their 10 minutes of screentime is also very valuable. The tension builded for about the film about the missing heroine is fleshed out in this segment which is damn good. Overall, the story and screenplay is a complete wonder. Also, I guess it is one of the earlier films to attempt a non linear screenplay and the director maintained good clarity and it shows in the film.

The ensemble cast is absolutely mindblowing. R. Madhavan's acting is phenomenal even if we do not consider that it is his debut film. Consider that and it is one of the best debuts of Indian cinema. Of course, he is a successful actor in almost all south languages. Shalini in her last role gives a great performance balancing the youthfulness of the younger sister and the confusion of a struggling wife. Jayasudha gets little screentime than the two leads but she shines as the loving mother who goes through tough times. Swarnamalya, Vivek, K.P.A.C Lalitha, Karthik Kumar, V.Natarajan,Azhagam Perumal all shine in the smaller moments they get. Arvind Swamy and Khusboo give some good performances even though it is their guest apperance.

Sakhi is incomplete without its music by A.R.Rahman. Each song is so timeless that it a 17 year old teenager's staple and I am younger than this film, you understand it. From Pachchadanamey to Snehituda, from September Maasam to Kalalai Poyenu, from Yede Yededey to Kailove Chedugudu, all songs are complex, soothing and moving all at the same time. Believe it or not, this film was a debut for Clinton Cerejo. A break for S.P. Charan, son of S.P. Balasubrahmanyam. A.R. Rahman you beauty.

Editing by Srikar Prasad is great in fact all technical aspects shine. The cinematography by P.C.Sreeram is excellent especially his work in Pachchandanamey has to be appreciated. The colours were popping in this song based on colours. Lyrics by Veturi Sundarammurthy is very good. It was his lyrics that inspired the famous song Pachchandanamey. That is quite an achievement.

Overall, this film is a masterpiece with its great acting, great story and screenplay, fantastic music and a great time. This film is available in youtube. It also has a hindi remake named Saathiya starring Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukherji. You can watch it too as it is a shot for shot remake. It is a recommendation for each and everybody. If I have to dig for any negatives, maybe the film has gotten a little dated with few scenes in between the movie but that is nothing. 

iMDB Rating: 8.3/10

My Rating: 9.5/10