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Reviews
Elvis (2022)
Really amazing acting performances but just a mediocre film
Firstly, this movie is more about the colonel than the king. Secondly, it's rather mediocre and very fast-paced. The audiences don't really get to experience Elvis's journey. Tom Hanks (as usual) and Austin Butler (surprise) play their roles really well, but the direction and story disappoint. The cuts are too fast, the lines are said too fast sometimes, the scenes don't get the attention they deserve. Secondly, why use modern rap versions of songs in a period film? It just ruins the illusion that we are in the 1950s-60s. Someone like Elvis deserved a much better biopic, like Bohemian Rhapsody, or Rocketman. I gave the movie 7 stars just because of the acting performances. Otherwise it would have been a 4. Secondly, both these actors (Hanks, Butler) deserve accolades and awards for their roles.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Whose Show Is This? (2022)
Disappointed
What in god's name was that finale? Also, all that misogyny and hate online, was that just publicity for the lead up to the finale? Did they just troll themselves constantly to get more eyeballs on them and then just use that for the finale?
MCU is just getting weaker and weaker in their writing with every new venture. First, the new Spider Man movie (nothing great except pure nostalgia, which has nothing to do with the MCU), then, the new Doctor Strange movie, and now this. At least Ms Marvel had a good story, even though it was more Disney and less Marvel.
For this show, they took 'breaking the fourth wall' too literally to the point that Walters marches into Marvel Studios and demands a change in script for the finale. Then the finale is changed accordingly and there is no conflict, no climax, no resolution whatsoever. What were the writers smoking when they wrote this?
Also, thanks for ruining Daredevil for us. A man who hides in the shadows just showing up openly in front of a lot of people in broad daylight to say hi.
Red Notice (2021)
It's not a terrible film, but that's about it
It's not a terrible film, but that's about it. The Rock tries a new thing of not beating the living hell out of everyone, and that's about it. Reynolds still plays the same character in every movie, and so does Gal Gadot.
The main problem with this movie is that it struggles to find its identity. Is it a heist movie? Is it an adventure movie? Is it a police chase movie? No one knows. However, the plot is good. Unfortunately, there are just so many unrealistic and rather silly things (no, not the Indiana Jones stuff) happening in the movie that it cheapens the overall experience. The film never engages you as a viewer. It's all the usual predictable schtick. The action sequences are pretty much like the Fast and Furious movies. The heist scenes are almost comical. They make the heist look just way too easy. Also, the biggest joke is the Interpol officer (played by Ritu Arya). Some of her dialogue makes me wonder what the script writers were smoking when writing the script.
"Well, if this is all The Bishop's doing and you really are innocent, prove it. You either arrest him or I arrest you both."
Seriously? This rather dumb character is supposed to be an Interpol officer? My goodness.
Posto (2017)
Same problem as with other Nandita-Shiboprasad films
Every Nandita-Shiboprasad film has the same problem. The content is really good. They really do their research and make films on really good topics. However, in every film of theirs, they completely mess up the execution. They are so focused on making a family-friendly 'happy-ending' sort of a film, that they completely miss out on making their films more realistic and humane. Every film of theirs lacks polish, subtlety and the touch of a good filmmaker.
However, in this film, even some of the content was rather stupid. There are various plot holes, and some of the characters were busy doing jatra (melodrama) rather than actually act. This was a very disappointing film, in spite of a really good cast (except one or two absolutely terrible actors).
The Bongs Again (2017)
Don't watch it
The stupidity of this film astounds me. There is no rhyme or reason for anything that happens in this film. If you liked or loved 'The Bong Connection', please skip this. It'll ruin your memory of the great original film.
The Namesake (2006)
It is a masterpiece that only Mira Nair could pull off!
It is a masterpiece about an immigrant's perspective on American life and the contrast of traditional Indian values vs modern American values. It is a story of love, family, and togetherness. This film will be cherished for a long, long time. The acting performances by Tabu and Irfaan Khan were amazing to say the least. The way Tabu portrays a woman in a foreign land like a fish out of water who slowly adapts herself to her surroundings is a beautiful thing to see.
RIP Irfaan Khan. You were truly one of the greatest actors I have ever had the privilege to see. Thanks for your priceless contribution to the world of cinema.
Mission Mangal (2019)
The topic was so good. The execution was laughably bad.
The movie is a combination of cringeworthy dialogues, long 'patriotic' speeches, unbearable melodrama, and almost no substance. The movie had an amazingly talented cast. They just wasted the talents of the cast. The film becomes too boring at times. Also, while trying to simplify rocket science, the film makes the audience look like idiots who doesn't understand anything. It's quite insulting, frankly. The person who wrote the dialogues should just quit his/her job. This was a really good topic to make a film on. They just ruined it.
Busanhaeng (2016)
Overcoming the language barrier has introduced me to a whole new world of great films
It started with Parasite. Now this movie. I am in love with South Korean movies. This is probably the best zombie movie I have watched.
Good Newwz (2019)
Stealing Satyajit Ray's music is not cool
The movie is super weird at times and jeeos on bashing adoption and abortion. However, the movie is really funny. Dosanjh is a force to be reckoned with. But the movie's main theme is a complete ripoff of Satyajit Ray's creation for Apu's theme from the Apu Trilogy. That is absolutely not cool.
The Office (2005)
Calling it a TV show seems confusing. This is something else altogether.
There are amazing TV shows, with great dialogue, character development, storyline, and interesting plots. However, when we look back on such shows (like Seinfeld, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, That 70s Show, Arrested Development), we still think about them as 'shows', meaning something that we know is staged and not real. This is where The Office is completely unique. After watching a few episodes and getting familiar with the characters, this doesn't feel like a show anymore. It's real life (hear me out before you think I'm crazy). If you can make something as mundane as working in the office of a paper company appear interesting without forced jokes that appear fake, or a stupid laughter track, or some absurdly stupid plotline or any other kind of the regular TV show shebang, then you are making it more real. However, The Office does even more than this. Firstly, the acting. It is so natural and effortless (from everyone) that it feels like we are actually just watching regular office workers go about their lives. It's like the actors only exist as the characters they portray. I'm pretty sure that if you made someone (who doesn't know about it or the actors) watch The Office, you could possibly pass it off as an actual documentary. I have watched many TV shows. It is always a bittersweet (or sometimes downright sad) when a series ends. However, again, it was something different for me when The Office finished. I watched it over the course of a few months. When it ended, it felt like someone I knew, who was really close to me, had stopped existing. It's not as sad as death, because you have it in your mind that the characters in the show are carrying on with their lives, but it is something closely related.
The Office has this humanizing effect on all of its characters. They don't fall into typical roles (unlike regular shows). Everyone has multiple facets to them. You cannot figure out a character in this show (Robert California might disagree!). It is very complex. This character depth adds to the human touch that many shows lack. As I said, it felt like real life. The characters felt real. Now, when you watch people for 9 years and share their moments of joy, pain, excitement, brilliance, stupidity and so much more, it is a weird feeling when you let go. I had a similar (albeit less pronounced) feeling when I watched the movie Boyhood (by Richard Linklater). We see a similarly simple and extremely realistic story of a boy growing up and going to college. The movie is just around three hours long, but when it ends, you feel like someone whom you watched grow up in front of you has gone away forever. This feeling increases by multiple times when it is a show lasting nine seasons and being 188 episodes long. There may be better shows than the office ( I mean they did drag out the series a bit too much and brought in some unnecessary characters like Nellie, Clarke, Gabe and Pete which removed focus from the characters that were already getting a small share of the screen time (Stanley, Phyllis, Erin, Creed, Kevin and Meredith). I also feel that the character of Robert California could have been done much better. However, in spite of all this, it will forever be my favorite. Greg Daniels, you are a genius.
When We First Met (2018)
Exceeded expectations
I grossly underestimated this movie as a 'old wine in a new bottle' cliché after watching the trailer. However, the movie was actually good. Not amazing but quite good. There's a good twist that is pretty unexpected (that's why I like this movie). Also, I got to see a different side of Adam DeVine (not the usual annoying guy trying to make awful jokes). Same goes for Alexandra Daddario. She is always the 'hot girl'in the movies. In this one we see her more as a person than an eye candy, which, honestly, is quite refreshing. I would recommend this movie, along with another movie like this, 'About Time' (starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachael McAdams and Margot Robbie). It's a more complex and intricate version of this film (with a somewhat similar storyline).
The Office: Finale (2013)
The best television show ever got the finale it deserved
This show had something that struck a chord with perhaps every human being on earth. You had people from all backgrounds co-existing and becoming a family under one roof for years. There is something so realistic about this show that even though it may sometimes sound too good to be true, you know it in your heart that it is possible. When in the office, anything is possible! I am not a really emotional guy, but this finale managed to crack me. I will go so far as to say that I will not forget this show even if I forget all of the rest.