kaustubh-rajnish Reviews

An Action Hero (2022)

Senseless rubbish

[2/10 · 12 February 2023]

Another rubbish film mass manufactured out of the Netflix turd factory.

The story makes no sense.

Ayushman an action Bollywood superstar accidentally kills a Haryana goon who simply wanted a selfie.

He flies to UK but the thugs elder brother Bhoora (Jaideep Ahalawat of PataalLok fame) follows him to UK to kill him and take revenge.

Meanwhile, The actions of the characters make no sense.

Jaideep Ahalawat's character is so pissed that he goes around killing anyone he encounters in U. K. from police to innocent bystanders like a haryanivi terminator Except whenever he meets Ayushmans character who he actually wants to kill. He does not do that and talks to him like a friend.

Every 10 minutes there is boring dialogue punctuated by irritating snazzy music as if someone said something very cool and then ayushman goes around running or driving or walking in crowds while random unknown bad guys, police chase him. Meanwhile jaideep talks in haryanvi (the movie makers thought this would funny)

And then they interlace these scenes with spoofs if Indian media screaming at the screen (soemthing done thousands of time since oye lucky lucky oye).

This cycle of 10-15 mins keeps repeating for the first 60 mins.

There is no head or tail to this running. He does not hide, does not lay low. But finds time in the middle to spew insipid dialogue to his PA roshan (a terribly wasted harsh Chayya)

The film is supposed to have a twist which does not land. It's an annoying film, poorly written, shot in haste and wasting the acting talent of a bunch of guys.

By the time it's over I had used the forward function of Netflix at least 5-7 times.

The IMDB reviews are either fake or by made by people who don't really understand decent film or paid critics.

Avoid this film which no one needed.

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

Seriously mediocre, unfunny, slightly annoying fare

[4/10 · 20 November 2022]

It seems that cinema has hit such creative bankruptcy and the pandemic has further not helped. That critics and film goers are looking to salvage it by appreciating any ridiculous non sense that comes out. We see it in the Netflix movies and we see it in films like this one.

What's wrong

• The Voices of Stella and barb sound like cartoons and are plain annoying

• even if you get through that, The jokes are really not funny, I mean the third part of Austin powers had more jokes in the first 30 mins than this entire film

• well at least there is silliness galore and if anything it should be irrelevant fun well I wish but The sillyness does not really connect even a joke on a not a so secret merecenary in marlon wayans

• the challenge is that the producers, writers and director just don't make it go overboard and seem to be holding back and in fact rely on lazy writing to make it go crazy

• Finally The acting is mediocre and particularly Jamie dornan and Annie Mumola are plain boring

What's redeeming

• A few dialogues
• A couple of funny gags here and there
• The musical numbers

Overall, would not recommend to spend 90 mins on this rather trying too hard average fair.

And 70% critics rating on RT and a six plus score on IMDb is a bit a of joke and clearly desperate attempts to make anything mediocre perceive as awesome.

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

Pretentious Rubbish

[4/10 · 9 June 2018]

I have often wondered how a film would feel when watched with zero insight on what the professional critics and the word of mouth has said about it. How much of what you hear about a film before you see it actually impacts you eventually liking it. Maybe we hold this thought as it requires analysis and research but cinema with too much hype has a higher chance of failing.

Now coming to this film. You were never really here got a seven minute standing ovation at Cannes and the critics have loved it. So you might go in with an expectation of seeing a kick ass film. But then Cannes while often sets the standard of great cinema irnonically also is the benchmark of pretentiousness and pseudo intellectulism. You were never really here fits the latter profile. As for the expectation - that is a cheque that the story of YWNRH simply cant cash.

Lynne Ramsay who made the stunning and frankly underappreciated we dont need to talk about kevin. Comes up with another troubled character study. This time with a much more hollywood premise but arthouse treatment.

Joe played by a beefy and bearded Joaquin Phoneix is a PTSD suffering contract killer who saves girls from human trafficking. His character is a traumatised one having had an abusive childhood, war PTSD and then trauma of having seen 20 dead girls in a room as an FBI agent. His relationship with his loving mother is the only thing keeping him alive.

Soon his latest job quite predictably puts his already troubled persona in a complete spin. He is hired to save the underage girl of a senator from human traffickers and soon gets embroiled in a gubernatriaol conspirancy, crooked FBI agents and lots of violence.

The story is one dimensional and crap. It could have been told in 20 mins. The treatment is boring boring boring. The pace slow and lacking narrative. There is scene after unnecesary scene that does no value add to the plot (maybe because there isnt any). The dialogues are mumbled so that the movie can pretend it has depth. The topic is of paedophilia nad violence disturbing so the movie can preted to be serious. The acting is self indulgent and the scenes are unnecessary so the actors and the story both can pretend that they are the shits.

But after sitting through just 45 minutes of pointless, boring, slow artsy fartsy sequences where Joaquin shows off his acting prowess and Lynn shows off her direction (you can never completely see the act of violence of being commmitted except one), you begin to wish that you were never really here either.

The only saving grace is the cinematography and tghe music of Johnny Greenwood (of radiohead and there wil be blood) but not enough to save the film.

Overall people may recommend this film because critics liked it but they are pretending. Avoid.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Arguably the best action film ever made

[10/10 · 10 May 2018]

Mad Max: Fury Road

It is unbelievable that Mad Max: Fury Road's director George Miller made Happy Feet and Babe but then he also made the original Mad Max and hence that statement should be the other way around. Of course, since this is almost 30 years since that Mad Max, the new version is at least 30 times grander.

Somewhere George Miller is yelling "My movie's action will speak louder than words" and that's exactly what the film does. It is a visual spectacle that redefines the sheer pace of an action movie narrative. Almost 90 minutes of the 120 minute movie happens on dirt-kicking moving vehicles which just refuse to slow down. When the vehicles stop you are gasping for air and feel like taking a shower but before u can regain your senses those mutated vehicles are running again.

Of course, words are not important, whenever the action quietens you have stunted B Movie dialogues which could have been better except for this hidden gem "Hope is a mistake, if you cant fix whats broken you will go insane." My only grouse with the film though was that whenever there is an opportunity to show unbridled gore, Miller flinches (maybe cause a NC-17 threat was peeking over his shoulder) but the movies jarring metal soundtrack makes up for it.

The star if not 'the action' would be by far Charlize Theron as Furiosa, a cold and calculating rebel who has balls of steel and then there is Tom Hardy as Mad Max who is more insane than Mel Gibson could ever get. See his eyes dart to and fro in a crucial climax scene. The guy seems dead inside much like the desolate wastleand he dwells in and yet there is a craziness which lurks in him.

Mad Max is not a perfect film and may age poorly but it is definitely the most exhilarating film you would see in a long time.

One Word: Epic!

Titli (2014)

Who cares about Indian film winning Oscars/Cannes when stuff like this is made every month

[9/10 · 10 May 2018]

A family of carjackers cope with lower middle class issues in Urban Delhi. With crime being passed on from generations, the youngest and most educated of the lot, Titli dreams of owning a car park in a Mall and hence going straight. Meanwhile, his violent elder brother marries him off to a young girl so they could include a lady in their carjacker operations.

Titli and the girl strike a deal to survive in this violent and dysfunctional family of 4 men before things begin to start going horribly wrong.

The central characters of Titli are violent low lifes who keep making bad decisions and don't deserve an iota of empathy. But the lingering long shots, background music and incredible acting woven together in a tight script makes you actually feel bad for them. It makes you think long and hard about poor people who take up crime. A conflicting feeling I have never experienced before while watching a film not even the classic Cidade De Deus.

Considering this was made by a debutante, one can safely say that cinema in India is only getting better year on year . Whether it ever wins an Oscar or Palme d'or or whatever is moot, Great Cinema seems to have become a monthly feature in India.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

What makes Tarantino great

[8/10 · 10 May 2018]

Tarantino is perhaps the most important director of our generation. And when he makes a film you have to go see it.

Most QT fans including me have been often at a loss of words to explain that what is so great about his movies. His films are about shallow people doing shallow things, highly stylized and lack any real social/political messages or even insights into human behavior. They are well....pulp fiction.

Much in the same vein is his eighth film - The Hateful Eight(THE). It has all the elements of vintage Tarantino - stylized violence, bad language, Excessive use of the n word, expressive dialogues, Mexican stand offs, 'cue cool music', red apple cigarettes (this time tobacco) and yes...Samuel L Jackson.

While watching THE I finally realized what is it that makes QT great or the legend that he is. Let me explain with a scene. Sam Jackson's character hands a letter from Abe Lincoln to Kurt Russell. As Kurt reads from the letter the glow from the letter lights up his face. This is not actual glow but the sheer yellow tinge that the letter throws up on his face. This is old school film making done exceptionally well.

It's as if someone saw all possible forms of cinema ever shot in this world and decided to take the best parts and then make their movie. The result has to be gold.

And The Hateful Eight very much is.

The plot is simple - a bounty hunter called as the Hangman is taking a notorious gangster (Jennifer Jason Leigh in an Oscar worthy performance) to hang in the town of Red Rock. On his way he meets another familiar bounty hunter who is stranded and a mysterious guy who claims to be the next sheriff of Red Rock. The 4 of them then head to a haberdashery only to meet 4 other strangers who all don't seem to be who they claim to be. So the eight + the stagecoach driver are now stuck together in this house while a blizzard unleashes outside. One by one as expected things begin to go wrong.

The film has not much of a political message as some critics have enthused it to have. Nor does it have any social messages. It is plain old pulp fiction told so entertainingly that you will not realise it has a 3 hour + running time.

QT fans dont miss it. QT haters never too late to convert.

Catch it on the big screen in 70 MM Panavision :)

Steve Jobs (2015)

Great Scriptwriter + Great Director + Awesome Acting = Poor Film

[6/10 · 10 May 2018]

Steve Jobs is a biographical film with a unique narrative. It showcases 3 moments of Jobs life. The Macintosh launch, the Next black cube launch and the imac launch. At each launch he interacts with 5 key characters. His partner in crime the genius Steve Wozniak, his work wife Joahanna Hoffman, his Father figure / Apple CEO John Sculley, his technician Andy (dont know which one) and his daughter Lisa.

While this narrative is able to showcase the trials and tribulations of his personal and professional life, it also reduces his life to 15 conversations which most probably did not really happen.

Some of these are really hard to care about particularly if you are not a Steve jobs or Apple fan.

While the acting by each actor is brilliant particularly Seth Rogen (maybe a career best and the only scenes worth remembering) and Kate Winslet (amazing as always), there are some conversations where I found myself laughing at the seriousness at which they were taken. Such as John sculley and jobs arguing about whether they should have put in the hard disk in a computer or not. I mean seriously who cares.

The narrative also handicaps Danny Boyle's trade mark style of quick action punctuated by an awesome OST and background. Its as if the entire weight of the film rests on the chemistry, the dialogue of those 15 conversations which are well as I said nothing really exciting.

This film is a perfect example of how bringing the best in the business may not be enough to create magic. Arguably the best screenplay writer in Hollywood, an Oscar winning director and a stellar cast about an ultra dramatic real life genius of our times still cannot make a great movie.

If you want to catch the making of a tech giant. Might as well re-watch The Social Network (ironically a superb script by the same Aaron Sorkin) also showcasing a rude, egoistical, selfish genius of our times.

Final recommendation : Skip this iBore and watch this only good scene of the movie

• KR

PS On a personal note, I have never understood the charm of the apple products. I have always found them too much show and too little use. Further, they seem fuelled by blatant capitalism which makes people pay for things that can be got for cheaper and most probably not needed in life. But then that's my POV and i tried hard to not let it come in the way of the movie but maybe it did...

Inherent Vice (2014)

Incomprehensible Stuff

[10 May 2018]

I generally enjoy slow moving noir films but Inherent Vice was incomprehensible to me.

What was happening here? and if the idea was to cause confusion what is the point of it all. Maybe the point of the film was that sometimes we are part of such big confusing things that we cant possibly interpret it all.

Never the less, no point in rating something i could not understand.

Though PTA is one of my favourite directors this one is a miss for me. Only cool takeaway - "Inherent Vice" what a beautiful phrase.

And maybe Inherent Vice's vice is inherent vice as it draws to a close.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

A case study of how talentless directors can mess up great potential

[4/10 · 10 May 2018]

Batman V Superman is a case study example of how bad directors will always spoil a movie.

10 years ago i remember seeing 300 in a theatre and hating it. It was a bad film (maybe a good music video) and yet Snyder kept on getting deals to make some of the most ambitious movies. Other than Watchmen his films have been consistent rubbish. Man of Steel was a good indicator of how he would make a mess of something as large as the Justice League.

In a movie where there are characters to be introduced, Justice League to be set up, an ultimate stand off to defined, Snyder wastes time on gimmicky plot devices like dream sequences, mumbled dialogues with dead parents, half baked story plots, and completely incoherent jump cut action!!

There was a storyline, there were some good characters, Ben Affleck is actually good as Batman but the editing, the direction and some rank bad dialogues make this film unwatchable. For example you understand why Batman hates Superman but why does Superman have an issue with Batman is incomprehensible. Jesse Einsenberg is annoying as Lex Luthor.

As the viral video which shows Sad Ben Affleck reflecting on how bad this film is depicts perfectly, this one takes special effort to botch up. Esp. Kevin Feige's Marvel comics world has brilliantly defined how to cram and pace narratives with multiple characters. Even Marvel's smaller entries like Ant Man and Deadpool have smashed records (Critical and commercial)

Yet Zack Snyder seems to have learnt nothing about how the superhero genre has evolved. As a critic put it "The film serves as a metaphor for its own aspirations. The corporations that produce movies like this one, and the ambitious hacks who sign up to make them, have no evident motive beyond their own aggrandizement"

There should be a fanboy movement to have Nolan or Jenkins direct the rest of the DC world otherwise this franchise is heading nowhere.

There is a hard to define word that Indians call a big budgeted over hyped movie that is crap - 'Bundal'. Well, 'Bundal' just found its definition.

M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)

Must watch for Dhoni Fans

[7/10 · 10 May 2018]

I for one love Dhoni and believe the guy is much bigger than he is made out to be. He is that one inspirational Indian sportsman of our times who exemplified winning. The movie on his life is well made and truly sticks to its title, telling us everything about the guy which we didn't know including his tragic love story. Must watch for Dhoni fans.

The Accountant (2016)

The Nerds Take Over

[7/10 · 10 May 2018]

A superhero who is guess what - an accountant! A boy with autism grows up to be an accountant for the bad guys. His superpower - doing quick accounting and being an ace marksman (the gun type).

Things change when he is called upon to check the accounting of tech company where something sinister is hiding in that cash flow statement (yes the nerds have truly taken over).

Enjoyable entertainer with perhaps much more franchise potential than Sad Affleck's earlier DC crap Superman V Batman.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Fantastic Beasts and Why Not to see it

[2/10 · 10 May 2018]

My wife was adamant that I should see this in the theatre. Thankfully I didn't. Same old Rubbish, Huge bunch of CGI, no script, some really bad acting (Eddie Redmanye is plain awful which is shocking).

Random beasts jumping from here to there, hocus focus and blah blah. In keeping with the poor quality of the harry potter movies this one is a wastage of 2.5 hours.

PS My wife slept off half way :(

Lion (2016)

Aptly called Lion

[8/10 · 10 May 2018]

Based on a true story, Lion is the kind of film that will make you cry.

A poor 5 year old kid called Saroo from MP, India gets lost and finds himself in survival mode in Kolkata. He is eventually adopted by a kind Australian couple. 25 years later he returns to find his family via google earth. A simple yet true story is turned into a tear-jerker by simply good acting (particularly Dev Patel) and some smart editing. Nice soundtrack too.

Recommended on a Sunday afternoon. And wait till you find out why it is called Lion.

Split (IX) (2016)

Can't wait for the next one

[7/10 · 10 May 2018]

M N Shyamalan is back in form and aces with his trademark killer endings.

A man with 23 distinct personalities abducts 3 young girls to perform some sort of a ritual when his maybe unreal 24th personality takes over (called the beast)

The film is sometimes slow but has its share of OMG movements and the last 2 mins just give you an amazing adrenaline rush (esp. if you are a fan of Shyamalan's previous movies).

Must watch for Shyamalan fans.

The Invitation (I) (2015)

Keeps you Guessing - Great Atmospheric Thriller

[8/10 · 10 May 2018]

A chilling thriller about a guy and his friends invited to the home of his ex-wife and new husband for a reunion. There is clearly something weird about the hosts but is it all in his mind. The film is a perfect example of how good atmospheric film making can convert an interesting script into an above average thriller. Must watch and arguably the best last 20 mins of all 2016 movies I have seen. Recommend not watching the trailer at all to enjoy it even more.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Overhyped Bad Cinema

[5/10 · 10 May 2018]

I went in with high hopes on this one. Mel Gibson generally has uncompromising vision of his movies and even if he is a racist it is important to note that he is a director of extreme talent.

Unfortunately, Hacksaw Ridge is so unbelievably clichéd and trite that it is quite surprising that this cinema has multiple Oscar nominations and a 86% RT rating. Every year a good war movie has to come out of Hollywood (American Sniper, The Hurt Locker etc.) These are war movies with an undeniable American Jingoistic point of view but that has never diluted the fact that they are good movies from a filmmaking perspective.

Hacksaw, on the other hand, is just formulaic cinema. The War scenes are cartoonish, the love story is sleep inducing, the actions of the protagonist super hero like, the Japanese enemy one dimensional, the characters have bad dialogues, the acting mediocre. It does have its moments of entertainment but then so does the latest Ghostbusters.

In one particular scene, in the middle of a war zone our hero is splashed with slow motion gushes of water as his blood is washed off (a baptism scene to show he is no less than a saint). From where did all this water come from?? Well looks like Mel Gibson aint coming back. Three words: Overhyped Bad Cinema.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Finally stunning stuff from the house of DC

[9/10 · 10 May 2018]

In a movie era known for its superhero movies. It is hard to make a film that tells an origin story, makes a definitive social point of view, is entertaining and above all looks and feels original.

Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman does all that and more.

It has an anti-war message at heart. And has feminism running in it's veins. And mind you - the good kind of feminism (less hate and anger and more fair opportunity). Not to mention it is a film set in WW1 which is actually reflective of today's times.

What drives it is an incredible turn by Gal Gadot whose persona literally makes every scene watchable. Her expressions of surprise, anger, love and empathy pretty much turns Wonder Woman (quite a fantastic superhero if you read the comics) into the most realistic superhero since Nolan's Batman trilogy. She gets full support from Chris Pine (As the superhero 'girlfriend') who does everything right and to be fair is an A-list actor. His scenes of him trying to explain the reality of humankind to WW are alone worth making WW a re-watch. Superhero films definitely need more girlfriend/boyfriend characters like that.

The action sequences are breathtaking. It also finally explains what is wrong with the DC extended universe which is indeed one man - 'Zack Snyder' and the studio should simply change him for a better director maybe - 'Patty Jenkins'. Jenkins btw had disappeared after Monster and returns more than a decade (13 years to be precise) later to the big screen to give us a film that will easily feature in the top 5 superhero movies of all times.

Dont miss this one - arguably one of the best films of what was a terrible movie year 2017.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

A Near Impossible Task

[10/10 · 27 April 2018]

The task set out for infinity war is near impossible from a cinematic perspective.

18 movies culminate into this. 10 years of MCU. Over 7 different story arcs, over 70 characters some 20 of which are superheroes and are so thick that they have entire movie franchises built on them and another 30 easily deserve their own movie. And then you need a single villain large enough to take on so many of these superheroes and yet prove more formidable than all other villains who have ever graced the MCU. Not to mention the need to maintain the tonality of a guardians and sync it with the mysticism of a doctor strange and then blend it with the royalty of a Black Panther. All directed by different directors in different styles. And finally make all this live up to the hype. Make all character's count and earn fans, critics and the masses adoration alike. It is fair to say that nothing quite like this has been attempted to date in movie history. From the onset this is a near impossible task.

And believe it or not Avengers: Infinity War delivers and delivers it with an action packed, genuinely funny and yet emotional punch.

So let's begin with the central theme of the film. From frame one you have Thanos walking in and in the first ten minutes you know what you are in for. Anything is possible is Inifinity War and the Russo brothers' vision is going to be as uncomprising as maybe Thanos' own vision of the universe. To be fair this is an out and out Thanos story. He is the central character and with 20+ superheroes, this is a wise script move.

No matter how well you understand the MCU nothing can prepare you for Thanos. His vision is evil yet logical. His methods psychopathic yet emotional. And his power is cruel yet absolute. Even if CGI, Josh Brolin's Thanos will go down in history as one of the top ten villians of all time.

Meanwhile the Avengers and the Guardians assemble together in bits and pieces trying to take on Thanos and his henchmen (who btw may look like Harry Potter rejects but are formidable in their own sense particulary Ebony Maw who floats around and has this eer ie philosophy of expecting victims to welcome death). These fights happen in various parts of the universe with only one objective to prevent the eponymous infinity stones from being taken by Thanos.

The genuinely laugh out loud ego clashes and the interactions of these super egoed super heroes are a highlight of the film but the laughter soon turns into mayhem as soon as Thanos' shadow falls on the scene. There are at least 7 story arcs mostly about love family and relationship and how far will characters go to sacrifice to get to their goals including Thanos. What is astonishing is that there is something for every character. You have this epic scene with Thor, another great one with Dr. Strange, the Guardians light up the screen every time they come on it with their unintended humour and then there is the whole black panther brigade - royal, clinical and deadly.

Mixing all of this together and making it a heart stopping 150 mins is the true cinematic achievement of Infinity war. The last 20 mins is like a Marvel movie on Flakka. Before you can even digest what is happening, it's already happened. It is undoubtedly the unmissable movie of the year and arguably of the decade and if you are an MCU fan watch it before you start noticing the spoilers. As Thanos says "Dread it. Run from it. Destiny will still arrive."

Speaking of spoilers - SPOILER ALERT The end credits scene literally spells out what will happen next and if Infinity War 2 will have this character in it then rest assured Kevin Feige is setting up an even more massive MCU part II. Cant wait for part 2 and the interim film that is essential.

Wazir (I) (2016)

A Missed Opportunity

[5/10 · 27 February 2016]

Wazir is the perfect example of how poor direction, editing can spoil a great script and waste legendary talents.

Eight things that went wrong with Wazir

Better Direction – the jump cuts between people talking. Long shots and then suddenly these jump cuts between a conversation. It was as if Bijoy Nambiar was shooting a music video. When the film was more a talky noir where simple quiet shots would have helped higher impact.

Editing – the at least 10+ scenes of Farhan Akhtar and wife were completely cutting the pace down. The makers thought it would divert our minds to other things but it only made a hotch potch out of the film. There was no chemistry, the background song was bad, no dialogs. Just two people staring at each other every 10 mins of the film. Fail.

Wazir – The character of Wazir made no sense. Why would a terrorist try to kill Panditji with a theatric character called the Wazir. Why was Wazir hamming so much? Why should they be not clear attempts to kill Panditji rather than spew filmy dialogs? Could have been more believable right. This is the line which Indian cinema needs to cross – either go completely serious or be completely commercial. A middle tone will always alienate everyone.

Plot points- what was the need to showcase the plot point that Qureshi is a terrorist. They could have easily kept that in the dark adding to an amazing twist in the end. And then the wazir twist would have been even better.

Dumbing it down – Bollywood still needs to learn that dumbing down cinema to a single idea is not conducive. I mean the masses are not going to see this movie. Its going to be the multiplex audience, who by the way are exposed to better cinema.

Pace – Why make this for 100 minutes, it's as if the production house was like, lets aim this at 100 minutes and let everything else go for a toss. No sense

Side Characters – The film was pretty much about AB and FA . The side characters could have played a better role. For example John Abraham could have played the role of putting in some thought into Farhan Akhtar's character. "Panditji might be paranoid, why are you doing this?" The sardar character could have also played the role of a voice of reason. Thus, making the twist stronger but no they just came spoke some blabber and went.

Poor action sequences – the action sequences were bad. Period.

Overall, a great script wasted away due to poor direction, editing and a need to dumb it down.

Sicario (2015)

A Dark Poem

[9/10 · 10 October 2015]

Sicario (9/10) - A Dark Poem

Sicario begins on a tense note, a raid on a hostage house goes bad. Soon the tension rises as a FBI agent (Blunt) is brought in as part of an inter agency anti drug team. She now has to work with two Department of Defense 'consultants' - one who talks too much and the other who doesn't. Both manipulate in their own ways. Blunt's character is clueless much like the audience in terms of what is exactly happening but as the tense thriller unfolds and you begin to find out, just like her character you may not like where you are. With each passing moment, the tension rises and stays till the last scene. For some, it may not leave you once you have left the theater.

To me the highlight was the political undertones of the film, is what is happening right? Did what happens in the movie make things better or worse? Questions that only you as an audience can answer depending on which side of the politics you sit on. While you are grappling with the tension and morality questions. The film has already owned you as a technical masterpiece. You are mesmerized by panning aerial camera shots, by an exponentially rising music score, by emotional performances (esp. Benicio Del Toro in a character made for him), by a strong story-line and by one liners which would easily make AFI's top 100 quotes list - 'Don't you ever point a gun at me' The US Mexico cavalcade sequence about transporting a drug witness across the border was by far one of the best I have seen this year.

Remember, Sicario is not an action film. It is a realistic crime thriller. It is dark, disturbing and unfortunately real. Almost like a dark poem. There is No CGI, no cars flying around, no people jumping in mid air shooting guns but the violence when it occurs is brutal enough to make you close your eyes.

I could not help but compare it with Traffic that other classic drug war movie also starring Benicio Del Toro also ending in a shot of children playing a sport (so much for spoilers). I would have to say Traffic was a better film but Sicario would still easily make it to the top 5 films of the year.

My prediction: Sicario is a 100% certified Oscar Winner for 2015. If anything else they would it give it for cinematography (high time Roger Deakins got his due) or even sound editing. I wouldn't be surprised if all three Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt and Del Toro are nominated for their performances. Del Toro may bag his second Oscar (his performance is the best i have seen this year) Too early to say best picture but it would surely get a nomination there.

Catch Sicario on a big screen with a good sound. One Word: Unmissable.

The Martian (2015)

The Martian : A New Kind of Science Fiction

[8/10 · 6 October 2015]

Often you like or dislike movies based on the expectations you set for them. I have never been a fan of Ridley Scott and out of the 11 movies i have seen of his (he has made 23) I only enjoyed American Gangster. No, not a fan of Alien or Blade Runner or the horrendous Gladiator. To me his films are way too melodramatic and often have loose plot devices to set up spectacle scenes / money shots.

So when I decided to catch 'The Martian' on its second day of release, I had two expectations. There is a lot of accurate science in this movie (having read it somewhere) and the chances of me enjoying this were going to be low.

I was right on one count. The film has a lot of seemingly accurate science fiction (if that's not already an oxymoron). As far as Ridley Scott is concerned, this was a pleasant surprise. This is by far his least melodramatic movie I have seen and to me his second best effort to date.

After the poetic assault on our senses by Gravity and Interstellar - only two of the best space movies of all times, the Martian comes as a surprising and refreshing change to spaceman storytelling. It is a matter of fact movie. An astronaut is left behind on Mars. He has to figure out a way to survive and communicate with NASA. The other narrative is at earth where a bunch of interesting NASA characters (played out by an incredible cast) try to understand what can be done.

The focus here is on the story, on the characters. The edge of the seat stuff is there but restricted. To the extent that the stress inducing scenes were when NASA experts discuss whether they should or should not tell the crew that they left one of their own behind on a deserted planet. Hmmm.

As a matter of fact, it is so matter of fact that I was hoping for something to kick up the excitement. But thankfully it didn't. Because like it or not we have had so many edge of the seat implausible thrill rides that for once you need an extraordinary story told in an ordinary way. This does not mean this is a documentary, it has its shares of thrilling moments but they come few and far between. It also has a great OST including an almost full length 'Starman' montage that I would go watch the movie again for.

Overall, it is a welcome change. Everything that happens is for you to see. There are no jump cuts, no music reaching a crescendo and definitely no unnecessary actions by characters that can complicate the proceedings. Matt Damon as the survivalist is perfect for the role. He brings a relaxed demeanor to the screen and a lot more humour than you can imagine. So much so that on the flip side, you don't really feel for him when the sh*t hits the fan (spoiler alert….literally).

Let's face it, he is stranded on Mars and there are 1001 things that could kill him instantly. But Ridley Scott never allows you to feel that dread. This is not that kind of a movie. These are scientists and astronauts and they remain that. Heroism is restricted to floating in space and opening a door because in real life sometimes that is heroism.

What stuck with me though was the film's attitude. A human attitude about survival, about being optimistic because that is the only practical option left. Hell, it's so optimistic that even the Chinese Govt are shown as selfless good guys which may not be a bad idea. Bravo, Hollywood. High time.

In the end, The Martian should not be missed. No it is not as entertaining as Interstellar and it is definitely not as edge of the seat as Gravity and nor does it get into boring existential questions like Solaris. This is a new type of science fiction. For once, it attempts to entertain you by showing smart people doing smarter things. And in today's geeky world it succeeds! Go, watch it. And here's hoping there are more like this in every genre.

KR

PS For Kubrick fan boys: Do enjoy the seemingly endless tributes to 2001 A Space Odyssey (Arguably the best space movie ever) esp. the ping that's heard every time the time line shows up.

Miss Lovely (2012)

Art for the sake of art and boring as hell...

[5/10 · 29 December 2014]

I have so often come across unknown films which have a unique superlative buzz going for them. For example people from the film festival circuit rave about it and that odd critic would announce that it is a never before made film. You would have never heard about these movies in the mainstream but its content, cast and style would definitely attract you. You go on IMDb and those odd 15 user reviews would be calling it a landmark film. Unfortunately when you actually catch the film you are going to be disappointed and you will wonder did I miss something here or did my movie get hype killed.

Miss Lovely completely belongs to that category. It's a sweaty, fuzzy look at the C-grade porn / horror industry of the mid-eighties in India. Apparently there were a set of people who made these kinds of movies, wore Hawaiian shirts like Miami gangsters and smoked quite a bit of cigarette and drank cheap liquor.

The story is about two brothers who are into making C-grade horror/porn movies. They deal with some real Mafioso type guys who are constantly abusing and beating up the elder brother for no apparent reason. Soon the younger one gets smitten by a random dimple cheeked girl and decides to make a movie with her. This leads to further complications and a devastating end.

Unfortunately in spite of having a very interesting premise and an absolutely incredible cast Miss Lovely suffers from the art for the sake of art syndrome.

It is slow, plodding, its camera shots though exquisite linger on for no end, its script is really not explained properly and its core message lost in a mess of multi-layered narrative which can't seem to decide whether it is a documentary or a movie.

So if the so called New York educated director Ashim Ahluwalia wants to show that these C-grade movies are shot at the dead of the night, he will first show a 15 second still shot of an empty Mumbai road and only then cut to a bunch of sweaty people shooting the film in a dingy room. Some people will smoke cigarettes. Some will spew curse words. Some would simply stand in chaotic arrangements looking sleazy. A woman with too much make up would wither on bed.

Soon the movie will cut to the next scene leaving you to wonder what the point of the previous scene was. This scene will have the camera linger for 15 seconds on a man waiting to be let in a dingy room and then eventually the man will be let in and have an unimportant conversation with a random sweaty character.

For some reason the director expects film watchers to get excited with this kind of drivel. Why? Simply because no one has done it before

On the upside, the camera angles are up close and personal which gives the film a chaotic in your face look. I was breathing hard to simply catch a wide angle shot half way in the film which is a significant achievement for the makers as I guess as the style mirrors the suffocating, dirty and chaotic world the characters inhabit. The production design is plain brilliant and kept me occupied when I would completely lose interest in the film's story (which was at least 10 times during the movie).

Ultimately though, Miss lovely is a sad piece of cinema and by sad I don't mean as in story but it being a poor piece of filmmaking. There is so much wastage of time that the film's pace never really picks up. The action of the actors makes no sense because the director does not really even attempt to explain what is happening in the film. Key incidents are sprayed sporadically across the film. Somebody dies; the police catch our protagonists and beat them up for no reason. A bunch of people shoot a C-grade movie and a woman takes her clothes off and then the scene cuts to another shot. You are basically watching a random set of very well shot scenes which really never come together as a whole.

I have often seen films from Asia getting undue attention just because they showcase things the west has not seen before. Whether these films actually merit appreciation is another matter. Miss Lovely is similar. Oh wow, a film on the C-grade Indian film industry which is not Bollywood and it looks authentic ….oooh how exotic. Of course the complete lack of a coherent storyline, poor pace and a screwed up narrative completely kills Miss Lovely and the reviewers seem to overlook that.

I guess I would have enjoyed it more as a documentary but then the film never really explores even that in detail either. There is a long haired sleazy director or for that matter a midget producer who comes and goes, it would have been exciting to hear their back stories or their characters to play a role in the film. Unfortunately instead of utilizing these well played out characters the film is busy trying to be a thriller. Of course, since it is made for a western audience Ahluwalia can't just help and slip in a song and dance sequence and there is an old Biddu / Nazia Hassan song rehashed in a beautifully shot but unrealistic sequence towards the end of the film.

Ahluwalia might have tremendous talent and am sure if he chooses to make another film I might try to catch it just for the way he frames a scene but I hope he realizes with Miss Lovely that a script, narrative and pace are equally important.

Till then, I would recommend to give a miss to Miss Lovely especially for anyone who values time and good cinema.

Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

Gangs of Wasseypur: Crude, Violent and Enjoyable

[9/10 · 24 June 2012]

Anurag Kashyap's ambitious Epic Gangs of Wasseypur is a lethally long and detailed view of the life of a single gangster family and not gangs exactly.

Spread across 7 decades and over three generations it tells an authentically made and wickedly enjoyable romp of violence, politics, power and sex.

The film begins in the early 40s with the genesis of the gangs getting formed between the Muslim communities of the Qureshis (Butcher clan) and the Pathans. Trying to take advantage of this divide is the local contractor of coal mines Ramadheer Singh (director Tingmanshu Dhulia).

As the film progresses, the three groups transition from one criminal activity to another and keep slowly increasing their enmity siding with one another. The Coal mafia point is lost midway and the criminal activities start ranging from human trafficking to even fisheries extortion.

What strikes from the word go is the sheer realism of the ganglands of Bihar from nearly perfect performances of the very believable Bihar characters, to the dress sense punctuated by what is an almost unheard of in your face soundtrack made up of local Bihari hits mixed in modern sounds, this is Anurag's best in terms of art direction (maybe only bettered by his far superior Black Friday)

There is so much going on in the movie that at times it's hard to enjoy all of it. The sexually crude songs playing constantly in the back ground, the numerous acts of violence (at times hard to connect) or for that matter the out and out vulgar dialogues spouted by pretty much all the characters of the film.

However there is one major drawback which makes the film's narration slightly uneven and over dependent on a poorly placed cricket-like commentary to bridge the gaps. For example not much is shown or discussed of how the coal mafia operated other than the commentary and thus we get only glimpses of how the other two gangs, The Qureshi's Butcher Gang (led by Sultan) and Ramadheer Singh's sophisticated political gang, are evolving.

Instead, the script chooses to spend almost incessant time on the family and life of the alpha male Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpai) including his long drawn out romance with the Bengali immigrant Durga (a very hot Reema Sen)

Sardar Khan's Feisty wife Nagma (played perfectly by Richa Chaddha) ends up having more screen space than the main antagonist Ramadheer Singh (who could have been a tour de force). In the end Ramadheer Singh comes across more as a weakling against a thug like Sardar Khan. A little hard to believe considering he's been a landlord for a long time and is a politician to boot.

I guess with the film being made by Anurag Kashyap, a lot of folks will tell you that this is an awesome film which could hype-kill the movie.

It is undoubtedly a masterstroke in terms of gritty depiction of the ganglands but it could easily have been a lot crisper and stayed a little true to its title.

You could also give a benefit of a doubt to the script considering there is the still to be released second part which requires the side characters to take centre stage and hence so much time spent on their development.

Of course, the 3 hour long film picks up in the last thirty minutes when the third generation begins to come into the fore in a godfatheresque fashion and the film ends with a perfect act of violence you would have expected a long time back.

The second part of the film will be released in a couple of weeks and rest assured that those who have seen the first part will flock to see how this saga ends in what should be a definite cracker.

To sum it up, don't go in expecting a master piece and you will thoroughly enjoy and even love the film.

Special Mention: Try listening carefully to the songs playing in the background esp. Womaniya and Hunter – tunes which refuse to leave your head.

Shanghai (2012)

Relevant to the Core

[9/10 · 10 June 2012]

Shanghai is arguably the most relevant movie released all of the last 5 years in mainstream Bollywood. It showcases the bleak, other India which exists right in front of us but most of us either don't want to see it or are unaware of it because the media houses (read newspapers, TV Channels) sold out a long time ago and don't really talk about it.

The Shanghai here in question is Bharatnagar. The premise is that the aptly titled Bharat Nagar is having an International Business Park being set up. Of course the land has to be cleared of the incumbents - the poor and the downtrodden land owners of bharatnagar before IBP can take centre stage. The local government coalition is all for the IBP and has unleashed their set of goons to create nuisance and ensure evacuation.

A foreign based leftist writer Dr. Ahmadi (Prosonjit) decides to take them on and give a lecture in this charged up atmosphere. He is obviously and almost immediately mowed down by the police-politician-criminal nexus. The bureaucrats are brought in for the CMO enquiry on what police reports as an accident and thus begins Shanghai, arguably the most astute political thriller made in India in a long time.

Thrown in the middle of it are a pornographer / photographer Jogi (a brilliant Emraan Hashmi) who has some footage of the incident and the anglo Indian muse of the writer (a sans spark Kalki) trying to get his death justice.

As usual the art direction of DB is near perfect, and I guess this would be his first film which does not have any typical Delhi like characters. Though the setting is in a city near Delhi in a state with a lady CM - an obvious reference to UP.

All relevant nexus that exist in the real world India are explored in full here - from the willy nilly politicians to the goon turned politician. From the poor and exploited to the foreign based Indian leftists inspiring them to fight. Not to mention the bureaucrats caught between their careers and their morality. A horrible choice if you ask me.

The performances as usual are top notch with the pick of it being surprisingly Emraan Hashmi as the confused pornographer caught between right and wrong - he really makes the first half run.

Abhay Deol as usual is good, as the Tamil accented Bureaucrat who plays it cool and gives minimum away through his expressions. His outright grey character is one of the best roles seen in a long time in Indian cinema. Kalki is decent and her desperation towards the end is exceptional when she attacks a father and daughter with a steel plate. She could do something about her dialogue delivery though and that constantly stunned expression.

Special Mention for Farouque Shiekh as the constantly eating joint secretary, busy in psychophanting ministers and spin doctoring crises with over confidence that only bureaucrats in India can showcase. He is an absolute pleasure to watch.

3 things that stand out for the film - The script, the ending and the camera angles.

To me the camera shots of Shanghai are what run this movie. From a rotating camera angle towards the end sub texting the final scenes of the characters to how the camera follows Krishnan (Abhay Deol) as he goes to meet the CM, they mount an incredible tension in the proceedings of an already tight and pointed script that wastes absolutely no time.

The other thing which work are the last ten minutes; Dibakar Banerjee is left with a choice of ending it realistically or optimistically. The way he chooses to end it is what takes the film from good to great. Go watch Shanghai to understand the other India. It is perhaps the most relevant movie to come in a long time and finally links the multiplex movie revolution to the most pressing contemporary revolution underway in India currently.

Vicky Donor (2012)

Vicky Donor : Clinging on to Reality

[9/10 · 4 May 2012]

A month ago when I first saw the trailer of Vicky Donor, I was outright shocked - had the limit of vulgarity been crossed that Bollywood was now making movies on sperm donors!! Finally when I decided to see it post hearing some rave reviews I had difficulty telling my folks that I am going for a film like Vicky Donor - obviously a crude Punjabi sex comedy.

Except I couldn't have been more wrong and pleasantly surprised by what might just not be the best film this year but a landmark film in general. Just about everything in the film was not just good it was damn perfect.

So, as the story goes Vicky Arora (Anshuman Khurana) is your average Punjabi Delhi boy (a character type way too visible in almost every next film these days) His paths cross with a desperate Dr. Chaddha (Annu Kapoor) – a fertility specialist who is obsessed with good quality sperm. Dr. Chaddha's clinic is under threat as most of the sperms in his sperm bank are not up to the mark and can't deliver the "goods".

The first half of the film is primarily driven by Dr. Chaddha trying to convince Vicky to become a paid donor as his sperms result showcase him as having the highest fertility and motility rates. At the same time, Vicky is also trying to woo a hot Bengali banker Ashima in his typical Delhi Punjabi Boy style. There are also other interesting characters like Vicky's mother Dolly who runs a beauty parlour and Ashima's English speaking stereotypical "bong" father.

It is unsaid there are three things that work flawlessly for the film – the first is the screen writing. From the story to the dialogues to the way this difficult topic is laid out – it is an almost perfect script. Juhi Chaturvedi the writer has to be for Vicky Donor what Amit Trivedi was to Dev D. Without her writing this would never have been the film it turns out. It would have been tempting to convert this story into a long series of sex jokes what with the central topic being sperm. As a matter of fact, in the hands of commercialized Bolllywood it would have become just that (one can imagine a Sajid khan overfilling it with sex jokes and laughing himself the loudest)

Except that the screenplay just does not allow that. There is hardly a joke in the film which would qualify as toiler humor – a masterstroke as it not only makes the story credible but also allows it to have a smart social message. The credit goes to the dialogues and situations. From the Bengali – North Indian wedding which was so apt (since I myself underwent one recently) to the second half where the protagonists face a personal challenge - the script is plain brilliant!!

The second point which stands out and practically runs Vicky donor are the performances. Annu Kapoor has always been an exceptional actor from his Tezaab days but in Vicky Donor he is touching a new high. You know he hits home when one ends up understanding his frustration of trying to explain to people that sperm donation is not a dirty profession but the need of the hour almost like a social service. The other standout performance is of Anshuman Khurana as Vicky. The cheesy oneliners he uses to woo Ashima would have been PJs in the hands of any other actor but Anshuman delivers them with the perfect tilt of head. Not to mention his well handled moments of poignancy in the second half of the film.

Again Dolly Ahluwalia as the cribbing mom and Kamlesh Gill as her super cool mom in law / Vicky's grandmother stand out. One actually looks forward to their scenes in the films. In one particular scene - 50 yr + traditionally clad mother and mom in law are having their daily drinks – in the midst of it all - the mother in law gets emotional about Dolly not getting any dowry. This hilarious and continuous check on reality makes this film a pleasure to watch.

The third point that stands out is the editing - at exactly 2 hours, Vicky Donor makes for an enjoyable 120 minutes, no time is wasted on anything which does not add value to the script. Even a romantic evening out for the couple ends in a revelation which is that check of reality the film keeps subtlety bringing about.

The slice of life comedy with an emotional social message genre has seen the Munnabhai movies and 3 idiots as the best entries so far. Vicky Donor is a wonderful addition to this genre and makes it all the more relevant and believable.

Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone who likes to watch entertaining cinema and yet not leave their brains at home. So do go out watch this film and don't forget to tell your parents that you are going for Vicky Donor – a comedy about sperm donation.