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Reviews
24 (2016)
Stoping reading reviews, go watch it!!!
Suriya's 24 is a brilliant film made by Vikram K Kumar!
Wondering why the review starts without any build-up and right away cuts to the point? It is because, that is how director Vikram K Kumar starts his narration in 24, which from the very first breath starts to grow in front of your eyes. Absolutely no time taken in setting up the plot or leeway given to the audience to settle down - Beware, for this particular film, it is a mandate to watch it from the first for you to enjoy the complete essence of the story; please avoid walking into the cinema hall late!
The ultimate fact of life that solution to almost every problem or conflict in one's life can be fixed if 'time' was manipulative. Now, using this fact to tell a story is more than a smart move, as stories are about conflicts and the subsequent resolutions. This is where Suriya's 24 does not struggle even a bit to captivate you as it chooses 'time travel' as its primary concept.
There might be a common argument criticizing the romance sequence and the decision to have chosen this episode to tell the power of an important gadget in the film. But what one shouldn't forget is, a storyteller is given the tag 'smart' only when he understands his whole wide range of audience and designs the elements of his story accordingly.
Full marks to Suriya for portraying three characters simultaneously covering all emotions from a lover, caring father to a crazy villain...Also do enjoy the soundtrack by AR Rehman...
Film industry should continue engaging in such daring, experimental ventures and widen the scope for storytellers in our industry.
Sicario (2015)
This movie got all 3 boxes ticked
We walked into the theater in a dilemma to go either for The walk which had Joseph Levitt one of the guys who hasn't delivered a single bad performance or Sicario the movie with an edgy trailer we let the Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb take that decision for us. It turned out to be a good one.
A movie like Sicario makes impact by its cinematography and soundtrack which you will experience in full zest. The cinematography of the movie by Roger Deakins, capturing the empty horizons, the tunnels, the below-par life on the suburbs and the drab look and feel of a semi-arid region infested with drug lords and gangwars, is awesome. So is the soundtrack by Johann Johansson which enhances the subtle, understated drama at every level. Benecio del Toro (havent seen much of his work would love to) steals the show with his chilling, ice-cold,
hawk-eyed, single-minded endeavor, one of the best grey-shade characters we have seen for a while. He is definitely up for an Oscar nomination along with Deakins and Johannson. The director shoots these scenes with great precision utilizing the slow- burn approach that Breaking Bad perfected.
This film isn't concerned with tender moments, but when it takes a breath and surveys the meaningless chaos in the world, it hits hard with some great lines delivered by Toro. Sicario being a movie that belongs to black cinema genre will not be liked by all. The movie falters perhaps in the tale itself which is a storyline which is quite predictive. The twists and turns are in the characters more than the story. So while the movie presents an interesting view of characters, the tale itself leaves space for improvement. Blunt becomes less and less significant as the movie proceeds, until the end where she becomes nothing more than a dotted line. Yet, it is a decent watch.
Watch it for great cinematography and one of the best chilling soundtrack and for Toro's brilliant acting.
The Intern (2015)
Do not miss this one...
As someone in your sixites, your first instinct to a 30 something giving an advice is, 'Really, you've the audacity?' So when I watched Robert De Niro as Ben Whittaker trying to make himself useful as an intern at About The Fit, a startup sensation, an ecommerce company founded by Jules (Anne Hathway), by helping the delivery lady, by coming in at 7am to clear a table that was unofficially the dustbin of the office and to take Jules' blazer to laundry when she stains it, I knew this was a very interesting character in the making. But, all Ben was doing was showing you the dignity of labour and how you could totally connect to people two generations after you by just being calm and helpful.
The Intern is not a preachy movie and it is not about how a 70 year old chivalrous gentleman comes and fixes the problems in the life of Jules. In fact, he does nothing of that sort and the movie, pretty much ends where it begins, with Jules continuing to be the same driven, passionate person who would go to the warehouse and tell her workers how to pack deliveries when clothes were ordered.
The movie is not about one person saving the day for another person. It is about how small things in our everyday life could be fixed with good attitude and good humour and Ben personifies the guy who doesn't take offense at anything, loves his work (which is why he returns as an intern to a company now running in a remodelled version of his old workplace - a nice touch to the story). Ben is a great guy who tries to look like the guy next door and it helps that he teaches mannerisms like carrying a handkerchief on you so you could offer it when some lady is crying. From start to finish, the movie shows you how the big problems are rarely about the big problems. There is a lesson here for all of us, Look at your elders and learn from them as the movie tagline says "Experience never gets old"
Well the movie does have its own flaws but who am I not a critic, just a fan. Give the movie a chance, will ya?
Patiala House (2011)
good movie
What's it about: This isn't the first film to be shot in the Sikh milieu of Southall, a London suburb. However, it would be the first one to have a dozen-odd characters to fill up a palatial Patiala House. Bauji (Rishi) spews venom against the goras after suffering insults at their hands and losing one of his family members in a racial scuffle. A decade on, he still can't let go of the past and issues a no-firangs-allowed diktat. His beta, Gattu (Akshay) is an aspiring fast bowler, whose dreams of playing for his country are crushed in his teenage years. Now a mere puppet in his dad's hands, he's the butt of everyone's jokes, until an army of relatives and another half-blood Punjabi lass (Anushka) inspires him to join the country's team. What's hot: Akshay takes a break from his dime-a-dozen comedies to work in a serious role. What works for him is the fact that he looks like a real cricketer. Even the mock drills when he's rehearsing, look authentic. Given his athletic frame, he looks the part of a fast bowler. He puts in one of his most restrained performances. Rishi Kapoor is pitch perfect in the role of the dictatorial patriarch. His scenes with the Khiladi stand out, delivering the required amount of drama. Anushka has played the chatterbox girl next door before, but she still comes across fresh and likable. Even though the climax is predictable, Advani succeeds in roping you in using the patriotism card. What's not: The biggest grouse you have is this: if Bauji really was that troubled by the goras and their hatred toward his family, why didn't he simply pack his bags and leave? After living in Southall and running a series of businesses there, he still harbors bitter feelings for the locals. Even though it's the central theme of the film, it's a bit difficult to swallow. Also, Advani takes a little too long to get the ball rolling. We understand Gattu's plight, but constant flashbacks and reminders of why he's sad, is a drag on the pace. The songs are weak. Plus, the standout track 'Laung Da Lashkara' comes during the end credits. Even the background score lacks the quintessential Panju punch. With Akshay playing for England and not India, it doesn't really evoke the sense of jingoism that a Lagaan or Chak De! manged to. While the father-son relation is genuinely moving, Gattu's entry in the English cricket team and the climax matches are super cliché ©d and extra filmy. What's that! Poor Dimple gets just one dialogue. Each time she rushes to say something; Rishi stops her with a raised index finger. So much for women empowerment! What to do: Akshay's fans will enjoy his new form. This one may not score a six, but it manages to dispatch one to the boundary.