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Neeyat (2023)
Started out great, then dove deep into cliche valley.
Plus points: Acting by the entire cast, led by Vidya Balan and Ram Kapoor. Honestly, I liked the first half because it gave the impression that it would be a fresh take on the whodunit genre. The various characters, their mutual relationships, financial status and possible motives are set out decently.
2. Music, production design and cinematography were all top notch. This film gets the technical stuff right.
Negatives: 1. All the cliches esp. Post the intermission. Once again, we have a detective that is a specialist in every subject under the sun, and knows the most random bits of information about allergies, chandeliers, etc that unsurprisingly all turn out to be relevant in solving the case at hand.
2. If you're gonna go out of your way to show a scene how Vidya Balan's character outwitted and hacked AK and the CBI both, then might as well do a good job of it. Instead, it's a lazy explanation that she was a former employee of AK Cyber!
3. Lots of convenient plot devices to help the detective solve the case super speedily. For ex: AK and his sister discuss what is probably their dirtiest little secret out loud in a living room with who they think is a CBI officer, even if she's unconscious.
Overall, the film was fun, seemed fresh, and I didn't some of the twists coming. Just wish some creative writing was done in order to move away from the cliched storyline.
Tár (2022)
An out and out Cate Blanchett show
I was completely transported into the world of western classical music and the life of a conductor with Tár. Cate Blanchett was incredibly impressive with her acting from the word go. I think she completely embodied this character and as a viewer I felt I was voyeuristically observing her, as her life and transgressions slowly unravel. Every other character in this movie played only a supporting role towards showing this happen. Some scenes are legitimately unsettling and difficult to watch, and I mean this in a good way.
I think, like me, if you find yourself invested in seeing the slow but definite downfall of this complex character you won't necessarily feel the drag of the screenplay. I do wish some aspects were developed more than others. In my initial thoughts after the film's ending, I felt there were a few loose ends and incomplete story arcs. But upon reflecting on the film I have been able to see that they were in fact resolved. The issue is that too much is left to interpretation and some symbolism will surely be missed on the first viewing. On the technical front, the cinematography and colour grading give a distant, cold aura to the film much like the protagonist herself. I also quite liked the almost horror and thriller-esque vibe that they went for. On a side note, when I looked up the director I felt he looked familiar and turns out he played one of the scientists in Twister! He's clearly come a long way and I will check out his future directorial works for sure.
Run (2020)
One of the best thrillers of the last decade
Like many reviewers mentioned already, Run reminded me of Misery, but the former is darker and stands on its own footing despite the obvious inspiration. It's always a delight to watch a thriller with smart characters who do exactly what you yell at them to do! Credits to writers Aneesh Chaganty (also director) and Sev Ohanian.
The acting, especially from the debutante Kiera Allen is genuinely impressive. I'm starting to feel that Sarah Paulson is getting typecast in these roles and for this reason the twists simply don't hit you as intended. Nevertheless, she's convincing in all the shades she gets to enact in this movie.
Apart from the acting and direction, I really like the editing and screenplay of this film as they add a certain slick and dynamic quality to the unpredictable and terrifying events of the film. Because it's a well-made film there isn't a lot to criticise and is one of my favourite thrillers amongst the newer ones.
Adhurs (2010)
Consistently Entertaining
One thing is clear, this movie brings together some big powerhouses of talent in Jr. NTR (Chari and Narasimha), Brahmanandam (Bhattu) and director VV Vinayak. I've always liked Jr. NTR's screen presence ever since I saw Simhadri in the theatre. Here he plays a double role, switching between disparate characters effortlessly. The highlight of this movie is the Brahmin priest character he plays along with Brahmanandam, and they have amazing comedic chemistry together. Words can't do justice to describe the importance of Brahmanandam to the Telugu film industry but that's a story for another day. Nice supporting cast in Nayanthara, Ashish Vidyarthi, Nasser, Sayaji Shinde and Sheela Kaur.
I'd seen the comedy clips from this movie for several years before deciding to watch the entire film. I wasn't disappointed. The comedy felt fresh and almost all the jokes landed. In fact, after the movie ended I was left craving for more Chari and Bhattu scenes. The songs and BGM are nice, the action sequences are decent but could use some ruthless editing to cut down the length of the film. I think the director VVV has a great sense of what is entertaining for the Telugu audience and delivers it in abundance.
The Pink Panther (2006)
Unfair comparisons weigh down this delightful film!
Laughed like a crazy hyena throughout. The jokes are soooo random they're hilarious. Steve Martin is perfect for the role of the bumbling, lucky Inspector Clouseau. Honestly, I don't always appreciate slapstick humour as it can be borderline annoying with all the exaggerated characters, dumbed down jokes and improbable scenarios. I definitely have a preference for a more witty, subtle and dry brand of humour.
But I love this movie wholeheartedly nevertheless. I've come to realise that comedy movies depend heavily on the charm and talent of the actors and the manner in which the script and execution are handled. And this one gets these basics right. I never took the film too seriously as a detective mystery neither did I expect some ground-breaking, super original humour. And no I didn't find Martin's French accent offensive in the least, rather I'd say I found it endearing. I think this mindset while watching helped me enjoy this film immensely.
On that note, I never understood the low ratings for this film, from my cursory glance of the other reviews, it's mostly from people who have watched the original Pink Panther movie with Peter Sellers portraying Inspector Clouseau. I haven't watched it yet, will surely do but I don't think that'll affect my fondness for this film.
Om Shanti Om (2007)
Quintessential Bollywood
Like most movies he's in, SRK carries this film on the power of his charm. This is not to say the plot is weak, but unless they're an old Bollywood film buff, the storyline, parodies and references are unlikely to have an impact on the viewer. If they are though, they're in for a treat. This movie is comic, emotional, nostalgic and heartfelt all at the same time. It is best described as a period-fantasy love drama.
There are two reasons this film is remembered for today - one, for being Deepika Padukone's debut (surprisingly impressive), and second, for being pitted against Saawariya in a now regrettably ugly campaign as both films were being released on the same day. To be frank, I love both films now but back in the day I couldn't look past the tragic beauty of Saawariya which I saw first and so I couldn't appreciate Om Shanti Om for the beautiful film it is.
Firstly, the acting from the entire cast - including SRK, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal, Kirron Kher, Shreyas Talpade is commendable. I especially loved the chemistry between Talpade and SRK. The music is wonderful and each song is memorable. The costumes, sets and production design made me feel nostalgic for a time period I didn't even exist in. My biggest issue is the length and editing of the film, but one can also argue that the whole vengeance subplot wouldn't have felt earned otherwise. Then there are also a few jokes I felt weren't in good humour as they involved some real people. But overall, a wholesome tribute to the quintessential Bollywood masala film genre.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
So damn entertaining from start to finish!
This is a great, entertaining period adventure comedy drama. Johnny Depp as the charming, hilarious and morally ambiguous pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow is the highlight amongst the cast. I absolutely adore his introduction scene - the camera angle makes you think he's commandeering a mighty ship, add to it the majestic orchestration!
Good supporting roles by Orlando Bloom, Kiera Knightley (the only female character amongst the main cast and surprisingly neither a one dimensional flower pot nor just a damsel in distress), Jack Davenport, Geoffrey Rush and others. The score is terrific and memorable. The sets and costumes are apt and transport you into another world. Disney struck gold with this concept! For 2003, the CGI is quite impressive. I normally skip action sequences as most times they don't contribute to the narrative but here they are innovative and fun to watch. As a genre film, I can't find a single flaw in this movie.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Amazing effort but missing some coherence and tonally confusing
I'll start with what I loved - the casting was spot on, and the acting was great for both the emotional moments and the dark comedy bits. The theme is a difficult one to tackle but the writers and director did a commendable job. The set design looked very creative and original. Overall amazing effort, and this film deserves all the recognition it's been receiving.
The plot would've worked better if there was no video evidence at all. Bcos we're told that Cassie wasn't present at the party where Nina's assault takes place. It's all he said, she said, so the system failed her initially due to lack of hard evidence. They should've made Madison's character confess what she witnessed of the incident to kick start's Nina's revenge 2.0. Then cassie's subsequent death and Al's arrest for her murder would've brought justice to Nina in a backdoor, indirect way which would've made more sense.
Sadly the availability of the video evidence and the fact that there's no statutory limitation for rape (in India at least, but most probably in the US as well) dilutes the necessity and moral justification of cassie's actions. Bcos ultimately in the end Al is going to jail which Cassie could've achieved even without her dying. Seems like the video plot line was added only to show that "nice guys" like Ryan are not what they appear to be. But this choice has negatively affected the tone and coherence of the film. It doesn't help that it isn't easy to relate to or root for our protagonist.
Amanda Knox (2016)
A longer and more thorough documentary would've helped, but not bad!
This is not as biased as some reviewers claim it is, just not as thorough as the base material's scope allows. It is now pretty much established that there isn't a single evidence in the crime scene connecting Knox to it. As for Sollecito's DNA on the bra clasp, it was most likely contaminated during evidence collection and analysis stage. Guede's DNA on the other hand is all over the crime scene, and his behaviour post the murder and relevant criminal past is frankly far more incriminating than Knox's ever was! Classic misdirection I suppose.
They also show the supposed murder weapon and explain the possible reason for it containing both knox's and kercher's dna, which was surprising but convincing nevertheless.
They do somewhat get their main point across of how an enthusiastic and sensationalist media combined with an incompetent but powerful and corrupt police/prosecution can send pretty much anyone to jail.
But frankly this could've been better. Maybe a 3 episode limited series would've done this case justice. You need to more thoroughly show how the initial investigators disturbed the crime scene, didn't follow established procedure, etc. Which is the primary cause for all the subsequent legal mess and intense media hounding of weird but ultimately innocent people. Don't know how persuasive this documentary is to people who've already made up their mind that Knox and Sollecito are involved in the crime but got away! Entertaining bits were the journalist's complete lack of moral compass and the soap-opera-loving, sherlock-pipe-smoking lead prosecutor.
Bombay Begums (2021)
Missed Potential
Some good things first: Great acting, esp. Pooja Bhatt and Amruta Subhash + cinematography + aesthetic production values
Worst Part: Annoying, ill-timed, and precocious narration throughout the series. Do the writers expect us to believe that a clearly young, immature and privileged brat can drop words of feminist wisdom like what is shown?
Some of the dialogues are very hammy and spell out the obvious. For eg: I would have liked to spot for myself the irony of Rani's character in making an ad for Karva Chauth instead of a character blurting it out.
The last bit btw, is true for most of the conversations between the characters. You can make a poster with every second line spoken in this show. Who even speaks like that? They lack realism and authenticity.
About the male characters: Just two-dimensional. Either extremely evil and predator-types or mindbogglingly loving and forgiving at the cost of self-dignity. An acting power like Rahul Bose is wasted in this series.
Acting is quite good for the most part. However most of the characters are written to be extremely unlikeable. In itself, it would not be a problem. But neither the acting nor the writing helps you understand some of their motivations. Thus It's difficult to empathise with the situations they put themselves, and their friends/families through.
I think the writers were just unreasonably ambitious in trying to weave every feminist issue into the plot. The result is that none of them are treated in the manner that they deserve. It's all superficially dealt with. Climax is very underwhelming.
If you want to watch good women oriented films with depth and authenticity, please see Shyam Benegal's work. This series unfortunately did not meet its potential.