divineflame06 Reviews

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)

Wholesome entertainer

[9/10 · 28 July 2023]

Too good and a wholesome entertainer. Extremely witty and funny dialogues with a very good screenplay and gorgeous art design. The film looks extremely lavish and pretty and has the content to back it. Absolutely firecracker of a cast. Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bacchan and Aamir Bashir are the backbones of the film. Terrific acting by them. Dharam paaji without even saying anything shows how potent acting is without dialogues. The first time he mouths a full sentence, I got literal goosebumps. Ranveer is an absolute firecracker as he gets into his own element and owns the character of Rocky Randhawa. He shows his comic range as well as emotional range with aplomb. Alia goes toe to toe with him as their chemistry is sizzling. All the talk after watching the video of 'tum kya mile' about their non existent chemistry goes down the drain once both of them appear in the frame together. 1st half is a laughter riot and the second half takes over a more serious tone and touches upon some serious issues which are handled well given how mainstream the film is and who has made it. The film is just a shade under 180 mins but I never for a second gets boring. This is easily Kjo's best work. Go watch it and have a fun, relaxing and chill weekend. You won't regret this purebred Bollywood style masala family entertainer.

Jaya Bachchan saying ' keh dia na bas keh dia.' Literal chills man!

Kapoor & Sons (2016)

Heartwarming

[9/10 · 20 March 2022]

Bollywood has lacked a good family drama for quite a few years now and it has all changed with this one. This movie is the story of two brothers and their dysfunctional family wherein everyone lies to each other and keep secrets which threaten to tear apart the family. Packed with explosive performances from Rajat Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rishi Kapoor, Fawad Khan and Siddharth Malhotra this movie is a treat to watch. The meticulous ease with which the director has treated this whole movie makes this one different from the rest of the pack. There is this one scene which actually starts out being funny but ends up in a brawl between Fawad and Siddharth. Shows how the director just handles the plot so well to give us some great scenes.

There is Rajat Kapoor and Ratna Pathak Shah trying to save their marriage in the face of financial crisis. There is the love and hate relationship between the brothers, Fawad and Siddharth and then there is the 90 year old Rishi Kapoor who just wants to have a family portrait before he dies. Alia has quite a small yet important role and comes in as a breath of fresh air when the emotions run too high in the movie. The plot is packed with quite a few surprises in the form of lies the characters have been telling throughout their lives. What happens when those lies are exposed just during the end and how much it affects the whole family forms the crux of the story.

Songs are good and the best part is that they are not forcefully fed to us in between scenes and they come at appropriate times. Shot in the beautiful locales of Coonoor the cinematographer captures the natural beauty from time to time to give the movie a good visual feel.

The movie has a very urban feel to it and shows about a normal middle class family and their relationships with each other. Their deep unending, unresolved issues are on their face and they just cannot get rid of it. Emotions will ride high throughout the movie as you will see quite genuine love between the family which is hidden deep inside. Few tears will definitely be shed from time to time and also a few laughs courtesy Rishi Kapoor and his penchant to watch Porn. Do watch this with your friends and family as this one is a genuine family flick and has a solid story and great acting.

Jalsa (2022)

Nuanced bit of work

[8/10 · 19 March 2022]

Jalsa is the story of a hit & run accident which throws a lot of people's lives haywire. It forces and tests their belief systems, morality while being a character study of sorts. What happens when people are pushed to their brink, when it's about their survival? Is morality thrown out of the window or do you fight it? The film is a nuanced portrayal of all the above.

It stars arguably the two biggest powerhouses of acting in Indian cinema, Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah. Vidya plays the role of a tough, ethical journalist while Shefali plays the role of her maid. The juxtaposition the films portrays through it's two female leads is laudable. Both are at polar ends of the societal class system, have their own set of problems and are bound by maternal roles & instincts. An unfortunate incident takes place which turns their world upside down and both are left to ride through the chaos that ensues their life. What follows is a taut thriller and a game of human emotions, psyche and morality.

The writing cleverly avoids any sort of melodrama to get its point across. While Vidya's character is more vocal and dialogue heavy (being a journalist), Shefali's gut wrenching silent portrayal of her sufferings is on another level. Suresh Triveni helms the director's hat along with Prajwal Chandrashekhar's taut writing. It translates to a slow burn screenplay giving ample time for the story to brew. The film does test your patience in some places but all the pieces and conflicts have been carefully orchestrated by the director and writers which pays off as the story gradually progresses. The support cast is also terrific especially child actor Surya who plays Vidya's disabled son. One of the biggest highlights of the show apart from the acting is the how to plot progresses and ends. Time and again and even through the trailer one might expect the film to turn into a regular run of the film cop crime thriller. But the film turns drastically away from this and there in lies it's monopoly.

With just a shade over 2 hours, Jalsa is a fascinating watch of complex human emotions, their inner conflicts and the instinctive fight for survival.

Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021)

Breath of fresh air

[9/10 · 18 March 2022]

What a poetic gangster drama. Told from the narrative view point of a cop, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana tells the story of 2 friends. Hari & Shiva who are completely opposite in personalities and would go on to become dreaded gangsters of their locality. Ambition, jealousy and ego comes in between them and that forms the rest of the plot. The film is deeply rooted in Indian mythology and has the violent tendecies of a City of God. The story is very local and personal and yet makes a big impact on the viewer's mind. It has a certain romanticism to all the violence. Direction is on point by Raj who also plays the character of Shiva.

The violence the film depicts is not always on face value, but left to the viewer's mind to imagine the shock, horror and the gore of it. The cinematography flows like a river capturing the local flavour, small lanes and the nooks and corners and the people who inhabit them. The film conveys a lot of emotions without any dialogues, particularly for Shiva's character.

All in all this is a very well written and performed film. It's a treat to watch such characters even though the gangster drama genre is so overly done with the same kind of story and charactes being recycled. GGVV comes as a breath of fresh air with local flavour.

The Batman (2022)

For Batman Purists.

[9/10 · 15 March 2022]

One might think that after 14 incantations of the caped crusader on screen by various filmmakers, what's left more to explore? The answer lies in Matt Reeves's, The Batman. A very fresh (comparatively) and different take not only from other Batflicks but from the superhero genre itself. It would probably be wrong to call this a superhero film because it is far away from it, for me atleast. The film is a purebred neo noir detective horror thriller at it's core. It channels a David Fincheresque way of storytelling (likes of zodiac, se7en etc). It has horror elements throughout, genuinely scaring me and keeping me on my toes staring into the nooks and corners. It seems certainly inspired from the criminal underbelly and politics of Nolan's Bat Trilogy. The film is shot like a piece of art and might get you into thinking am I witnessing an art house film? The neo noir style of filmmaking with a superhero at centre reeks of freshness. Could have gone horribly wrong mind you if not executed to the T. But Reeves manages to do it with aplomb. The film is dark, figuratively and literally as well. The various shades of black makes the viewing experience a tad bit difficult (thank goodness there was no 3D version otherwise we would have been watching a black screen for 3 hours). It's dark, moody, subdued going around in its paces which is slow, very slow. It rarely bursts out, characters talk in hushed tones, there is no flamboyance. Feels like watching a no nonsense detective thriller.

Pattinson's take on Batman while certainly new for the character, is not new for him. Twilight fans would understand and remember the broody and moody Edward Cullen. Pattinson channels the same energy here and I'm not complaning, It works wonders. We have a lot more of Batman than Bruce Wayne in this film. Topping Bale and Keaton is not easy but I feel Pattinson is on his way. Obviously it is too early to tell (2 more movies are planned). But he certainly is on his way to be called the best Batman. He is phenomenal in his role. I wish I could say the same about Zoe(Catwoman), Jeffrey Wright (Gordon), Andy Serkins (Alfred). They are grossly underused and underwritten. They are such fantastic actors within themselves, it almost feels criminal to have not fleshed them out on paper and on screen with a bit more effort. While Bat and cat's chemistry is sizzling on screen and that is what kept me for wanting more. Paul Dano (Riddler) was freakin' terrifying and I can't stress this enough. He gave me the goosebumps. He was in a mask for almost the entirety of the film and still could give you the chills. I have never seen or read a more sadistic Riddler. His chemistry with the Bat was off the charts in the pre climax scene making me clamour why this didn't happen a good 2 hours ago. Reminding me of The Bat and Joker's interrogation scene in 'The Dark Knight'. Colin Farrell as Penguin is crazy and unrecognisable. It was a treat to watch so many villains of the Bat together in a film.

Coming to the other technical aspects of the film. Cinematography is up close and personal letting you into the psyche of the character on screen. Greig Fraser (Dune and many other notable works) does a tremendous job in capturing the mood of the film. There are some extraordinary shots and scenes, (Bat jumping from a building, a car chase sequence, bat fighting in tunnels etc) just unbelievable which you just have to witness. This is easily the most visually aesthetic superhero film I have watched. Music is by another legend Michael Giacchino. His BGM is edgy, goes well with the tone of the film and enhances the visuals with the errieness translating through the music. Matt Reeves and Peter Craig's writing is top notch (albeit some problems with character fleshing and pacing of the film). There is this one scene which is an absolute favourite of mine where the Bat(unconscious) is surrounded by about 20 cops in a jail cell. They try to unmask him and he wakes up and what follows is just stuff of dreams.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Batman by Matt Reeves. It's a very strong film with good performances, visuals and music. It can grow into something extraordinary in the future with other films coming out. It's a strong start. The film though I feel is mostly for Batman purists. We will enjoy the film more than some others. But the reaction to the film has been crazy with what I have read so far and it's amazing to see viewers appreciating this film.

Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)

Alia steals the show.

[8/10 · 26 February 2022]

As expected from any SLB film, grandeur drips from every frame, dialogue and music. While from the onset the film might seem like a regular rise from the ground kind of formulaic gangster tale. But this is not one of them. The film tells the story of a young Ganga tricked into being sold into prostitution and her subsequent rise to Gangubai. The lack of a substantial antagonist or conflict did bother me from time to time. It felt like a sore thumb sticking out from an otherwise flawless film. Apart from SLB's grand narrative the film rests entirely on Alia's young shoulders. Even after so many terrific performances people doubt her acting skills. I too had my doubts as I felt her face didn't suit this character. But boy o boy she thrashes those premeditated thoughts with full power. She is absolutely awesomeness personified on screen. I could hardly take my eyes off her when she was in the frame. Her gujrati accent, dialogue delivery, her expressions lend every ounce of authenticity required to act her part. She owns the role and it felt she was born to act as Gangubai. Safe to say she tops her Highway performance for me with this one and sets a new benchmark for herself and others as well. Coming to the brilliant support cast consisting of Seema Pahwa, Indira Tiwari, Shantanu and Vijay Raaz lend able support to Alia and are a treat to watch. I just feel Vijay Raaz's Razia Begum vs Gangubai could have been explored a lot more as their chemistry was sizzling on yhe frame and I was clamouring for more of it. Ajay Devgn's extended cameo was bomb enough and his fiery eyes lit up his scenes with Alia.

The film chronicles Gangubai's struggles from the word go where she keeps passing one test from another. The production design felt artistic and grand. Even the nook and corners of brothels while feeling dirty, shabby and authentic seemed inviting due to the nature of SLB's story telling process. For the first time i felt no hummable tracks from an SLB film, which is shocking. But the BGM suits the tone and narrative. The scenes are neatly captured with wide angle inviting frames that suck you into yhe world.

This might not be SLB's best work but is still a good film to watch and Alia's acting is one of the biggest reasons to watch it.

The Ghazi Attack (2017)

Good watch

[8/10 · 17 February 2022]

Seldom do we have amazing war dramas made in India. The Ghazi Attack breaks the mould to give us an edge of seat, gripping movie. Not many know about this war and I'm among them. Though the movie is a work of fiction and the events have been dramatized, the premise is the same.

The movie has an ensemble cast consisting of Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni, Rana Duggabati. All 3 deliver power packed performance which add to the amazingness of the movie. We also get to see how a submarine works with detailed sets of the interiors of a submarine. Most of the other underwater scenes are courtesy special effects which are mildly average to be very frank. The movie is very tight with just a little over 120 minutes and does not feel stretched even a bit.

The movie beautifully shows the internal conflict in between the indian naval officers. It adds to depth of the film . Sankalp Reddy does a fine job considering this is his directorial debut. He lets the movie stay in its genre and does not indulge in mainstream elements to try and sell the movie. Patriotism and nationalism is high in the film as expected. The unique experience the movie offers being an underwater film is reason enough to watch it.

Badhaai Do (2022)

Wasted opportunity

[5/10 · 13 February 2022]

Oh how I wish what this film could have been to what it has been. Following up on the incredible Badhaai ho, this feels like a damb squib. The setup was so amazing but alas the execution falters at every stage. The narative seemed incoherent into arriving to a point. The homosexuality tabboo wasn't explored enough. The film just felt like it was just going through the paces just for the sake of it. It kept moving from scene to scene inducing just laughter at various situations. Many scenes were so long that it kept lingering without any end result. Then the ending, felt just too easy. The struggle, where is the struggle? I kept asking myself. And keeping in mind the movie was 150+ mins, they had ample time but they chose to do something else with it rather than focusing on the core issue the film was trying to tackle. The only highlight is the humour of the film and Rajkumar's acting. He is flawless as usual. Bhumi on the other hand giving the notion of her repeated roles and style of acting, nothing new there. Skip this film entirely or watch it if you don't have anything better to do.

Gehraiyaan (2022)

Mature

[8/10 · 11 February 2022]

Much more than just a movie about infidelity. A matured drama about complex characters and how messy and complicated life can be. Shakun Batra delivers yet another drama after Kapoor and Sons with sheer excellence. The film is beautiful to watch. The framing of the scenes and overall cinematography sets the mood of the film just right. It sticks and runs along the narrative like how a F1 car would run around corners, planted and sure footed. The music is hip and fresh. Deepika is a firecracker, once again delivering a top notch performance. But Sid sadly couldn't match up. Maybe his performance as MC sher in Gully Boy is insane to match, so the expectations are sky-high. Ananya is serviceable, not much expectations from her but she did decently. The only negative from my viewing experience is the the story arc for Sid's character and the aftermath for it seemed a bit off. I didn't feel I got closure and I would creatively disagree with the part of that plot. The film does come a full circle overall albeit that little hiccup I wrote about in the previous sentence. I'm just happy to see mature films like this coming out of Bollywood talking about and exploring the complexities of humans, relationships and life that happens. Give this a watch, you cannot miss this out.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

A brilliant film with a once in a lifetime performance

[10/10 · 3 February 2022]

I have waited so long to watch this, and I cannot forgive myself for not watching this in a theatre. I badly wanted to but couldn't due to unforeseen reasons. I'm so happy I could watch this today. I literally had tears in my eyes just as the movie was ending. The feeling is very tough to be described in words. Just as the lyrics goes 'shivers down the spine', goosebumps all over. How brilliantly did they recreate the greatest live performance ever? The Live Aid 1985 when the entire world was ruled by Queen and in particular Freddie, the greatest performer ever. It was so eerily similar. I might have watched that performance on YouTube about a 100 times and seeing it recreated on screen with such similarity is a feat in itself.

Rami Malek absolutely owns the character of Freddie Mercury, he just knocks the ball out of the park with this one. This is among those once in a lifetime performances. Even an Oscar wouldn't do justice to this performance.

The film has such a good pace and narrative to it that the entirety of it seems just like a cool mellow breeze which you can relax and enjoy. The film might have major historical inaccuracies, but I didn't care about that. Because it is such an enjoyable film that you get lost in it. You get lost in Rami's performance, Brian Singer's direction and Anthony McCarten's screenplay. Creative liberties have to be taken and for me it is justified only if it doesn't divert much from the original happenings. The art and production design is so bang on, creating the 70's, 80's so efficiently. Newton Thomas Sigel's camera work is epic here, capturing Malek's every emotion so deftly. It all adds to the brilliance of the movie.

I have rated it a full 10 but I would have loved a bit detailed first half mainly catering to the formation of Queen and their early years, I wouldn't have minded an extra 20 minutes. That would have made the movie complete. This movie is a must must watch, especially for Queen and Freddie fans out there. Go watch it, cry a little and watch Rami give one of the greatest performances ever.

Eternals (2021)

A different direction for MCU

[7/10 · 8 November 2021]

Honestly I liked it and I also do understand the mixed reviews from critics. See this film is totally different from the previous 25 films in the MCU. It's a shift towards something else, a different mythos. Chloe Zhao (if you have seen her earlier films) makes a certain kind of cinema. Seeing Eternals it feels she was given a good amount of creative control. The film might feel slow in the 1st half because of the immense world building it has to do with so many characters and myths involved. It still does it reasonably well. It's very unlike a traditional Marvel film with the cheek in tongue humor and a formulaic approach to film making which works incredibly well. The film has a lot to cover in 150 mins, and I felt it did cover everything to some extent but still left me wanting for more.

The film has glorious visuals, it's just a feast for the eyes. The film takes you around the globe in different times, in different empires as it walks through the history of Eternals while. It's just cool to watch knowing what all the Eternals did from the start of mankind. Was pretty excited to see the GOT boys Richard and Kit, and they don't disappoint. It was eerie watching them say 'I love you Sersi"(Those who know, know). Angelina Jolie was breathtaking to watch, I simply couldn't take my eyes off her. Yet again Marvel Villain dissapoints me, as the Deviants don't have any character to them as they simply are like beasts. Post credit scenes are cool and give a great insight on the future. I'm psyched for the next chapter in the MCU gallore as they explore more amazing characters I grew up reading. Sure this wouldn't rank in my top 5 Mcu movies, but Eternals is not as bad as the reviews have made it sound. An absolute must watch for a Marvel fan.

Annabelle (I) (2014)

Disappointed

[5/10 · 11 October 2021]

One of the most highly anticipated horror movies of our times, Annabelle directed by John Leonetti is both a prequel and a spin off to one of the most scariest movies of all times The Conjuring. The film is based on the true story of the origin of Annabelle doll. The film revolves around the ever so common and safe plot of a demon haunting for the need of a soul and how the doll gets possessed or to be exact how it is being used as a conduit by demonic spirits. The lead actors Mia played by Annabelle Wallis (strange xD) and Ward Horton do a pretty great job at being the family in the centre of action. The film starts with the opening scene of The conjuring and moves further taking us into the past showing the origin of Annabelle doll. The film has quite the bone chilling scenes and sound effects which make it scary but not as scary as The Conjuring if you want to compare the two. The climax was a bit let down as i was expecting something different. Nonetheless it is still a good horror flick to watch and fans of this genre will be drawn to it. The most horrific part is the doll, and you cannot help but think about it every time you sleep at night. The makers have taken a lot of efforts to make the doll scary considering the fact that the original doll is so simple that no one would be scared.

Karnan (2021)

Sensational

[10/10 · 9 October 2021]

Absolutely stunning, jaw dropping and a very difficult watch most times due to the sheer brutality & helplessness of the characters involved. The range of emotions at display through the screenplay warrants attention even though it's difficult to watch. The symphony of acting, writing, musical score and camera work comes together to give us an epic cinematic experience. A very easy recommendation from my side.

Talvar (2015)

Amazing!

[8/10 · 5 October 2021]

Talvar is based on the Aarushi Hemraj double murder case which rocked the nation 7 years ago and still hasn't found a proper closure amongst the people involved. Talvar rides on the brilliance of Vishal Bhardwaj's writing and Meghna Gulzar's direction. The film is basically a docudrama which portrays objectively what might have happened in the Noida double murder case. The film does offer a good insight but i felt it left more questions than answers. The film definitely showed the parents in a little more sympathetic form and it is pretty evident.

The film brilliantly shows 3 accounts of investigation and how the police botches up the case completely in the first place. The details are excruciatingly shown which takes the movie to a whole different level. First half is a tad slow but picks up in the 2nd half where the director shows the true class of the movie. Irrfan Khan and the rest of the cast have done such brilliant work that you tend to believe that this is not an work of fiction but something actual is happening before your eyes. The climax of the movie where 2 CDI teams(CBI's name changed) argue on why their theory is better is brilliantly written and shot. The narration is crisp, to the point amd doesn't walk around different paths and confuses the audience. Many people have demanded that this case should be reopened as they believe that the verdict passed is incorrect and the original killer is still roaming free. Every body has a different opinion to it, this movie should definitely stir things up again and may justice be done when it comes to that.

Deliver Us from Evil (I) (2014)

Scary!

[8/10 · 28 September 2021]

A crime horror story, seems a bit unusual and out of the box ; it works very much in favor of the movie as it stands out among other horror movies. Director Scott Derrickson after giving us classic horror movies like 'sinister' and 'the exorcism of emily rose' doesn't dissapoint a bit. The story unravels rather slowly to keep building the suspense and you are always made to think what happens next. The horror element is pretty much scary and horrific in a very different manner than an usual horror flick. The horrific visuals, sounds is bound to send chills down your spine. There are some pretty humorous dialogues too which will make you LOL and make you feel a bit better. The director incorporates crime and horror very nicely, as the story is based and inspired from a true story. The climax has one of the longest exorcism process ever shown in a movie and is the best scene in the whole movie. A word of caution, the climax is very horrific to the visual senses. Acting is very good by everyone involved. The movie is very scary and could well go down as one of the best modern horror film. Horror fans shouldn't miss it, those who are scared easily should probably sit out, but you will be missing a good flick.

Katti Batti (2015)

Maybe avoid this one

[4/10 · 17 September 2021]

Imagine the horror of going to a movie first day first show and getting utterly disappointed with the flick. Yes, katti batti is bad; no the correct word would be 'bore', its a big bore of a movie. The movie switches back into past and present showing a crazy complicated and a tragic love story on the screen and here off the screen i was having a big problem understanding what is happening. The narrative is so shabby and moves in so many different directions that i got intertwined understanding what the director wants us to show. Kangna Ranaut was the one selling point of the movie and she is grossly underused, so there goes your trump card down the drain Mr Nikhil Advani.

The last 15 mins of the movie is were the movie shows its potential as it is heartwarming and sad and might leave a few tears trickling down your cheeks. Music by Shankar Ehsaan and Loy is just top notch and every song stays with you. Special mention to the picturization of lip to lip song as it is very nicely and creatively done. Sadly, only these few things won't save this movie. I wouldn't recommend watching this movie but if you have nothing to do this weekend you can very well watch this movie once.

Finding Fanny (2014)

Something different

[8/10 · 17 September 2021]

A very honest attempt by Homi Adajania in making a sensible yet entertaining movie which is a rarity these days. A road trip story of 5 dysfunctional people who each has a story of their own. When you have an ensemble cast consisting of stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Dimple Kapadia and among the best actresses of today Deepika Padukone, performances had to be awesome and it was more than it. Arjun Kapoor, idk why this fellow choose acting as he just cannot act, but he stands out in one scene unleashing his full potential. The music is quite good, although not very commercial but goes well with the movie. The story is quite simple but a little more drama in finding fanny would have been nice. Humor is one of the strongest advocates of this movie, some scenes and dialogues are freakishly hilarious. All said and done, this movie i feel will only appeal to a niche audience and many may not like it, but i strongly recommend this one if you really like to watch GOOD movies.

P. S watch it in English only.

Pink (III) (2016)

I'm stunned!

[10/10 · 16 September 2021]

There are very few instances when I'm at a loss for words. The aftermath of watching this film was one such instance. People need to watch this movie to even start to comprehend what is wrong with this patriarchal society of ours. Why there are different set of rules for men and women? Why women need to act in a certain way? Feminism is a raging topic nowadays and for what it's worth most have got the concept entirely wrong.

Pink starring Tapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Taring, Amitabh Bachhan, Piyush Mishra, Angad Bedi, Dhritiman Chaterjee among others is a hard hitting court room drama. It has a very simple plot line where 3 girls go to a rock concert and something dreadful happens(In Delhi) which leads to a chain of events which turns their lives on its head. We as an audience never get any glimpse of what went wrong but we can hear the conflict with credits rolling at the start. A good film should force you to think, to imagine. Pink does that brilliantly with its screenplay. The entire first half is about gestures, silence, awkwardness, fear and even with minimal dialogues I couldn't look away from the movie even once. Second half is mostly the courtroom drama and if not the best, one of the best I have seen in quite a long time. Performances are top notch. AB senior is just phenomenal in his portrayel of a retired lawyer plagued with Bipolar disorder. Piyush Mishra as the lawyer from the opposite fence plays his role to perfection and never goes over the top. What's more appealing is the performances of the 3 main lead women who completely blew me away with their subtle acting. The background music compliments the seriousness of the movie very well and is well composed.

Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and producer Shoojit Sircar have a winner in their hands. They have made a movie which is very hard to ignore, hardly holds its punches and questions everything that is wrong with respect to women in our society. It's a brave, brave film and I plead people to watch it and spread the good word.

Bellbottom (2021)

Terribly lazy

[1/10 · 16 September 2021]

Terrible film. An assault on the senses and all logics possible. Reeks of very ordinary writing resulting in a poor screenplay. Idk how I endured 2hrs of this nonsense. Avoid it at all costs.

Malignant (I) (2021)

Fun to watch

[8/10 · 11 September 2021]

FINALLY SOMETHING NEW IN THE HORROR GENRE AND WHO ELSE BUT JAMES WAN AT THE HELM OF IT ALL. MALIGNANT BLENDS DIFFERENT GENRES TOGETHER IN ACTION, SLASHER, THRILLER AND HORROR TO GIVE US MALIGNANT. OH HOW I HAVE BEEN CRAVING FOR THE HORROR GENRE REVIVAL BECAUSE IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME KIND OF FILMS AGAIN AND AGAIN. BUT THIS IS DELIGHTFULLY DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER SEEN AND I'M ALSO SURE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS NEVER BEEN MADE.

THE FILM OPENS WITH AN USUAL FORMULAIC SPOOKY SETTING OF A HOSPITAL IN THE 90'S PERCHED ON THE EDGE OF A CLIFF IN A THUNDEROUS NIGHT. DOCTORS ARE SEEN HURRIED AND FLYING ALL OVER TRYING TO CONTAIN A VIOLENT PATIENT AND WE SEE A DOCTOR MOUTHING 'IT'S TIME TO CUT THE CANCER'. CUT TO PRESENT WE SEE A PREGNANT MADISON (ANNABELL) IN A TROUBLED MARRIAGE. SHE SOON STARTS SEEING VISIONS AFTER A DOMESTIC FIGHT WITH BER HUSBAND. THE VISIONS SHE SEES ARE OF PEOPLE (STARTING WITH HER HUSBAND) BEING MURDERED BY SOME CREATURE. SHE SOON REALIZES THESE ARE JUST NOT IN HER HEAD BUT ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN REALITY. AND THEN THIS STORY PROGRESSES FROM MURDER TO MURDER AND A QUEST BY THE POLICE TO UNDERSTAND WHO IS KILLING ALL THESE PEOPLE. A VIOLENT AND BLOODY THIRD ACT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE FILM WITH THE PLOT TWIST THROWN OPEN.

I CAN'T PRAISE JAMES ENOUGH FOR BRINGING US THIS BONKERS OF A FILM. I PARTICULARLY LIKED THE CAMERA WORK BY MICHAEL BURGESS. THERE ARE SO MANY SCENES SHOT LIKE AN ACTION FILM WITH A CRAZY STEADYCAM VIOLENT FIGHT IN A POLICE PRECINCT IN THE 3RD ACT. FOR ONCE THERE ARE NO DEMONS, OR GODS OR PROESTS INVOLVED. I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS A SCIENTIFIC HORROR GENRE FILM FOR REASONS I CAN'T WRITE FOR AVOIDING SPOILERS. ALSO THIS ISN'T A HORROR FILM WHERE YOU WILL HAVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS OR YOU WILL JUMP OUT OF YOUR SOFAS OR CLOSE YOUR EYES OUT OF FEAR. NO THIS IS STRICTLY NOT THAT KIND OFF A FILM. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CLASSIFY THIS FILM AS GOOD OR BAD. THIS FILM IS AN EXPERIENCE AND ONE SHOULD DEFINITELY EXPERIENCE THIS FOR THE NOVELTY IT BRINGS TO THE GENRE. I HONESTLY ENJOYED AND LIKED WATCHING THIS ONE. KUDOS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM OF MALIGNANT.

Don't Breathe 2 (2021)

Enjoyable but lacks when compared to the previous one

[7/10 · 10 September 2021]

A decent sequel to the 1st one with the protagonist being the only character coming back with a fresh story which is not directly related to the 1st one. As I expected from the trailer this one is a taut and well made thriller with the key setup being similar to the 1st film. The film is enjoyable throughout although it does goes down in some places along the story. Cinematography is very cool and gives great angles to the viewers. The story, screenplay and writing are good. Editing is crisp and the music lends solidarity to the overall setting of the film. I'm not sure this sequel was necessary because frankly both films don't connect apart from just the character of the protagonist. But I could see this as a redemption arc for the protagonist's character briefly. All in a this is a good film and you will enjoy watching this one. The 1st film was miles better though.

Mimi (I) (2021)

A film that leaves a lot to be desired!

[6/10 · 27 July 2021]

Mimi written and directed by Laxman Utekar is based on the Marathi film 'Mala Aai vhhaychy!' The film follows the concept of foreign couples having child through surrogacy in India. Mimi played by Kriti is an aspiring actress living in a small town of Rajasthan where she does dance shows to one day fullfill her dreams of becoming an actress in Bollywood. Meanwhile a foreign couple is looking for a surrogate mother to bear their child and they meet Mimi through their driver Bhanu played by Pankaj. And hence the story progresses and writing anymore on it might prove to be a spoiler.

I had high hopes from the film as it is a Maddock production. They always bring us some brilliant stories and films set in small towns and cities deeply grounded to reality and yet entertaining. The film's trailer and poster promised 'Nothing like what you are expecting'. But minutes into the film it becomes predictable of sorts. There are some deep issues regarding the entire concept of Surrogacy and the taboo associated with it which is never explored in the film. The film never quite tackles the big issues but relies entirely on emotions to do the trick. The film therefore felt a bit hollow and empty on that front for me. Probably a better writer and director would have worked wonders with this story, which is amazing.

Coming to the good parts of the film, it blends comedy with emotions finely with the average screenplay at hand. The music by AR Rahman is amazing and goes well with the mood of the film. On the acting front Sanon gives her best performance till date. Pankaj as usual is funny and brilliant. Sai was grossly underused as Mimi's friend and so where Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak as Mimi's parents. The film does invoke genuine laughter with the dialogues and situations involved. But it leaves a lot to be desired. A film which could have been brilliant ends up being an average affair. But it still is a good and enjoyable watch if you lower your hopes. I had high expectations which has led to my disappointment with the film which might not be the case for you.

Toofaan (2021)

Absolute trash

[4/10 · 17 July 2021]

Writing a review even before finishing the film. Just don't watch it. Toofaan never takes off, lacks a lot more than just punches. A very amateurish film by a director like Rakeysh Omprakash Menra. I'm still in shock because the writers and director of the film are some big names and have done amazing work in the past. I can't believe they made this crap.

The Spy (2019)

It thrills

[8/10 · 12 July 2021]

Incredible watch. The spy is an edge of the seat thriller based on Mossad agent Eli Cohan. This 6 episode mini series chronicles the years Eli spent as a spy in Syria and befriended top Syrian officials and smuggled information for Israel. After th initial 2 episodes the show wasn't feeling thrilling enough but gosh the next ones blew me away. There is this always inate sense of urgency but calmness in this show unlike many others high octane spy action thrillers. Sacha gives a performance of a lifetime as Eli and is smooth as butter in the show. I always enjoy these kind of stories personally as they not only entertain you but give you a wealth of historical knowledge. While this show might have it's fair share of historical inaccuracies, but it still tells and incredible tale. I would have loved if the show had more episodes so that it could have been a little more detailed considering that this period was succeeded by the escalation of conflict between Israel and Arab countries. Apart from this minor blip the show is very well written and acted.

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

Lacklustre

[4/10 · 30 June 2021]

A lacklustre film with no story, very little scare and dumb written all over it. Now they are just milking the good name of The Conjuring by making some really bad films. First The Nun and now this. There is literally no story, no backdrop setup, no good characters, no good dialogues, no good spooky setting. Not even a good sound design. Thank goodness for the movie being short. You will just spend 80% of your time waiting to be scared but only to be dissappointed. The film is very anti climatic and not just at one point but at various junctures. The director plays with your emotions and in a not so good way. Heavily dissappointed with this one. Just don't watch it. Waiting for Conjuring 3 now to erase the sheer stupidity of the past films in the shared universe.