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Trance (I) (2020)
10/10
An engaging psychological drama
27 May 2021
Even one week after watching the movie, the title track and some other soundtracks of this movie are still playing on my laptop, and in my mind. And his five words - "this is not the end".

The story of this movie is simple. A person suffering from trauma due to the death of his close loved ones gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill his dream of becoming a prominent public speaker and influencer, and address a crowd of thousands. He takes up this ethically questionable opportunity perhaps because he has nothing to lose, and nobody to live for. He excels during his training and the movie begins to take flight from the first sermon that is highly arousing due to the background music and his storytelling skills and immense energy levels. There is no turning back and the movie delivers many crazy moments filled with energy and arousing music. I was so hooked throughout the movie that I felt like I was in trance.

Fahadh Faasil's role in this movie made me his lifelong fan - he is too good. He is so good that I would like to pay to attend his miracle-creating events live (that he does with exceptional conviction in the movie). The way he talked to himself in front of a mirror and the way he air-clapped to motivate himself that it still feels thrilling. His transformation from Viju to Pastor Joshua takes his passion and energy levels to a whole new intensity and with every next miracle-creating event it keeps getting more intense such that in the final event it just explodes and I become like the people dancing, cheering and yelling with joy in the crowd.

The "trance" of this movie lasts much longer than its 2 hour 50 minutes run-time. It falters due to some plot-holes in second-half but it is easily eclipsed by its strong visuals, its arousing music and its overall production quality that makes this movie a unique sublime cinematic experience.

He speaks in a certain tone - "this is not the end". These five words are quite inspiring given the context of the movie. And I wish it wasn't the end when he speaks these words towards the end of the movie. Hopefully, they decide to create its sequel to honor his five words.

This is probably the craziest movie I've watched this year. You can join in the experience by watching this movie on Amazon Prime.
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8/10
Life of an aspiring comedian -- it's possible
26 April 2021
I watched this movie because I'd heard that the movie Joker was inspired in part by this movie, and because Robert De Niro is in the lead, whom I consider as the greatest Hollywood actor alive.

This movie is well made although it gets boring in first half. On the upside, it is a light movie, in contrast to Joker. The ending was interesting and perhaps as it should have been. Robert De Niro is the heart and soul of this movie and he did what he does best -- vanish into the character yet retain his own style.

My favorite parts: Robert De Niro as Rupert Pupkin and the philosophy of Robert Pupkin: "It is better to be a king for one night than to live like a schmuck your whole life." His standup comedy act towards the end of the movie is also good.

One more Robert De Niro movie checked off my bucket list. A good way to spend Friday evening.
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10/10
A refreshing suspense thriller with an important social message
26 April 2021
This movie deserves a sequel.

Overall an entertaining detective movie with a new kind of mystery murders.

This movie also highlights some important social issue that we all must understand and take care of.

The suspense is so airtight that you'll never guess the reason for dead bodies or who is the criminal.

I am delighted to watch such good suspense movie of Indian origin that doesn't have unnecessary or any romance or violence. The drama is only added as needed by the story. I also liked that the detective Agent Sai isn't as mysterious or sharp as Sherlock (whom he refers to a lot in the movie) but uses common sense and logic based on available evidence to solve the mystery.

I rate this movie 9/10 because this movie doesn't answer one question about the detective's life that I am curious to know. Hopefully they will reveal it in the sequel.

Kudos to Naveen Polishetty and other members of cast and crew to create their excellent suspense thriller.
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96 (II) (2018)
10/10
Undying Love
21 April 2021
This is one of those movies that I would ask you not to watch but secretly wish that you do watch.

Whether you have experienced heartbreak or you broke someone's heart or you are still safely away from "love", this movie will reveal something impactful to you.

It is one of those rare gems that conveys feelings without any song. I wish this masterpiece is left untouched and not remade by Bollywood for monetary gains.

After watching the movie yesterday night, I slept longer than usual and even after waking up, my mind continued to process the movie. The emotions in the movie still lingered in my mind.

This movie is like that beautiful poem having 4 lines in each stanza. You enjoy it until you come to the last stanza that has only 3 lines. This drives you crazy because your mind tries to come up with the best line to fit into this stanza to complete it for its own peace of mind but your heart knows that the last stanza is perfect and as it should be.
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Barry (2018–2023)
9/10
The actor assassin
14 April 2021
I saw this show's name in one of those top 10 shows to watch for so and so reason. Usually I don't take these lists seriously but while scrolling when I saw the poster of Barry, I recognized the lead actor, Bill Hader, from the movie IT Chapter 2. I had enjoyed his role in the movie so I read about the show. I liked the premise, even though I wasn't sure how far they could stretch it. They have done two seasons successfully with plenty of awards and IMDB rating of 8.3. I look forward to season 3 whenever that happens.

I particularly enjoyed the way Barry's life as an assassin and his newfound love of acting sometimes conflict with each other, and sometimes complement each other to change his perspective. I also liked the character traits of other main characters who seem normal at first and through the first few episodes, their own style of crazy is revealed in a surprising manner. The way Barry participates in the two separate worlds of assassins and acting class also makes this show an interesting watch. I got so engrossed in this show that for a while I considered enrolling myself into a local acting class but Covid-19 is still lurking around, so maybe next year.

The humor is refreshing and interesting in this show. Even in those instances when the humor feels unintentional, it probably is by design because it is so well-timed and smartly written.

It would be nasty of me to reveal any more about this show even though the plot isn't unpredictable or pushing boundaries in story-telling. But if you enjoy the pilot and decide to watch the two seasons, you'll realize that it is more fun when the plot reveals itself to you while you watch the show.

The most hilarious Barry episode: The episode in which Barry goes to kill a Taekwondo master.

Overall, I'll give Barry a rating of 8.5/10. If you're looking for a show to binge-watch over the weekend, Barry is a good choice. If you're in India, you'll find it on Disney+Hotstar and if you're in U. S. you'll be able to watch it on HBO Max. Don't watch it just for humor, watch it for entertainment and you'll have a good weekend.
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10/10
The real Justice League is finally here!
23 March 2021
Finally the online petition to #releasethesnydercut has succeeded and Zack Snyder's Justice League is available to watch on Bookmyshow stream in India.

The director has clearly indulged himself in this project to showcase his vision, which makes the movie 4 hours long. Even though each scene is an immersive experience, some scenes are longer than needed and some scenes could be removed without disturbing the storyline or character development, thereby reducing the length of the movie by about 45 minutes. If not, then this should have been a limited series like Queen's Gambit rather than a movie. This would have worked since it is released on streaming platforms and on the big screen even though it would have been an amazing cinematic experience.

Except Superman, all other characters get more screentime and more character development and moments to shine, especially Cyborg and Fash, as compared to their roles in previous Justice League movie.

I am so happy they removed the presence of that one family in the radioactive city where the heroes fight Steppenwolf. It looked like a cheap gimmick in the previous justice league movie. Also Steppenwolf is looking much better in this one.

Few characters have been introduced in this version that can lead to an amazing sequel to this version of the justice league movie.

Had Zack Snyder not made the horrible movie Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, we would have seen his Justice League in 2017. With the overwhelming positive response to Snyder's cut of Justice League, I hope the studio executives will understand that humor is not the secret ingredient of success for Avengers, but good storytelling.
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9/10
Binge-worthy roller coaster ride
5 February 2021
An oddly satisfying wacky suspense thriller with some humor sprinkled for greater effect. The plot keeps getting complicated until it can't be complicated any further (like a roller coaster reaching to the highest point), then the conflicts is easily resolved with minor tweaks and by tying up loose ends (like the quick ride downwards). I also liked the way they used the Holistic aspect in some characters (holistic detective, holistic assassin, holistic actress etc.) and the timely resounding of the theme of the series: "everything is connected". Both the seasons are so different (in genre and storyline) that I was excited to find out what crazy stuff they will do in next season only to find out there would be no Season 3. :(
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9/10
Qarib Qarib perfect!
18 November 2017
My mother really enjoyed this film and urged me to watch it. My high school friend is an assistant director of this film. Irrfan Khan is playing the lead in this film. Those were my reasons to watch the movie. But the movie pleasantly surprised me beyond my expectations! The sentiments and the comic timing is so wonderfully written in the screenplay. And though there isn't chemistry between the lead pair, the jodi of Jaya and Yogi feels real and kept me engrossed throughout the movie regarding the fate of the jodi. Most amazing thing about this film: Jaya looking into the camera and speaking her dialogues. It looks juvenile in the beginning but when the reason is revealed as to why she does it, I was deeply impressed! Overall a fun and emotional journey about moving on in life. Now that I think about it, "qarib qarib single" is a brilliantly chosen title for this movie. :)
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A Flying Jatt (2016)
7/10
Sincere, fun, educational but doesn't create an impact!
16 September 2016
What I particularly liked about the movie was the sincere attempt made by Remo D'Souza and his team to create a home-grown superhero. The origin of the superhero and the lessons on pollution and the glorious Sikh history was done very well! Raka, as a villain was menacing enough. The humor in the film was good (even smart/witty at few places).

However, I think the romance between the lead pair didn't spark any excitement. The songs and dances were nice but one couldn't feel the love! Another issue was that while it was exciting to watch our Flying Jatt fighting on the moon (or some asteroid I think), it didn't feel realistic enough so I couldn't enjoy that part much. Overall I enjoyed the film and the highlight of the film for me was Gaurav Pandey, who being the supporting hero, had better screen presence than our Flying Jatt. Tiger Shroff, you're very hard working but you have a long way to do. I sincerely wish you do and get better with every film. :)
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Frozen (I) (2013)
8/10
Refreshing but not as good as I had expected...
30 May 2014
I had high expectations with this film, it being the Academy Award winner for best animated motion picture and being the highest grossing movie of the year 2013 and highest grossing animated movie ever. Despite the trailer of Frozen looking really good, and many people praising it, when I finally got a chance to watch this spectacle of ice and snow, I was left disappointed. Based on a loose and clichéd storyline that starts off really well, it gets slow and boring and only at the climax where there's an interesting twist. The visuals of ice and snow are terrific, so are the songs, and I think 'Let it go' deserves the academy award. The snowman, Olaf keeps you entertained but he can also do only so much. The only good thing apart from Visuals and songs was the relationship between the two sisters. And the scenes having both sisters are the only good moments in the film, be it when they build a snowman or one sister sacrifices herself to save the other sister, and vice-versa. Apart from that, only the snowman, Olaf, makes you smile and feel good. Everything else feels like fillers. I did enjoy the film. It is not a complete failure, but I was left disappointed. This may be the highest grossing animated film for reasons beyond my understanding but I have seen better animated films by Disney.
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Despicable Me (2010)
9/10
Undespicable!
26 November 2010
The first trailer of Despicable Me got me interested in this movie about a super-villain who faces a younger competitor. The tussle between the two super-villains reminded me of the Spy Vs. Spy series which I liked reading. Was expecting something on those lines but was pleasantly surprised with the role of the three little girls in the movie! They were really adorable! The movie starts off good and eventually settles down to the main objective of Gru, the protagonist. Three little girls enter into his life who turn his life upside down, changing him in the process. The role of his army of minions is quite amusing. I particularly liked the climax! The screenplay felt a little rugged though.

Simply loved watching Despicable Me. Not spectacular but definitely a heart warming watch! :)
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Blade Runner (1982)
8/10
Glad I finally saw Blade Runner, the Final Cut, Blu-Ray !!
24 November 2010
'Blade Runner', one of the few movies I found both boring and interesting... the other one was 'Donnie Darko'. The interesting part was the theme, the boring part was that the movie felt like drag at some points. The best part is the realistic make believe storytelling, with the special effects and decent performances. It was good to see Harrison Ford in quite a different role, a more serious one, in contrast to his roles in Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Even without the VFX fighting scenes or robots, this movie is a decent watch for sci-fi fans. It ends at just the right time, which I liked. I'm glad I finally watched Blade Runner.
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Easy A (2010)
9/10
Liked the trailer, liked the movie! :)
23 November 2010
I watch trailers of all upcoming movies. I liked the trailer of Easy A. Interesting idea about saying that you did something when you didn't especially when its considered bad or a sin! I started the movie, watched few minutes to see if it could sustain my interest, and it did! The narrative was engaging enough that I didn't feel bored. The plot has an easy pace that keep things real yet it doesn't feel too serious. Emma Stone did a good role both as a protagonist and the narrator. I was happy to see Penn Badgley in a movie after watching him in Gossip Girl. Everything works well for this movie, except that I think all the other actors like Stanley Tucci have been wasted in their respective roles! I have to say its one of the best high school movies I've seen till date.
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