Reviews

Mostly a biopic narrated brilliantly by Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali taking adequate artistic liberties and portrayed even more passionately by the ever so natural Diljit Dosanjh.

Liked how it explores the thin line of the art and the artist; the juxtaposition and separation of entertainment and morality, right and wrong and art itself as a form - all while staying true to the narrative.

Like with most biopics nowadays, while viewing some of the narrative seemed fictional, added just to add an additional entertainment layer or even to justify few seemingly bad actions. But surprisingly, they actually turned out to be true indeed.

Apart from Diljit, Parineeti- really impressive with her body language and subtle expressions, and the remaining supporting cast also were pretty good.

Thanks for bringing forth this story that was much needed to to be heard.

N. B. : Vida Karo might well turn out to be one the best articulation of a climax. Really don't remember a song becoming an anthem and expressing so much with its music and lyrics. Just Bravo !!!

After realising the metaphors, the inner layers and reading Miyazaki's numerous interviews about this, this truly seems like a masterpiece.

The animation and the music is typical of a Studio Ghibli production - a soothing artistic way of storytelling mixing un-natural and fantasy elements. Although this is a story about magic ,witches and curses, the subtle essence of self-love, pacificism and acceptance is writ large all throughout the film.

Another example where animation is not only about how colourful and beautiful it is drawn or created but also how much impact it leaves on the viewers.

A foreign language film without any interesting plots , just the protagonist going on with his daily repetitive life cleaning toilets, not speaking much to anyone.

This apparently really doesn't have much to offer from today's standard dominated by fast pace events and low attention spans to be commercially likeable. Yet, deep down, it feels so much like a much needed gust of fresh air.

It emphasises on the need to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the little things around us and find content in our daily life, the perfection in the imperfections. And even subtly leaving us with a dilemma whether the so called perfect days are actually completely perfect.

Always a fan of movies that shows more than tell. And this is a masterclass in that respect. The lead character conveys so much just with his expressions and body language - those little nods and smiles , gleaming eye gestures; that speaks more than words/dialogues ever could.

Even the slow repetitive events never really felt monotonous , but powerful and liberating in a sense. Also the thin line between being alone and lonely is aptly explored.

Next time is next time. Now is now.

A sweet wholesome simple film sans the star casts, peppy songs , action sequences and (off late) political agendas but rooted in its core values and essence.

It brilliantly weaves a straightforward story of self discovery and revelation with a satirical take on the social prejudices and dogmatism especially in rural India.

It sometimes feel bit dragged and over stretches the comedy content and songs on some instances but not enough to become an issue.

Overall a great theatre experience (sadly there were only a handful of audiences) and a "good" enough content from Bollywood. Hope it is able to take the 12th fail route amongst the other "commercial" star-casted competitors.

"Why are you suing your parents?" "For giving me life."

This tagline is more than enough to set the tone of this film.

Brilliantly shot in a documentary style yet not compromising on the leeway of cinematography with shallow focus and a mix of subtle claustrophobic shots and wide framing of subjects along with how it lingers on along with the subject to fully capture the emotions.

Acting forms the backbone of Capernaum and the lead performance by Zain is extraordinary, even for someone who doesn't know the language and had to rely on subtitles.

Later when I found that the lead actors were not actors but actual normal people who had similar backgrounds , it made more sense. Nadine Labaki's use of non-actors really provided an extra edge to the story and made it more realistic and less fictional.

Movies that we need. No big cast, no action sequences, no CGI, no over-the-top suspense. In short not much fuss, just pure and unadulterated storytelling and acting. Paul Giamatti surely is a good contender for the Best Actors Award.

Although a Comedy Drama, this has it's fair share of wetting your eyes moments. The bond between the three central characters is brilliantly portrayed.

The so called "losers" never really become "winners" in life, but rather they come to terms with themselves. Which is the most beautiful part of the movie.

This will definitively be re-discovered during the Christmas.

An uncomplicated romantic comedy that we don't get to see nowadays.

Beautifully shot with vibrant and lively cinematography. Loneliness and solitude has been portrayed gracefully many times, and this one would definitely enter that category.

It defines how a feel-good movie should be. Without unnecessary dramas and twists.

Throughout the 81 mins of the runtime I was frozen in time in a dreamy era which is yet to be engulfed by technology.

Also liked how the old school analogue radio and the war news acted as an unseen third protagonist and a subtle connecting medium, which silently drives the story forward.

A slow paced family drama which soon becomes a poignant journey of dysphoria, self discovery and accepting one's true self; which has seldom been portrayed with such finesse in the silver screen.

Bit slow to begin with (honestly speaking, I was looking at my watch every 20 mins initially). But once the main storyline developed it never felt boring or slow.

Sofía Otero is outstanding for a 10 year old. So are the actors playing the characters of Mom and Grandma Aunt.

This would probably not go down well with many percentages of the audiences due to it's pacing, lack of suspense and action. But for a cinema lover this is a gem.

A riveting story of morals, ideals and the price for being true to one's beliefs; that shakes and challenges the teacher-student-parents dynamics.

Leonie Benesch slays in her portrayal of the protagonist.

Good cinematography and direction, provided the entire movie takes place inside the school premises.

Liked how it just moves forward naturally without creating any unnecessary cliffhangers with out-of-box twists and stays true to it till the end without coming to any definite conclusions.

Privileged to have watched this in a film festival. This will probably go down as an underrated gem that will fly under the radar.

Literally a slow-burn !!

Picks up pace and turns out to be a really good story having depth, subtlety and character developments despite being only 100 odd minutes long.

It is so easy to assume and present things from a third person's perspective but when it becomes a first person's point of view, things are not the same. This forms the basis of this movie.

Also this has a serious environmental message about negligence and indifference.

Liked how the forest fire becomes the silent unsung element through the course of the story as the relationship between the characters develops and progresses.

A movie that desperately tries to max the feel good quotient at the expense of logic, good script and ingenuity. Cliched twists, un-realistic storytelling with some cringe moments. It could have done so much more but ultimately gave in to the mass demands.

It has a lot of stuffs which had made me give Indian commercial movies a break. And obviously this will appeal to a more number of audience than silent underrated gems like "Three of Us".

Honestly I came for Mrunal Thakur expecting it to be something like Sita Ramam. She and Nani to some extent made me stay till the end and earned this one half a star more.

Didn't expect the first watch of the year to be so devastatingly powerful.

It shows the social dilemma of living in a patriarchal and prejudiced society (not limited to a particular region or country but in general) in a way it has seldom been done before.

Another prime study of show, don't tell. Right from the compact aspect ratio of the film to the shady lightings and claustrophobic camera angles - this subtly and silently cries of the entrapment the characters are experiencing.

The other aspect that I liked most about this one is that it never really pinpoints anyone or any event specifically, but at the same time every scenario, event and person is guilty of something or the other. Just as in life, it eventually stacks up and eats you up from within.

Haider and Mumtaz's subtle and sporadic chemistry and screen presence on one hand. The expressive and sometimes loud portrayal of other characters like Biba, Nucchi, the father and Saleem one the other creates a balance.

Rasti Farooq as Mumtaz is one of the best subtle performances that i have seen.

This is a movie that silently cracks you up and the final couple of scenes finally deals the final blows.

This quote below sums up the movie

It's easier for the boy...to say no.

A captivating 3.5 hours long epic that rarely felt stretched or monotonous.

The iconic duo of Marty and De Niro still packs the same punch in their 80's as they did back in 1976. One of the best performances of Leo and De Niro (in recent times). But the surprising show stopper was undeniably Lily Gladstone. Her performance had the almost perfect blend of subtlety and expressive acting. She deserves to be nominated and maybe even win the best actress category this year.

Cinematography and background score are the unsung heroes and keeps even seemingly long takes interesting and captivating.

Thankful for a time where thoughtful impactful cinema having long run times like this excelling over the multiverse/ action packed/ CGI studded pop-culture flicks.

A beautifully shot, slow cooked display of humane connection; the dilemma of staying and leaving.

It starts with modernist architecture and buildings in Columbus as the central character and then slowly as it progresses , the two human characters takes the centre stage as they unravel through the threads of their lives.

This is the most intricately shot film that I have seen. Not just the long perfectly symmetric shots, but also the littles nuances of mise en scene with reflective surfaces, corridor shots and vast wide open frames. It mostly has a whitish palette but from time to time we get to see some bright colors complementing the scenes.

It is slow paced and takes it's sweet time to move forward, but never did I feel bored of it. The captivating shots, camera and subject positioning along with the calming music or just ambience sound fills in almost perfectly.

Couple of scenes- one with the barrier, the other with the couple of mirrors speaks so much more than the actual dialogues being delivered. Show; don't tell!

Also the scene where we get to view the characters from the different perspective of both sides of the glass followed by total absence of sound (inaudible dialogues) easily makes this cinema a genius creation.

Overwhelmingly raw, emotional and brilliant.

One of the best portrayals of the mother-son dynamics in cinema.

Jacob Tremblay brilliantly carries the role of a 5 year old boy who had never been exposed to the real world. His Ma is all he ever had.

And Brie Larson!! Before this I had only seen her in the MCU and didn't quite like her that much. This completely changed my perception of her. There is so much realism in her performance, concealed pain and an ever-present trauma.

What makes this so much better in my opinion is how it shows the trauma and ordeal borne by the characters.

Show; not tell; through it's masterful subtle blink and you miss moments. Those claustrophobic yet wide shots. This one is truly a lot to take in.

And Brie deserved that oscar.

The premise is clichéd, and so is the presentation. Alex and Rosie have a fresh and likeable chemistry; both Lily Collins and Sam Claflin give all they have to offer as the characters traverse through different stages of life.

Overall cinematography and lighting are good, nothing extraordinary but does the job.

I haven't read the book, but the thing I liked about the story is how vulnerable and flawed each characters have been shown; no one is the real victim or hero/villain here just like in real life. And it is very sad, heartbreaking and relatable in some scenes.

The way some situations were handled felt too filmy or unrealistic. I personally would have liked a slightly different ending. I liked the penultimate (climax in my opinion) scene more, where we revisit a thing from the past to somehow validate some of the decisions that had led to this present moment.

Overall it has few amazing moments but not enough to stand out from other such similar clichéd stories.

From a personal level I could relate many stuffs and enjoyed the film but from a cinematic perspective, this doesn't really offer anything different.

The entire film feels like a fractal painting bursting with emotions and liveliness , punctuated by a lingering background score and a warm colour pallet with occasional splashes of red.

Synchronicity , humane connection, intuition, the duality along with the dichotomy of life forms the backbone of this masterpiece.

In the present pop culture era obsessed and saturated with the parallel universes and multiverses, had to turn the clock 32 years back to feel a much needed breath of freshness.

-I have a strange feeling. I feel like I'm not alone.

-Not long ago, I had a strange sensation. I felt that I was alone. All of a sudden. Yet nothing had changed.

Kabhi kabhi galat train bhi sahi jagah pohoncha deti hai.. (Sometimes even the wrong train can lead you to the right destination)

Every rewatch somehow manages to imbibe the same plethora of emotions and leave a lasting impression. Such is the beauty and nuances of this masterpiece.

It redefines the true and pure meaning of love, caring for someone and affection that sadly is being adulterated and lost nowadays.

It marvels at the efficiency and perfection of the famous dabbawalas and yet does not hinder to show that they too are prone to make those occasional mistakes; and how someone's mistake can open doors of opportunity for someone else.

It celebrates the ebbs and flows that is life in the most beautiful ways.

This is one of the most subtle and realistic depiction of the Positive Characters Arc in Indian film history.

Regarding the ending, I personally liked how the two central characters never really get a chance to meet in person; not by luck but by choice.

This itself echoes how much it is filled with realism and unfiltered truth.

It manages to hold a glass in front of us; for some the glass will just be a looking glass, a medium through which they can perceive the society and for the rest it will be mirror to their own self.

Different from the other two and surprisingly felt better than the original story on which it is loosely based on.

This felt most Poirot-istique amongst the three and also more realistic. Weaved intricately amidst the backdrop of the aftermath of World War 2 with abundance of humane emotions, vulnerabilities and relationship, this also has a supernatural element to it which seemed a bit silly and off-track initially but once the truths started unfolding it made more sense.

Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels have always been more about the emotions and less about the actions, and this one does so well in that aspect.

Pride, Jealousy, Redemption, unrequited love, Guilt and most vividly PTSD has been so well depicted.

It would have been an almost perfect 4, but somehow I couldn't relate to Leopold arc, so this costs half a star.

Murder on the Orient express is one of my favourite of Agatha Christie's work and I will always be a bit biased with it's adaptation. So this will be ranked 2nd amongst Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot adaptations.

How to take a cliched premise involving 3 central characters and weave it into something magical, heart breaking and a poignant realistic story about love, emotions and life in general.

Hats off to Celine Song for pulling off a masterpiece on her first commercial attempt and A24 for continuously encouraging such great cinema to be brought into limelight.

There's so much to talk about this one. The long silences, pauses and the slow long takes echo so much emotions and speak so many words.

That long single take at the end along with the walk culminating into catharsis is one the best scenes I have ever seen.

The three hugs in different points of the movie between the characters is the epitome of subtlety and Show; don't tell.

Specially the two contrasting embraces between the two central characters brilliantly displays the state of emotional turmoil in each one of them at different moments.

We really need more films like this and La La Land that depicts love and passion in such a raw unadulterated manner.

Typical Wes Anderson-esque set design, color palette, use of miniaturised cinematography. One his best in fact; the seemingly continuous 360 degree camera spans are so well executed.

From a story and execution point of view it felt half cooked and rushed to me. The cast ensemble is one of the biggest ever and yet almost all of them are heavily underutilised.

The characters (and those within characters) didn't have a motive nor direction and I guess that is what the director wanted to portray, but still this didn't seem convincing to me. As far as Intertextuality is concerned, films like Drive my Car have set the bar quite high and this one feels so ordinary in that effort.

Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson are sporadically superb and Margot Robbie's slays in her guest appearance.

A convoluted narration and story wanes down this visually and artistically intriguing project and deems it ordinary.

Kudos for bringing forth such an important topic which is and sadly will continue to be a taboo in the near future.

It mostly manages to make its point and hit home the social message despite some hiccups from the censor board. I personally didn't quite like how it concluded and felt it is a good 10-15 mins long than it should have been. There are very few scenes and songs that are unnecessary but again this is Bollywood and everyone has to make money.

Nothing much special from Pankaj Tripathi and he is as usual amazing, closely followed by Yami Gautam who excels in a difficult role.

Akshay Kumar is the show stopper despite being present for only a handful of scenes. The portrayal of Lord Shiva is almost mythologically perfect.

Overall I am glad that I decided to watch this in a theatre and hopefully projects like this will manage to keep the essence of Bollywood alive.

Watching OMG2 and this in the last couple of weeks is really making me contemplate my decision of not taking the present Bollywood seriously.

A much needed topic and social message delivered almost perfectly without much overacting or overdramatization in the process. The way the Hindi cinema industry is embracing such non-cliched "hatke" stories not concerning much about the profit or blockbuster status really makes the budding cinephile in me happy.

Not a fan of Kartik Aryan but he really impressed with his acting and justified portrayal of a low wit ordinary boy.

Kiara Advani is exceptional (IMO she is even better than in Shershah) with her range. Her raw acting and expressions in the climax is one of the best I have seen in Bollywood in a long time.

It manages to hit the ball home right from how it slowly builds up to finally culminate in the credits with a strong textual message.

It would be a 4/5 except for the lacklustre dance numbers, few underutilised characters and an awful rendition of Pasoori !!

Will end with quoting Jauhari ji from MiH S2 "lekin aab agar kiske sath aisa hoga toh dhindora peetna chahiye".

Having seen so many of Oscar Isaac's performance before watching this, I had my tempo set quite high and he didn't disappoint. It is one his best performance if not THE best. This man truly deserves an Oscar.

Cinematography and direction is top notch and this is one of most well lit movie that I have seen. The way it shows Llewyn Davis as any other character we meet from daily life and not as a genius prodigy central character who just happens to be unlucky is my biggest takeaway.

Another brilliance from the Coen brothers; this definitely will linger on for quite sometime.

I'm tired. I thought I just needed a night's sleep but it's more than that.

Seldom has something like this been expressed so perfectly.