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Ponniyin Selvan: Part One (2022)
Superbly crafted slow-burn
Wondering whether GOT was captured for a movie, and this will give you that feel. An epic story written by Amarar Kalki meets the hand of one of the best storytellers, Mani Ratnam.
It is a slow burn. That's the first you need to know before watching this film. Secondly it needs your attention. As I said, it's like watching a series in a 3 hour film. But if you love stories with complex characters and a great ensemble display, this is for you. Performances were spectacular, especially by the ladies. Aishwarya and Trisha were so powerful. Chiyaan and Karthi were powerful, along with Jayam Ravi. Other impressive actors were Jayram and Parthipan. Cinematography was spectacular and the music by ARR was phenomenal! Sound mixing and CGI were sufficient, though didn't feel like the best, but I was forgiving to it.
Hats off to the captain of the ship, Mani Ratnam. Probably his best direction in the past decade. His partnership with the technical team has resulted in an immersive Chola world.
All in all a great experience in the theatres, but again don't expect like Baahubali or RRR or something. This is pure story, grounded action, not much of 'mass' action and scenes. This is just a great story told with finesse. A 9.6/10, rounding it to 10/10, ignoring all trivial issues!
Aamis (2019)
Probably The Weirdest Love Story I Have Seen
This story was uneasy, hard to watch especially being a vegetarian but guess what, I absolutely adored this film.
Really felt like an indie-film, the locations are great, the performances all believable and solid for the most part. Our two leads were very good in this warped chaste lovers' story. A technically sound film, with unique story and script, and a great message on gluttony.
The selling point of the film, as I praised before, is the story. This has got to be the most uniquely drafted love story I have every seen thus far.
Occasionally though I felt it slowed down a bit, and I almost felt a drag, but probably it was just me.. I don't know.
So, if you are going to watch this film (which I recommend you must), just be reminded that the vegetarians will really feel uncomfortable watching this film. The film is sadistic, weird, and extremely dark, especially in the second half. Avoid the spoilers as much as you can and go into this film blindly without knowing anything. A great film, easily deserves 9/10!
Kumbalangi Nights (2019)
Cinematic Masterpiece!
Talk about movie-making at its best, and this has to be in the conversation. A beautiful, poignant film excelling in every freaking aspect.
Performances in this was spectacular, and possibly the major aspect of this film, along with writing and of course, Kerala. Fahadh Faasil, man.. crème da la crème! What a brilliantly written character played by one of the most brilliant actors to grace the screen! Next up, Soubin Shahir, wow! Just wow! These two were the major highlights, along with Anna Ben and Shane Nigam playing their roles to absolute perfection! Cinematography, aesthetics were gorgeous, with the God's Own Country as its setting, nothing can go wrong with the sceneries. Also, almost forgot to tell this, Shreenath Bhasi was also truly incredible along with Mathew, well to be honest, the acting just elevated a unique story into a movie to marvel at. Madhu C Narayanan knocked it out of the park with this. Would love to see more of his.
If there is one word for this film, it is MASTERPIECE! Full marks on every level.
Haider (2014)
Best Adaptation of Hamlet
Being a fan of Shakespeare, Hamlet is probably my most favourite play of his. So I was naturally inclined to watch this film, and Vishal Bhardwaj nailed it!
A great way to portray Kashmir issue in the form of Hamlet. In the beginning it did not feel like Hamlet, but boy did it pack a punch.
Shahid Kapoor nailed his role, absolutely loved him, especially in the second half. Tabu was so good, her eyes are so expressive. Kay Kay Menon also did a phenomenal job and the extended cameo by Irrfan Khan was just icing on the cake. Great cinematography, great storyline and the screenplay did lag sometimes for me personally, but I was in love with this film that I could just stare at it for hours. Vishal's own personal twists were too good, and the 'Bismil' song was just beautifully picturised. The music was excellent, this is probably my most favourite album of Vishal Bhardwaj. This man is incredibly talented! Special shoutout to Gulzar Sahab for some astounding lyrics.
A great watch for those who adore Shakespeare but may not be entertaining for those who don't care about Hamlet or Shakespeare. A 10/10 from me!
Jurassic Park (1993)
A Masterpiece!
This movie is one of the first I ever saw in my life. And I have watched this over a billion times. Talk about timeless thrillers and this is one among them.
Yes the performances were good, yes the direction was good, but the CGI, VFX and sound design was groundbreaking and awe-inspiring. Steven Spielberg nailed it with direction. The adapted screenplay was superb, was not bored for even a minute. Another major highlight is the iconic score by John Williams. Of course I loved Jeff Goldblum's unique character more than any other characters. The leads and the kids were also good.
A little too late to write a review, but I am glad that I can give this a 10/10. One of my all-time favourite movies.
Django Unchained (2012)
Entertaining as Hell!
I have admired Tarantino's work after watching Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds (both of which I loved). This is my third venture with him, and he does not disappoint.
Admitting to the fact that I haven't explored Tarantino until recent times, he is growing to be one of my favourite writer-directors of this era.
Now to the film, the performances by everyone was fantastic. Christoph Waltz was brilliant and after watching both Hans Landa and Dr. King Schultz, I can conclude that he is definitely one of the most talented actors living today. Jamie Foxx was quite good as well. Leonardo DiCaprio superbly portrayed his character, along with Samuel Jackson, who also nailed his role. Other supporting cast were quite good as well. Cinematography, sound designs and the blood splashes and gore violence were superbly done. Action might be just a bit over-the-top, but it was thoroughly entertaining. The writing and directing was off the charts fantastic, and is the major plus point of this movie. The score was unorthodox at times but was enjoyable.
An all-in-all entertainer with a good story and characters to root for. Ignoring minute gripes here and there, I give this 10/10 without second thoughts.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Don't know what kept me from watching this before
A fantastic film, which has an espionage feel to it along with graphic violence and gore, which I personally love watching (especially evil people getting butchered and shot gorily and stuff).
This has some of the best performances I have seen from any actor. Brad Pitt did a spectacular job and that accent of his made it more entertaining (don't know if he nailed the accent or not). Melanie Laurent also played her role to perfection. Though being an ensemble piece, the show stealer for me is Christoph Waltz. Man, he had such a great screen presence and I couldn't picture anyone else playing that role! There were no weak links whatsoever. This movie is conversation-driven for the majority of its duration, but was thoroughly engaging and well-written. Cinematography, sound design and VFX were top notch. Another major plus point is the costuming and make-up, though minimalistic and nothing extravagant, but must have been thoroughly difficult to nail it, as simple make-up and costuming often proves to be the most difficult to get it right. The set designs also gave the feel of the 1940's era.
A must-watch for all the people who love intense character-driven stories along with occasional gore and bloodshed. A solid 10/10 from my side!
Kadaisi Vivasayi (2021)
As Gorgeous as a Peacock!
I genuinely don't know where to start. This is movie making at its sheer absolute best. Hats off to the entire team and the captain of the ship, Manikandan, for making such a poignant film.
This film almost felt like a documentary in terms of realism. Performances from Nallandi (RIP sir) was absolutely phenomenal. He just was not "acting" I feel, infact that applies to every person in the village and the town police. It felt like they were just living their lives and the camera was recording them. A perfect example of a 'slice of life' film. Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu played their roles to perfection. A special mention to the magistrate who performed exceedingly well. Cinematography, sound design and other technical aspects were phenomenal. Some shots in the movie of sunsets, the fields and peacocks, and some drone shots of the fields and hills were so beautiful to watch. The songs and the score by Santosh Narayanan and Richard Harvey were outstanding. The score was just silent for the most part which added to the realism aspect, and helped in emotionally connecting with the characters. Last but definitely not the least, the direction by Manikandan...oof.. he just knows how to make excellent films. Simply a gem of a film-maker.
Another crucial aspect of the film, which earned itself the label of 'Masterpiece', is the symbolism used and the overall message, which is important to be conveyed to the urban public.
If you still haven't watched this, just go watch it! Stop reading this and go watch it.. This film deserves every accolade. Of course, full marks for this gem!!
Sherdil (2022)
Important Messages Conveyed
To be honest, I gave this a watch only for Pankaj Tripathi, one of my favourite actors. With an equally-strong Neeraj Kabi alongside him, you are sure to be given some awesome performances.
This movie talks about many issues prevalent in the society, with the main message being the true events that occurred in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. As I said before, the performances by our leads and supporting characters were phenomenal. Also, Sayani Gupta I felt nailed her role as well. The writing could have been more crisp and less "preachy" I would say. They could have used subtle symbolisms to convey messages instead of almost preaching about it. Nevertheless this was just a personal gripe and can be ignored, because the messages conveyed are truly important to understand. Otherwise, the subtle doses of humour every now and then were pretty funny. The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous. The non-linear way in which the story is told makes it bit more engaging. The direction by Srijit Mukherjee was quite good. The score and songs was super good, with Saint Kabir's poems forming the inspiration of the lyrics.
This movie might disengage you if you are not connecting with the characters, but it did not happen for me. But I do feel the first half could have been more crisp. The second half was good pacing-wise.
Please do watch this movie to understand the other poorer side of India. A 7/10 from my side!
The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)
One of the most important films to ever come out!
"The Great Indian Kitchen" title is in itself a satire. This film points out at the injustice the women of the household face. This film made me very angry and caused me to cheer for the main heroine.
Suraj and Nimisha were simply phenomenal in the way they portrayed their 'nameless' characters. A special mention to the actor who played as Suraj's father, who was also terrific. The technical aspects, especially the sound design were immaculate.
The initial 40 minutes may feel slow, but you will understand why it is done so once you watch the next one hour.
But this film is all about the message, so just stop reading reviews, and go watch it! It is a very important film that everyone in this world must see. Hopefully it brings about changes in the way women are treated.
Also this film will make you very, very angry and furious.
No way I cannot give full marks for this beauty!
Tamasha (2015)
Brilliant message with artistic merits
"Tamasha" is a romantic drama with a lot of depth to it. The emotions were very raw and portrayed beautifully by the leads.
One of the aspects that blew my mind was the cinematography. Many frames, especially in Corsica were like paintings. The other aspect was the acting by our leads, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. Both of them were equally strong and excelled in portraying difficult and complex emotions. Direction by Imtiaz Ali was very good. This film might disengage you sometimes in the initial 20 minutes, but after that it was engaging. But you cannot cut the initial 20 minutes as it is important for the character arcs and the overall narrative. This film takes its own time which people without much patience may not like. The songs and the score by AR Rahman was simply outstanding. All his three ventures with Imtiaz Ali churned out some of the most wonderful music in Bollywood cinema.
Lastly, this film is all about the message that is conveyed, which may be something you have already heard of many times. But the way it is conveyed is what makes this film unique.
A cult-classic for sure. An 9/10 from my side!
Kai po che! (2013)
A complete package of emotions!
"Kai Po Che" is about almost every fundamental emotion experienced by people, from love, friendship, passion, hate, violent nature, betrayal, fear and of course, with multiple messages conveyed throughout.
The three friends, played by Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh, gave solid performances, and all the three shared many strong moments. All the supporting roles too were good, along with he young boy who played 'Ali' character, who is now a cricketer. The cinematography was gorgeous and the way all the events were portrayed was very believable. The directorial choices made by Abhishek Kapoor worked very well for the film. The music department did a phenomenal job, especially the songs by Amit Trivedi. I would have preferred if the film had some breathing spaces here and there to sink in the emotions, as some hard edits did bother me a bit. (Just a personal gripe)
Overall a very good film that deserves your watch. A 9/10 from me!
Vikram (2022)
Lot of fun!
"Vikram" demands your attention. It is not just a regular action movie, you need to pay close attention to the various details as these are important to understand the film.
This is probably the factor that made me give a 10 instead of a 9. It was a more complex story than "Kaithi" (the first movie of the Lokiverse), interesting and unpredictable screenplay, which elevates the way the story is being told.
Kamal Haasan was of course brilliant. But I was particularly impressed with FaFa, who almost stole the show, in spite of Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan present in the film. Vijay Sethupathi carried his character and incorporated quirky mannerisms which worked for the film. Direction by Lokesh was brilliant and original. The cinematography was great, especially in all the fight and chase scenes at night. Also, this is probably the best score I have ever heard from Anirudh. He is in the form of his life when it comes to massy BGM. The BGM perfectly complemented every scene and to the overall tone of the film. The BGM is among the best of this year.
I did ignore some flaws of the film and dubbing issues, just because the movie was super engaging and fun to watch. I would give this a 10/10!
RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022)
One of the best big action film!
"RRR" is majestic, glorious, over-the-top but you are sure to be entertained!
As someone who never liked like over-the-top action sequences, I was at the edge of the seat every time a fight scene would come. The action sequences may not (or probably never) make sense, but it is driven by emotions, and that is why I just did not care.
Ram Charan and NTR are the buddies of this year. I don't think anything can come close to friendship of these two on screen. SS Rajamouli of course has his trademark signature scenes, driven by passion and emotion rather than physics or science. The CGI, VFX and cinematography were Marvel level to be honest, with gorgeous set designs and lot of attention to details. MM Keeravani gave one of the best scores of this year, with unforgettable songs, and the epic dance number 'Naatu Naatu'.
A full-fledged action packed entertainer that will never bore you for a second. A solid 9/10 from me!
Malayankunju (2022)
Cinematic brilliance with lots of messages
"Malayankunju" might probably be titled as a survival drama film, but it is so much more than that! The film takes its own time but every frame of the movie is very important to the narrative. There are many symbolisms in this movie that you may catch only after a second watch.
Fahadh Faasil is one of the most fantastic actors of this generation, and he proved it once again. He lived this character and realistically portrayed all the emotions, especially when he is fighting to survive. There were no false moments with any actor, no weak links or so. The writing and cinematography by Mahesh Narayanan was off the charts, spectacular. The set design was Oscar-level in my opinion. Direction by Sajimon Prabhakar was superb. The songs and BGM by AR Rahman was glorious, but being a bit nitpicky, I would have preferred some scenes with almost no score behind it in the first half of the film (just a personal preference).
Lastly, the major reason this film is so magnificent is the symbolisms. It talks about how prejudices can lead to self-destruction and also bits of electronics vs nature, caste system and so much more.
Before going into this film, just know that the film takes its time to get into the survival part, but all the frames must be observed closely to get the essence of the film and understand the subtle messages conveyed.
A 10/10 from me, an absolute gem of a movie!