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priya-kesavan
Reviews
The Archies (2023)
Very cute family friendly musical
A welcome departure from the hero-heroine-oriented melodramatic over-acting Bollywood trash. Kudos to Zoya for pulling off a stylized Broadway style musical. I loved how she adapted an American theme into the section of Indian society that fits best - the Anglo Indians. Lovely period sets and costumes. Simple heart warming story of teen friendship, ensemble cast, groovy music and fab choreography. Refreshing lack of meanness, pettiness, innuendo and violence. I enjoyed it which means the average Bollywood consumer will not. Watch it with the kids - they will love it. And you will love watching with them because there isn't single ick moment in the whole 2+ hours!
Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)
A simple sweet but great movie
Checking off all the tick boxes of wholesome cinema - strong positive message, no violence or evil, simple plot, natural acting, makes you laugh and cry. The nuances of small Indian towns comes to life. The scenes of a bride buying nightwear, riding pillion with a big suitcase, the blithe assumption that the divorce lawyer is trying to bring the couple back together, the cassette shop are all so nostalgic! The darker side of Indian arranged marriages - motivated by money, elders choose, the girl's parents' insistence she tolerate her disrespectful husband etc are dealt with sensitivity. This is good solid Hindi cinema not Bollywood and it's a breath of fresh air. Watch it!
Narcos: México (2018)
Slow, very educational and horrifying because it's all true
I'm horrified at how all the events that they report - rigged elections, government collusion, corruption all the way to the top - are true. It is slow though. There's a lot of development of unnecessary characters (DEA agents, girl friends, etc). Also, the story is set in the 80s, the feel is more glamorous and modern - of the 2000s . However, in spite of the shortcomings, the mains story line is well done. Diego Luna is an amazing actor. Well worth a watch.
Murdoch Mysteries (2008)
Superb show
For all period production fans, here's one that will have you hooked. Science, history and human values are served up in the form of murder mysteries with romance and humor thrown in for good measure. I love the show especially the earlier seasons where the focus was purely on the original theme rather than the characters and how their lives and love lives play out. A very fine cast play the characters to perfection. Beautifully produced with brilliant settings and costumes that brings the period to life. It takes you back to an era when education, truth, dignity and decency were valued. At the same time it also opens your eyes to the down side of those times - discrimination against women, racism, colonialism, poverty, inequality. It's not mindless pulp. For those who enjoy a thought provoking show with opportunity to refresh some science lessons, watch this one. You won't regret it!
Little Women (2019)
Terrific adaptation of a timeless classic
I have read Little Women and all 4 books in this series at least 50 times. Jo March was one of my heroines growing up. I have lived through the tumult of her times felt the pain of the characters every time I read the book. So, when my friend invited me to watch this movie, I wasn't expecting that it could deliver anything new, tell me anything I already didn't know. Was I ever so wrong! The adaption blew me away. The juxtaposition of the scenes jumping back and forth in time rearranged and reconnected the story in a sublime manner. Kudos to Greta Gerwig on a moving heart felt adaptation. Saoirse Ronan was simply stunning. First time I am watching her and she is a breath of fresh air. She brings Jo March to life with all the layered complexity of her character. The rest of the cast was competent except for Timothee Chalamet in the critical role of Laurie. In my opinion, he wasn't a fit. Bringing Lousia May Alcott to life through Jo was a lovely touch. The last scene of Jo getting her book printed, bound and embossed the old fashioned way was classy. Every time I read Little Women, it always gives me new meaning and I find a nuance I hadn't noticed before. This movie did the same thing. It was like reading this timeless classic and enjoying the comforting familiarity of a well known story and yet finding new perspective in it.
Vir Das: For India (2020)
Thoughtful, thought provoking and hilarious
Love this piece by Vir Das. He's very good and this one carries a strong message in this political climate. A MUST WATCH.
The First Wives Club (1996)
Fun movie
This one won't win any oscars, but it's a perfect light movie for a good laugh.. A little dated now especially in it's portrayal of women.. A fun watch..
Yes Man (2008)
Cute, good for a laugh, needs better casting..
Sweet movie. I enjoyed it.. But Jim Carrey is going through Woody Allen issues.. He's ageing and these early 30s kind of roles do look rather weird for a 50 year old man.. Hollywood needs to cast younger actors in these roles.. Other than that, it's a light fun movie..
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Dark and depressing with a very stupid plot
Often IMDB ratings are misleading. At 7+ I expected something from this movie. I didn't like how it started, I didn't like how it progressed, but I continued to watch it hoping that somehow things would improve. It's meant to be a thriller, but it's just foul language and violence intended to create a negative reaction. It collapsed spectacularly in the end with the stupidest twist in the tale. If someone wanted to rescue that little girl, all they had to do was call social services. With a junkie criminal mother it would be easy to prove the case and get the girl to safety with a legitimate route. It just doesn't make sense. The film is poorly directed with some over the top aggressive acting.. The social message in it is wrong and harmful.. I don't know why people liked it..
I Don't Know How She Does It (2011)
Cute warm movie
Look, this is not a highly intellectual or dramatic film oozing with plot and intricacies. It's cute, warm, funny, clean and quirky movie about parenthood. A lot of it is real and just like in most films some it is not.. I think Sarah Jessica Parker brought some life into her role of a goofy, messy but serious, ambitious woman. I liked it, I got a few laughs out it, it's way better than a lot of the junk out there.
A Star Is Born (2018)
Old story, new take, no depth, good music
I had read and heard too much about the Bradley Cooper - Lady Gaga chemistry and I was already sick of it. So maybe I watched it with a little negativity to begin with but the film did nothing to redeem itself. The only way a cliched older-jaded-successful-man-young-naive-talented-girl tale can be interesting is to add some depth of emotion and dimension to their connection, a critical point that Hollywood always misses. A Star is Born missed it too. Bradley Cooper was rather too much in character as alcoholic-and-drug-addict Jack with his low raspy voice and facial water retention. His acting was off the mark probably because he was working so hard on his false voice all the time (gazing bemusedly at Ally all the time does not qualify for acting). And he certainly did not have chemistry with his leading lady. Lady Gaga did a reasonable job with her part. Neither character inspired in any way. The cliches of Jack romanticizing his alcoholic dad, fighting with doting brother, peeing & falling over on the grammy stage etc were truly cringe-worthy. As for Ally's devotion to this schmuck is derogatory to the self respect of women and doesn't fit into modern day values. On a positive note it exposed the pop music culture for what it is and it has some good music. I enjoyed most of the songs, I really loved Bradley Cooper's low false raspy voice and his singing was surprisingly good. Shallow is a lovely song. Unfortunately, this movie is just that, shallow.
Green Book (2018)
Couldn't get past the first 15 minutes
I watched this movie on a flight, the airline was quick to update the movie selection with the latest Oscar hits. I started watching with low expectations after reading poor reviews about it after the Oscar win. But it was worse than what low expectations I had. It was dull drab and boring, not remotely funny, couldn't get past the first 15 minutes to get to the message if there was one. Highly missable.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
What a great watch!
Superb must-watch show! Awesome production value, superb costumes, smart storyline with a message, crisp snappy dialogues, and a fantastic cast! Rachel really shines with her comic timing, love her!
New York, I Love You (2008)
A wannabe cool artsy movie.. but.. it's not..
Short stories with a twist is the idea, some of them are just twisted.. Some are decent - like the funny one with the hooker and the bickering old couple were sweet.. Some are wannabe sharp wit - like the one with the professor and his student.. But some are just plain disturbing, they reiterate the bad messages which seem to underline American culture - like the one about the prom night. It begs the question, is it really the goal of every high school boy to have first-time sex with a girl, any girl on prom night?? If yes, it's terrible and what's worse, this movie seems to say it's okay to have that goal..
I didn't fall in love with New York at all through this movie.. Highly missable..