Change Your Image
abhijeetsharma92
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017)
A quirky rom-com that proves the 'Laws of Murphy'
Bareilly Ki Barfi is a career-defining move for Kirti Sanon who plays the protagonist Bitti Mishra here. She is this really cool 'tomgirl' every boy would want to hangout with. But things go tizzy when no boy coming with a marriage proposal seems to approve of her rowdy ways. One thing leads to another and she finally finds one of her kind in the author of the book Bareilly Ki Barfi. Things turn funny when she sets out to find the author of the book (Rajkumar Rao) taking help from its publisher, Chirag Dubey (Ayushmaan Khurana). What follows is a tale of mistaken identities, competition in love and a whole lot of rangbaazi. The movie is one of those team efforts where each and every actor gives a memorable performance although it is senior actors Sanjay Tripathi and Seema Pahwa who steal the show here. Even the young guns, Kirti Sanon (who was born to play Bitti Mishra), Ayushmaan Khurana (who gives a very subtle performances, often wandering into the grey area) and Rajkumar Rao (he totally takes over the second-half) form a great team. The actor who plays Ayushmaan's friend is seriously funny. Coming from the husband-wife duo of Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Writer Nitesh Tiwari, Bareilly Ki Barfi was such a necessary movie with its old world charm and laidback characters. Her seamless direction and his one-liner U.P friendly dialogues make sure you have keep laughing long after the credits have rolled. A lovely piece of cinema that amalgamates the good old way of storytelling with modern day characters
Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (2017)
A movie that makes sure that the 'Toilet seat' remains up!
Toilet : Ek Prem Katha is Akshay Kumar's latest outing under his 'Cinema's Social Responsibility' campaign, and this time it is the centuries old problem of open defecation that has caught his eye. The movie is a satire on a newly married man's journey of trying to save the dignity of his wife by building a toilet for her. What poses problem for him is the mindset of a society caught in a time wrap.
Writer-Director Shree Narayan Singh does a great job here by treating the problem of building a toilet at home as a genuine one and never going overboard, maintaining the sanctity of the subject. He also gives the audience a number of solutions that can deal with such problem but none seems to replace the necessity of a toilet. Bhumi Pednekar as the new bride is the protagonist here who reasons the mindset of the society standing by her dignity throughout. Her parents also set a great example by supporting her through her ordeals. Akshay Kumar's character also goes through a transformation, from someone who submits before his unprogressive father to somebody taking on the entire village single- handedly. Seasoned actor Sudhir Pandey who has played almost every kind of father in Movies and TV series now gives yet another great performance and so does Divyendu Sharma who seems to be having a lot of fun getting to mouth the funniest lines. He stands out because of his superb comic timing. It was also great to see the ever so great Shubha Khote on screen after a long time. Unfortunately the songs are a big let down here.
Toilet is a slice of life (bigger one at that) comedy that lets the audience decide their fate without being preachy.
La La Land (2016)
Watch Emma Stone – Ryan Gosling dance to the Sound of Music in this West Side Story .
La La Land is a 'dreamy' modern day musical dramedy. It is not your usual 'break into a dance' musical but a rather dramatic take on how sometimes it is important to fulfill your dreams to sustain a relationship. The way I see it, the relationship shared between Sebastian and Mia here is more about 'watching out for the other' while the other achieves what's truly theirs.The movie starts in a classy way with the words CinemaScope staring at you. The opening scene has one of the most energetic well-synchronized dance sequence seen in the recent times. Writer-Director Damien Chazelle beautifully interweaves the story around the 5 'Seasons of love'.Emma stone is a natural before the camera and deserves all the praise while Ryan Gosling pulls off what seems like an extension of his character in the black comedy The Nice Guys. La La Land may not have a unique story to offer but it does have a string of sequences that take you on a musical voyage. The sequence when they break into some good old dancing in What A Lovely Day or when every time Sebastian plays the tune that he had created or when Mia receives a lukewarm response at the theatre, every sequence has its unique charm. But my favorite remains what I call the "What If" sequence that is a real eye opener and remains one of the most well thought sequence.The song City Of Stars is such a well-written song. Its like one of those songs that just get more meaningful with time. What makes La La Land so special is the fact that it comes across as a really normal movie in a time when carrying your 3-D glasses to the theatre is mandatory.
Lion (2016)
Lion ..roars ..and how!
Every once in a while comes a movie about survival that unknowingly ends up spreading the beautiful message of 'hope'. Lion is one such 'long' story of survival, a story that looses its way in the slums of Khandwa, struggles in the by lanes of Calcutta only to find solace in the arms of a childless couple living in Australia.Sunny Pawar is the little 'cub' here called Saroo who ultimately transforms into the 'lion' played beautifully by Dev Patel. It is great to see how the little hope in Saroo's eyes suddenly turns into 'questionable conduct' after 25 years when he realizes of his true origin and that's where Dev Patel actually scores as an actor. Nicole Kidman and David Wenham play these really humane characters who take this little brown-skinned boy under their wings giving him a life that every normal human child deserves. Rooney Mara is another great actress who emotes really well.Director Garth Davis directs his first feature film Lion and the result is a great story that brings together two lives, one lead by Saroo's Mother who despite her shortcomings never gives up upon her lost 'cub' and the other lead by Saroo's Mum who brings up a lost 'cub' and grooms him into a 'lion' making him competent enough to reach out to his mother even after 25 years. Had it not been for the Brierley's, Saroo may never have survived even to tell his story.Saroo is about that one such child who found his way home, there are million out there who don't even live to see that day.
Logan (2017)
Let the new game begin!
Logan is one of the warmest superhero movies I have seen. James Mangold, who is known for extracting some really heartwarming movies like CopLand (Sylvestor Stallone's finest performance), Girl,Interrupted (Angelina Jolie won an Oscar) & Walk The Line (Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give outstanding performances) and also thrillers like Identity (mind boggling thriller), 3:10 to Yuma (remake of a classic western) & Knight and Day (Tom Cruise all the way), makes a movie that possesses both these qualities in equal proportion. It seems that the 'blue potion' helps unleash the Wolverine out of Logan giving us one of the most dynamic characters in the Marvel series.
Logan is about this junkie cab driver whose past does not seem to let him go. The movie LOGAN shows us how sometimes even a super hero has to deal with his inner demon. The movie revolves around the impeccable character Wolverine and his undefined love for Professor X and the new mutant Laura (Dafne Keen). The chemistry between Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart is to die for making this superhero franchise a more human touch. The movie in many parts is inspired by one of the classiest Western movie "SHANE" (A highly recommended movie by Chapter 8). Much like Shane, this movie also defines the untold duties of a man and his quest to differentiate between right and righteous. The new mutant played by Dafne Keen has risen hopes for all the fans and to look forward for the next X-Men movie.Hugh Jackman has really molded the character of Wolverine as per his convenience and it is difficult to see any other actor play this 'lone wolf'. The story focuses more on the next generation mutants who look out for Logan as the guiding force. The action sequences are spot on, and it is the claws that bring out the real wolf in Wolverine. The best part was the director's little references to X-Men comics and when the cross becomes the 'X' symbolizing X-Men at the end of the story.
Mom (2017)
MOM's the word for Sridevi in this family thriller!
MOM sees Sridevi play a mother for the third time after Judaai & English Vinglish, and a fierce one at that. The legendary actress leads the pack in this thriller and lending her a helping hand are supercop Akshaye Khanna and an unrecognizable private detective, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. This movie comes five years after English Vinglish and is a great example of Sridevi's choices as an actress. It seems only she could pull off such a sensitive yet strong performance. Giving her tough time is her daughter played by Pakistani actress Sajal Ali who gives a very good performance and so does Adnan Siddiqui, who plays the father. The movie is a great family thriller, a genre made famous by Drishyam. The thriller movie that deals with a sensitive issue does not try to be preachy and director Ravi Udyawar handles the subject maturely. A.R Rahman's music is not worth remembering but the background score also by A.R Rahman is outstanding. It complements the camera-work which is equally good. Some shots are too good. The movie does seem superficious at times but the smooth story-screenplay takes care of it. The movie is easily one of the finest movies this year.
Noor (2017)
The second four-lettered movie that I really loved after Piku.
Noor is Sonakshi Sinha's most confident movie till date. Her character Noor Roy Chaudhary is believable as an irresponsible journalist who messes up her first big chance of foraying into 'real journalism' only to make the most of her second one. The first-person narration does get to you at times. Actors Kanan Gill and Manish Chaudhary provide great support to Noor. Director Sunhil Sippy knows his city well and he makes the most of it by letting his camera more around freely. The writing is laidback but funny and so is the screenplay which takes ample time to unravel. You feel as if you have seen everything but nothing. Overall, a nice movie with some really fine performances.
Sarkar 3 (2017)
Sarkar roars .but this time within the walls of his 'palace'!
Sarkar 3 is RGV's desperate attempt to regain lost territory and he does succeed to a certain level. The movie is for those who have the patience to wait till the climax when all the pieces finally come together to complete this puzzle called Sarkar 3. As always in a Ram Gopal Varma movie, the camera work and the background score are exceptionally good. The movie has nothing new to offer but some fine performances by Mr. Bachchan and Amit Sadh make up for the slow pace. Manoj Bajpai is impressive as Govind while Bajrangbali Singh who plays Gandhi is a great find. Yami Gautam holds on to the same 'horrifying' expression throughout the movie. Ronit Roy is another fine actor who never lets his audience down although Jackie Shroff does get on your nerves. Unlike Sarkar, the movie has no great dialogues worth remembering. All said and done, the movie is a good reminder of the elite class of directors RGV once belonged to.
Hindi Medium (2017)
A satire on the admission system in Delhi
Hindi Medium takes me back to my favourite Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie, Chupke Chupke (1975), a movie that celebrates the spirit of Hindi. Forty-Two years down the line and we have Hindi Medium that abides by the sermon "English is not a Language, but a Class". Saket Chaudhary (director of Pyar ke Side Effects and it's sequel) comes up with a socially relevant movie that takes on the admission system in Delhi. The movie is also a satire on Delhi's class system that is so evident. Irfan Khan is such an effortless actor when it comes to comedy and matching steps with him is Pakistani actress, Saba Qamar. Amrita Singh has by now mastered the 'mean' act.Deepak Dobriyal deserves all the applause for his sensitive portrayal. He is one expressive actor. The actress who plays his wife is equally good. A very well written movie that gives a breezy headstart to the upcoming summer holidays.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Look out for this 'chest-thumping' ape blow out your chances of ESCAPE!!
King Kong has fascinated movies makers for decades now and Kong : Skull Island is the latest spin off on this 'larger than life chest-thumping' ape .Kong boasts of an ensemble cast comprising of seasoned actors like Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman & John C. Reilly besides Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson (of Room fame). The movie takes all these characters to the mysterious Skull Island where not just Kong but a string of other creatures awaits them. What starts as a geological expedition eventually turns into a game of survival.Tom Hiddleston plays one of its kind action hero who does not get to fire a single bullet throughout the movie but he does manage to break off his 'godly' image with this movie. Brie Larson is vibrant as the 'anti-war photojournalist' who lands up exactly in the middle of a war like situation. It's great to see John Goodman and especially John C. Reilly come back in their true form and give some great performances here. Now coming to Samuel L. Jackson, who does it simply with his eyes. No actor could dare stare back at King Kong with the kind of hatred in his eyes, the way he does. His character has multiple layers and he showcases shades of grey here. All said and done, the cinematography by Larry Fong is outstanding. Each and every shot in the movie is beautiful. A monster adventure movie has to have some great camera-work and the camera-work in Kong is the highlight of the movie.
Jai Gangaajal (2016)
PRAKASH JHA rules as an actor
Jai Gangajal is totally a PRAKASH JHA movie, literally. He at 64 makes the most promising debut by an actor in recent times. The movie is no match to its predecessor but Priyanka Chopra's honest performance as Abha Mathur does make up for all the loopholes in the story. Much like Gangaajal the movie makes an attempt to focus on the socially relevant topics like land grabbing, farmer suicides, rape etc. Manav Kaul is the villain of the season but you do miss the presence of Prakash Jha regulars like Mukesh Tiwari, Ayub Khan, Yashpal Sharma who really add a touch of realism to such political dramas. Overall a good watch that could have been a great sequel to a cult movie like Gangajal.
Talvar (2015)
Jagged EDGE!
Talvar is a 'rarest of the rare' movie that gives a detailed account of probably the most twisted case ever. The movie attains the impossible by providing veracity to the details and abiding by them however harsh they may be. All the characters in the movie look,play and moan their part with utmost sincerity. Konkana sen sharma and Neeraj Kabi look distressed as the couple who play both the puppeteer and the puppet at the hands of the system. Irfan's 'one good cop' act has him bend the law while prowling on his way to the truth. Among the rest of the cast Sohum Shah,Gajraj Rao and Sumit Gulati stand out. Meghna Gulzar deserves all the applause and accolades that comes her way for serving us 'nothing but the truth' exactly the way it is without being biased. The movie does not promise any answers to the questions but leaves you with many more such questions. Vishal Bharadwaj take a bow!
Dirty Harry (1971)
Ultimate 'PUNK!' movie
Dirty Harry came in the same year as FRENCH CONNECTION that made Gene Hackman the 'badass' cop. But Clint Eastwood's Harry Callahan stands out even today for his 'dirty' ways The movie starts on a promising note and soon turns into a cat and mouse game between the hero and the villain. There is nothing exceptional in the story but it is the screenplay that gels well with Clint Eastwood's 'dirty' act keeping you engaged till the very last frame. Don Siegel masterful direction has always extracted the best from Clint Eastwood and this movie is no exception to that. The antagonist in the movie is weak but it is his rather unconventional ways that makes him a perfect villain opposite the anti-hero Harry. No doubt the movie churned out 4 more movies, PUNK!
Neerja (2016)
Brave attempt
Watching Neerja is like playing a game you know you will loose. Neerja is a gut- wrenching,heart-pounding biographical drama based of Neerja Bhanot's most 'glorious' day as a flight attendant. The starting scenes are outstanding where the director draws parallel between Neerja's family life and the sordid life lead by the terrorists. The Arabic speaking terrorists gave an edge of realism to this movie. The whole setting,the camera-work and the texture of the movie is very 80s. The details are to die for. Halfway through the movie and you still can't decide whether to feel for her or to feel proud of her. Sonam Kapoor carried the entire movie on her petite shoulders and complementing her beautifully is Shabana Azmi who managed to play the most complex emotions with equal complexity. Yogendra tiku is a fine actor so is the latest menace in town, Jim Shrib.