Recently Seen Movies - 12 - Page 30

Miss Americana

Lana Wilson is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Her previous two critically acclaimed documentaries focused on late-term abortion and suicide. Both grim subject matters. At first, covering one of the biggest pop stars of our times seems like a great departure. While the subject matter may not have the grim gravitas of her previous works, it is impossible to watch Miss Americana with a dry eye.

Miss Americana is an emotional heartfelt behind the scenes look at Taylor Swift's journey through stardom. It focuses mostly on the latter part of her career when she chose to be more politically active and vocal. It is a journey where she goes from the celebrity everyone else wanted her to be to the real person she wants to be.

If you thought Taylor Swift carefully curated her "good girl" image, you were right. She openly talks about the need to be liked and receive everyone's approval. Like the whole Kanye incident. She had every right to be pissed off and retaliate back then - but everything she does must conform to the standards set for "America's sweetheart"

She embraces criticism of her squad too. There is a moment when she talks about the hollowness and emptiness of winning awards but having no one but her mon to celebrate it with. Its a poignant moment where someone feels down and out despite being on top of the world. She had curated an image and not real relationships that she could count on.

The part where she confronts her dad and team about taking a stance touched me most. I think we all have these moments where we need to take a stand for what we believe in and sometimes it means going against the wishes/advice of your family.

For Taylor Swift fans this is an engaging behind the scenes look. For those who dislike her or don't care it is a pleasant surprise that may change opinions. For the film buffs, this is documentary-style storytelling at its best. Miss Americana is both critically acclaimed and popular. Even Taylor Swift critics have praised it.

Most of the negative reviews are coming from anti-celebrity cynics who cannot buy the notion of a rich privileged person ever being vulnerable. That being said this type of emotional storytelling is not everyone's cup of tea. And if you expect the devil may care candor of Madonna's Truth or Dare, you will be disappointed.

movie review--Tanhaji , the unsung warrior

Ok,...

The movie shows Ajay Devgan play Tanaji Malusare , the Maratha warrior who was instrumental in the recapture of the fort of Kondhana from the Mughals by the forces of Shivaji maharaj .

However , the history of what actually happened has been considerably changed in the movie . The entire movie has considerable fiction though some touch with what had really happened has been barely maintained somehow .

The one major plus point of the movie is that it gives publicity to Tanaji Malusare in regions of India outside Maharashtra in a similar manner in which the movie 'Bajirao Mastani' gave publicity to Bajirao . Thus warriors popular in Maharashtra but little known outside it now have become known outside Maharashtra . This has been helped by the tremendous box office success of both movies .

The fort of kondhana was defended for the Mughals by it's Rajput commander Udaybhan , who was nothing but a soldier doing his job in real life . But in the movie the character of Udaybhan has been raised to the status of a villain by the acting of Saif Ali Khan . He has kidnapped a Rajput widow with whom he was in love before her marriage and she and her brother play a part in helping Maratha forces capture the fort by keeping Udaybhan distracted---all completely fictional and no such Rajput widow ever existed .

Amazingly , in the movie Tanaji makes a trip to the fort even before he actually captures it---needless to say , all this is completely fictional . Also completely fictional is the huge cannon called 'naagin' ( female cobra ) which Udaybhan has towed to the fort and has pointed towards Shivaji's capital Rajgad .

The character played by Shivaji is relatively sidelined in the movie ; his mother Jijabai has relatively more prominence . The movie is dominated by the rivalry between the character played by Ajay Devgan ( Tanaji called Tanhaji in the movie ) and the character played by Saif Ali Khan ( Udaybhan Rathod ) . Saif hardly looks like a Rajput warrior . His clothes are almost completely black .

Kajol plays Tanaji's wife and she looks and acts nicely . Acting by Ajay Devgan and Saif Ali Khan in their respective roles is decent without being spectacular . Colours and photography are decent while songs and background music are okay . The film has some well directed action scenes of fighting between the opposing forces .

Inspite of all the changes made by the movie makers to the real story of the capture of kondhana , the movie was entertaining enough for me to forgive the radical changes made to the history I had heard since childhood .

Verdict---Decent .

Three stars out of five .

Malang - movie review

​​Walked in for a typical Mohit Suri movie and personally, wasn't disappointed... Suri is known for his somber themed movies with memorable visuals and songs (albeit, most of them were unofficial remakes but whatever)... N all his signature elements are strewn amply in this familiar narrative...

Movie primarily focuses on a an ex-convict on a killing rampage and the police trying to halt him, that happens on a Christmas eve, constantly interjected with flashbacks of the major players in the story... Though the first half flashback sequences glorify the hippie lifestyle a lot, its course-corrected soon after the 2nd half begins... Story appeared predictable at most junctures but was made up for with great visuals, music and performances... The tail end surprise, joining all dots neatly, was instrumental in ending an otherwise routine revenge drama on a high...

Coming to the performances, like all recent mohit suri movies, the supporting cast outshone the lead... Aditya Roy kapoor and Disha patani look gorgeous and toned onscreen and play their one dimensional protagonists passably... It was a treat to watch Kunal Khemu on screen after a long time and he easily stole every scene he was in and showcased an array of emotions in the minimal scenes that he was given, being a glaring contrast to the wooden performance by Aditya Roy Kapoor... Anil Kapoor was able to chew the scenes he was in and played his unhinged vigilante cop role with panache... Coincidentally, Anil Kapoor's Inspector Anjaney Agashey was shockingly similar in numerous aspects and backstory to Rajnikanth's Commissioner Adithya Arunachalam in the recently released 'Darbar'...

Overall, an enjoyable old school mohit suri movie and a better one among his recent...

Rating- 3.00 / 5

movie review----Shikara

'Shikara' movie is a beautiful love story full of old world charm....of two nice good looking people getting united in holy matrimony and living the rest of their lives in love with each other....of caring for each other and never leaving each other till death does them part....of sharing the joys and heartbreaks together....but sadly today's generation may not want to see it in that way , because it is set against the backdrop of a long running conflict that has torn such emotions from the hearts of those on either side of the conflict .

Needless to say it is another movie on Kashmir , the war torn region that arouses strong passions everywhere in the subcontinent ; passions that do not allow space for softer emotions like love . Yet a film maker of Kashmiri origin ( Vidhu Vinod Chopra ) has tried to make a love story stand tall in the midst of conflict .

Kashmiri pandits Shiv Kumar Dhar ( Aadil Khan ) and Shanti Sapru ( Sadia ) fall in love during shooting of a film in Kashmir and get married with the help of their muslim friend Lateef Lone ( Faisal Simon ) who is himself in love with a hindu girl named Arti . They build a lovely house called shikara ( named after a type of houseboat that is used for sailing in Kashmir's lakes ) and dream of a future together . But as the muslims of Kashmir get radicalised and many of them start making trips to Rawalpindi in Pakistan , the whole future of Kashmiri pandits comes under a cloud .

The couple are warned by their milkman that muslims are eyeing their house to be taken over from them , and this should have warned them about the impending kickout of hindus from Kashmir . But the naive couple remain in their own world and blindly trust their muslim neighbours' claims that they will protect them even after hit lists of hindus are posted on street corners . Their friend Lateef has already got radicalised after his father got shot by government forces during elections and has joined Pakistan backed terrorists . Lateef warns the couple to sell their house while they are getting a good price and leave . But the couple do not think about selling their house even decades after they have been forced out , such is their old fashioned longing for their heritage .

This brings us to the exodus of the Kashmiri pandits from Kashmir . Certainly the movie is most effective in showing the atmosphere of fear and terror in which the community was forced to leave . The sadness of leaving one's own land , the misery of living in squalid refugee camps , the callous attitude of officials in charge of resettling them is all well shown . One particularly troubling scene shows hungry refugees running after a truck desperate for the meagre amount of eatables being distributed to them . In the first half such scenes make the movie certainly gripping .

But in the second half the movie becomes more of a love story rather than a real account of what Kashmiri pandits had to endure . The violence unleashed against the community is not really shown and the movie then becomes typical Bollywood emotional fare about how the couple never gets communally affected against any religion even after what they have gone through and how the hero still remains attached faithfully to the memory of his muslim friend even after Lateef admits to have mistakenly killed the hindu girl he loved in the midst of his involvement in terrorism .

The heroine's name Shanti was also the name of the director's mother who never was able to return to her homeland after being evicted from it , and you have to watch the movie with the mindset that the director wanted to make a endearing and enduring love story set in backdrop of Kashmir in order to enjoy the movie . I changed my mindset accordingly and was able to enjoy the movie . Others with a harsher reading of the situation may not be able to enjoy it .

The pain of having lost their homeland is writ large on the faces of the lead pair throughout the movie , and their acting is sincere and their endurance in the midst of despair is heartbreaking . Songs and background music are good and help in making the film an emotional journey . Photography and colours are okay . But those wanting a less emotion tinted and more reality based version of the truth to be shown on screen will be disappointed . It will however appeal to those with a yen for timeless romance in times of adversity .

Verdict---Nice .

Three and a half stars out of five .

വരനെ ആവശ്യമുണ്ട് ( The Groom is needed ) --- My Review

The film tells 3 life stories happening in Chennai and how they gets connected to each other due to various reasons....

1. Neena (Shobhana) and Nikhita (Kalyani Priyadarshan). Neena is a divorcee who has a history of many romantic relationships from School and college. She gets a job to teach French to students in Chennai. Nikhita is a self sufficient working lady who is trying to find a best match for her through a matrimony site. The are staying in a flat.

2. Major Unnikrishnan (Suresh Gopi). Stays in the same apartment. He is a retired soldier and likes to be alone keeping a distance from all others

3. Bibeesh. P (Dulquer Salmaan) his younger brother and their caretaker Akashavani (KPAC Lalitha) who relocates to the same apartment from their previous flat.

First half extensively focuses on Mother and daughter relationship and Nikhita's various attempts to get the perfect match for her. It also shows major Unnikrishnan's issues with anger management and him going for sessions with Dr.Bose (Johny Antony) as suggested by his friend (Major Ravi). First half also shows the romance between Bibeesh and his colleague Wafa and his struggles to make her happy. First half has so many comic moments and the credit for majority of them goes to Johny Antony. He was having a field day!

2nd half is a bit more serious with new relationships taking place and how it starts to affect the equilibrium of families. We also come to know more about the story of Bibeesh and his brother. Though the climax is predictable the debutant director Anoop Sathyan made sure he navigated well through the storyline to reach the finishing point.

Coming to performance....it was so refreshing to see Shobhana and Suresh Gopi in the screen after a long time. Shobhana looked gorgeous on the screen and played her part beautifully. Suresh Gopi also was in top form and the final speech makes your eyes moist. Kalyani Priyadarshan makes a memorable debut in Malayalam with a very lively character. Dulquer Salmaan has a less prominent role compared to the others. Johny Antony was a revelation with his comic timings. Urvashi has some heart touching scenes with Kalyani in her extended cameo.

Music and songs were good especially the classical song.

Overall a very nice movie especially for families.

My rating :- 3.15 / 5.00

Sex Education S2

The best part of Sex Education has to be the friendship between Otis and Eric. It is so tender and heartwarming. They are so honest and vulnerable with each other. They argue and they hurt each other, but they also care for and uplift each other. It is a triumph of writing to portray a one on one intimate friendship between two men. Even more important because Otis is straight and Eric is gay.

Sex Education takes on an age-old narrative - the sexual curiosity and coming of age in adolescence. It was the focus of American Pie and countless other movies. But Sex Education does it in a clever and sensitive manner. No matter how deep we go into the sexual fantasies of the characters, it never is crass or crude. Even when we are laughing out loud, it is very careful to ensure that we are not laughing at the insecurities and challenges faced by the characters. Most importantly it has a lot of heart. It never shies away from tears, emotions, and even strict admonishments when necessary.

Season 2 tackles so many more issues - coming out, honesty in relationships, the pressure of first time/performance, sexual assault, questioning sexuality, asexuality and so much more. My only criticism is that it sometimes takes on too much and we feel like we have blipped through things. I also miss Otis and Maeve's consulting business. Their business takes a sidestep to put Dr. Millburn in the forefront. Not that I am complaining - More Gillian Anderson is always a plus. I just miss the sex kid you know? He was cute and funny and entertaining? Millburn is more serious.

When Isaac was first introduced, I was optimistic about a narrative involving disability and sexuality. But oh how much I loathe him. That sniveling smug meddling bastard. While Maeve's mother is a terrible person, I don't think Isaac had any right to meddle in their family. It was for Maeve to sort out on her own. And what he does in the finale - Ugh.

Watch this show. Not only is it brilliantly written and acted - it is important. Even in the west where sex is not as taboo in the east, there are so many misconceptions amidst teens. And even if sex isn't taboo there is a large part of society like headmaster Groff who would rather put students at risk than allow honest conversation. In countries like India where sex is taboo and there can be zero access to sex ed - this show is even more important.

Troop Zero

Set in rural Georgia in the late 70's 'Troop Zero' follows the adventures of a ragtag bunch of trailer park kids.

Christmas Flint believes in aliens and dreams of going into outer space. So when NASA announces that the winner of the birdie scout jamboree will get to send their voice to outer space in the Voyager recording, Christmas has to participate. But it is easier said than done. First, she has to become a birdie and form a birdie troop. Then the birdie troop has to get badges to be eligible for the jamboree. Only then can they perform at the jamboree in the hopes of winning.

Christmas recruits Miss Rayleen her father's employee to be their troop mama. Her friend Joseph becomes her first birdie recruit. Together they convince all the outcast and misfit kids of the trailer park to join their troop and earn badges for the jamboree. They become 'Troop Zero' What follows is a series of capers and adventures as Troop Zero goes against all odds.

The movie is a heartwarming tale of perseverance and hope. You will be in stitches one moment and bawling tears the next. Its tender, it's funny, and an overall family-friendly warm fuzzy.

I loved the character of Joseph who is often teased as girl-boy. He can't catch a ball for the life of him, but he can cut and style any hair no matter how messy it is. He is the only boy in a group of girls. He is accepted and loved by the troop and his father. It is clever how they wove in a message about acceptance and defying gender stereotypes in their storyline.

McKenna Grace is a riot as Christmas. She is boisterous, spunky, and doggedly determined. This kid is going to be a force to reckon with. She's already played young Sabrina, Carol Danvers, and Tonya Harding movies. She stands tall in this role of her own. The way she delivers the line "We're made of organs and tissues" is perfection. That southern drawl, that matter of fact delivery, and that touch of both innocence and insolence - spot on.

Industry stalwarts like Viola Davis, Allison Janney, and James Gaffigan support the kids nicely.

Pati Patni Aur Woh

Why? Why? Why did they have to remake this film with its dated plotline? There is nothing novel in the philandering husband plotline in Hindi cinema. Whether for drama or comedy, countless Bollywood movies build their plot on cheating husbands. Ultimately, the man allegedly learns his lesson and the wife forgives him. I wouldn't mind a remake if the treatment was novel - for example the wife cheats and now the husband has to forgive or the wife decides to leave because she can do better.

'Pati Patni Aur Woh' is a remake of a 1978 Sanjeev Kumar hit. While the original worked in its time, it is time to move on. The movie claims to have made some updates for modern sensibilities. But other than technology everything else seems to have been frozen in time.

Kartik Aryan pretty much plays the same character he has always played. A below-average man whose life is challenging due to his shortcomings. But instead of owning up to be a better person he blames society and the women in his life. Despite having an incredible wife he is often hung up on his past and is bored of his life. He delivers a signature Kartik Aryan monologue where he whines and whines about the difficulty of being an average middle-class man - while completely ignoring all the privileges life has given him.

There are some updated elements. His wife warding off attention and the whole plotline of how the affair ends is better than the original. But it is not enough. Nothing can save this dated hot mess. Even the humor isn't funny, engaging, or entertaining.

Midsommar

WTF did I just watch. When you say horror - I expect horror. Whatever happened to good old fashioned demonic possessions? Or horrifying mutated creatures? Or zombies feasting on human brains? Or old vengeful spirits?

Midsommar has none of the classic horror movie tropes. Instead the horror is inflicted by some weird-ass human cult which to be honest is more gut-wrenching than real horror.

I know the cinematography and locales are pretty and idyllic. Supposedly the movie is a great example of gaslighting. Despite all that the whole package is kind of revolting.

Maybe some people enjoy this weird-ass shit. But I'm a hard no. Even the stellar Florence Pugh can't save this.

The Witcher

I had watched my roommates play the game. But I never really got into it. I played maybe like a few hours of The Wild Hunt that I don't even remember. I was surprised to find out the game and the show are based on a series of books.

The beginning was hard to follow. I was confused and almost disinterested. But then later it became evident that there are three storylines/timelines. Once I got it - it all made sense.

1) The Kingdom of Cintra being attacked by Nilfgaard. Queen Calanthe dies. Mousesack tells Cirilla to escape and find Geralt of Rivia. This plot follows Ciri's journey.

2) The life of hunchback Yennefer. How the bullied disfigured girl trains to become a mage. The price she pays for becoming beautiful and her regrets over it. This plot follows Yennefer's journey. Fringilla of Nilfgaard and Triss of Temeria have their roots here.

3) Finally, there is Geralt's history, and his life as a Witcher. His paths take him across on adventures where he crosses paths with both Triss and Yennefer. It follows his journey and how he unwittingly became bound to Ciri.

The three plots/timelines merge in the final episode. It's good fantasy fiction. I never watched Game of Thrones so I cannot compare. It can do better in unraveling the plot lines for viewers a bit.

Sex Explained

Like Sex Education, this is not a steamy show. In fact, it is the most academic and smart show on sex. It literally explores facets of sex in a very scientific manner. It is highly informative.

While the first two episodes focus on psychological aspects like fantasies and attraction, the final three explore technical biological aspects - birth control, fertility, and childbirth. They are so eye-opening.

The whole history of birth control is icky. It boosted feminism and the sexual revolution but came at a heavy price of forced experiments. India also has developed the only non-hormonal birth control of men as well as women - but the western world refuses to approve it. When it comes to fertility, male infertility is so minimally understood. Did you know male sperm count today is almost half of the sperm count a 100 years ago? Finally, childbirth has come full circles. From doctors taking over from midwives to women going back to doulas and midwives. There is such a delicate balance between necessary and unnecessary interventions. Fascinating.

Ayyappanum Koshiyum ~ A Movie Review:

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More than month back, I regarded “Driving License” as one of the best commercial entertainers in recent times. That’s mainly because of the script by Sachy led by racy narration by Lal Jr. Also, the moments were fresh a completely focused on the title. If you observe that movie, it opted for a typical commercial route. The characters are introduced, established and then the issue which connects the lead characters is put in front, the clash and the climax. Absolute regular format.

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When Sachi took over the role of the director, he used the same theme or rather storyline and brought some evident changes. Maybe he might be inspired from his own creation. The metro backdrop was replaced with rural, the clash was introduced before establishing the characters and thecharacters backdrop are revealed during the narration. Also, he used issues of caste/aristocracy/feudalism etc. into the clash. Unlike Driving License, the approach is more off beat. SachI doesn’t put any new incidents in a big way to develop the clash. He rather reveals multiple traits of the character by putting them through different circumstances and thus increase the intensity of the clash. But this also became an issue after 3/4th of the movie where we just wanted the movie to reach the climax. I wished this where Sachi the director flawed. Out of Ayyappan & Koshy, I felt Koshy was more developed than Ayyappan. Other than one scene from C I Satheesh (Anil Nedumangad) explaining about his past verbally, Ayyappan is more of a mystery. On other hand, we get a clear picture of Koshiy and why he behaves in a haughty manner. Personally, I felt the clash was bit overstretched and the climax ended up on a rather familiar note. I wish Sachi could have taken care of that just like he took care of each n every character of this movie.

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Speaking of cast, eventhough we feel Biju Menon is the lead role, its Prithviraj as Koshiy that stood a tad above. Biju Menon had some good “mass” scenes but Prithvirajgot the best acting moments. It requires guts for an actor to play a character like Koshiy who himself is a victim of his own circumstances and misunderstanding. Biju Menon as usually shined in a role which I believe only he can justify in the current circumstances. Anil Nedumangad as C I Satheesh was simply outstanding. Gowri Nanda got some terrific scenes. Ramesh Kottayam as Kumarettan attained the attention of the audience. While Sabumon, Anu Mohan were good in their roles, Arjun Ashokan, Anna Rajan&Aji John didn’t create any impact. Ranjith was absolutely poor in a role which demanded an actor like Thilakan. It was cringy to see when he delivers the dialogues with a dialect. The actors who played the role of Jessy & Faizal created an impact.
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Jakes Bejoy’s soundtrack suited the mood of the film along with the rustic frames created by Sudeep Elamon. Ranjan Abraham’s editing should have been better towards the end.
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This movie is easily Sachy’s best work and big leap when you consider his debut “Anarkali”. Still I believe this film could have been better especially if they dealt with the length, it would have been an outstanding experience. I was a bit pumped up after the overwhelming positive reviews.
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Ratings – 3.0 / 5.0