Recently Seen Movies - 12 - Page 5

Tales of the City (2019)

Apparently, 'Tales of the City' is a beloved anthology that showcases the life and struggles of the queer community in San Francisco. The narrative focuses on Anna Madrigal a transgender landlady and her tenants who have formed a close-knit familial community. It consists of nine novels that were serialized in many newspapers. There have been three limited edition series that showcase different time periods in the novels. Netflix's 2019 limited edition series is the fourth installment which picks up in our modern time period with some new and old characters. 

I have not watched or read any of the previous tv series or books. It doesn't matter though. The show narratively picks up as a new starting point and has its own arc. You meet everyone and learn their backstories and everything works. Of course, I think there may be a certain level of nostalgia and knowledge that followers of the series have. 

Overall it is a sweet and optimistic drama. Throughout the story, we are introduced to many challenges and strifes of the LGBTQ community. Although the show is set in an optimistic world with a positive resolution. 

TBH, I saw the series for Ellen Page, of whom I am a big fan. There is nothing fantastical or gripping about it. Watch it only if you want a slice of San Francisco life and LGBTQ issues. 

Bangalore Days

I have wanted to watch this movie for ages. I finally saw it on Amazon Prime and immediately watched it. 

Bangalore Days is a very simple story. It is about three cousins who used to be very close as kids. Later on, as adults, they come together in Bangalore. One has married and settled there, one has shifted there for a job, one has just come to join them. The movie showcases the various challenges they face in everyday life and how they rely on each other to get them through. 

What makes this movie so successful is that it is heartfelt. Kunju (Naziya Nazim), Kuttan (Nivin Pauly) and Aju (Dulquer Salman) are people who connect with us and instantly remind us of our childhood and our connections to siblings/cousins. All three main leads have acted beautifully. Their chemistry with each other is so easygoing. The different dynamics of interactions play naturally and organically. 

This is an honest, feel-good, family-friendly film. Truly, watch it with your family. Everyone has acted beautifully and the narrative is lovely. It could have been a bit shorter, but oh well. And the Shiva track was a refreshing surprise. So often characters are one-note, it was nice to see a backstory to character behavior. 

Also, how novel to have three main leads and not make it a love triangle. Love stories, friendship bonds, family drama are all done a lot in cinema. Bangalore Days might be the only film I have seen that explores the relationship between cousins. It makes me baffled why Bollywood hasn't explored it. The most salient memory for so many Indians is their cousins. Some of our first and closest friends are cousins. 

The movie took me back to my recent trip to India where I connected with cousins after ages. When we had some respite from the wedding festivities we hung out in the hotel room drinking and smoking. My cousin lay on my lap as he told his girlfriend about how I used to watch him when he was little, and how I was his favorite cousin. The movie reflects that how as we grow older our circle of cousins grows with their significant others too. 

A Very English Scandal

In 1979, rising liberal politician Jeremy Thorpe was charged with conspiracy to murder. His accuser was Norman Scott, his one-time homosexual lover. Thorpe was acquitted at the time. But everyone knew that he was guilty. BBC apparently scrapped a documentary when Thrope was acquitted. Now forty years later as the sultry truth has slowly tumbled out - BBC makes A Very English Scandal. As the name suggests its very English, with its offbeat humor and awkward sense of propriety. 

Plot synopsis. Jeremy Thorpe meets Norman Scott when he was a stable boy. The two become lovers. But Scott is extremely unstable, prone to lies and exaggerations, and a massive drama queen. A frustrated Thorpe eventually calls off the relationship and moves on with his life. Thorpe marries and has a child. Scott drifts across the country falling in and out of trouble/relationships. Every few years when he's hard on his luck Scott would blackmail Thorpe. For two decades Thorpe and his close aides would pay off or find means to keep Scott quiet. Eventually frustrated at Scott's constant blackmail Thorpe tries to kill him. A botched attempt at murder ignites the scandal. 

Hugh Jackman is equal parts charming and equal parts slimy as Jeremy Thorpe. Ben Whishaw is impeccable as the erratic, emotional, and troubled Norman Scott. The two have that maddening chemistry that begins as curious sexual attraction and ends with murderous loathing but has mutual attraction sprinkled in. 

I cannot help but wonder how this scandal changed the course of British politics. Jeremy Thorpe was predicted to be the next Prime Minister. He was a mercurial force amidst the liberals. This scandal singlehandedly stopped a liberal wave and flipped the country conservative. 

And I cannot help but feel sorry for both. Sure Jeremy Thorpe conspired to murder. But he lived in an era where he had to be closeted. After years of blackmail, he was frustrated and scared. Sure Norman Scott was a liar and blackmailer. But he was a homosexual man with severe mental health issues doing what he could to survive. 

The Chef Show

Put food and MCU together and you get The Chef Show. Actor & Director Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan) teams up with Roy Choi to talk food and cook food. Many MCU stars and other Hollywood celebs feature. Its time pass. It's interesting to see that some celebrities do cook at home. Also, I think, the movie Chef was so successful because Jon Favreau has such a genuine love for food. But this was definitely one of the lesser food-based shows. 

A few weeks ago I watched Kabir singh an bharat, movies was so Interesting and fun.

Dr gulati person is very funny and Interesting role.

Good omens- Crowley and aziraphale are good. Rest is just alright.

watched Maayvan & Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru  ..both good suspense thriller 👍🏼

The Lion King 

Couldn’t connect with it . The emotional quotient that was heavy in the original was missing.

Loved the Lion King. It was such an amazing experience to relive my childhood! Must see for all the 90s kids. 

 Movie ::  Kadaram Kondan

Kadaram Kondan oru famous French Movieyude Remake aanu ennu oruvidham perkkumariyamayirikkum

Rajesh M Sleva athinte COPY Kandu athu pole edukkan sramichitundu

+ves

Chiyaan Vikram

Lena

Akshara Hassan was ok

BGM

-ves

All Other Cast Except Lena's 2 Colleagues

Direction

VFX POLUM COMPLETE CHEYYATHA MOTION TRACKER Athe POLE Kaanicha 1 shot unduithil. & Lift shot also have a VFX Missing

------------------------------------------------------


Nasser inte Makan okke chirikyano karayano ennu manasilayilla chila scenes il

The Main Drawback of the movie which i felt was the director failed miserably to create an emotional attachment between the characters and the audience.

We didn't even feel anything while something is happening on the screen most of the time.

Chiyaan Had His Great Looks And Swag but the script was so weak and the character build up was also not nice

The Chase scene ended abruptly.

Comparing to the original version KK didnt do even 1% justice

but that dosent mean KK is bad, if KK had good Supporting actors it would have done better

Still Some of those who haven't Seen The original versions liked the movie and its a 1 time watchable with an OK pace and short Run time

 Verdict : 2.60 / 5.00

Quantico S3

I finally mustered the courage to watch this after a terrible S2. It wasn't half as bad. It is actually a huge improvement over S2. Alex Parrish and Co come together to form a Black Ops team. The show reinvents itself as a crime of the week type of drama. It is thrilling and entertaining. But it isn't refreshing, entertaining, or exciting. It tends to be a run of the mill. There is nothing that makes it unique or deserving of attention. Basically, Quantico could never replicate the intrigue of S1.  Without the cat and mouse game of characters, it just fizzles. 

Delhi Crime

You know the story. You know how things turned out. Yet, Delhi Crime is a gripping police procedural that manages to hold your attention. It is written and executed as a top-notch thriller. You get absorbed in the investigation and the drama that unfolds. The show portrays a side of the story we were in the dark about. The investigation of the crime. To be honest, the entire investigation to catch the gang rapists is a pretty awe-inspiring piece of investigation. Unfortunately, in the national outrage and protests, the ability to quickly solve a crime went unnoticed.  

That being said the show does tend to glorify the cops a bit too much. It does portray the corruption and incompetence. It does try to paint a fair picture. But it is definitely a bit overzealous when it comes to the good cops. Also, I did not get why it tried to paint Akash as an unreliable and shady witness. He was a victim too. But these are just a few flaws that prevent a great cop drama from becoming legendary. 

Shefali Shah as Vartika Chaturvedi is the best thing about the show. The actress is definitely a show-stealer. I loved how easily she transitions between polished English dialogue and BC MC Hindi swearing. Rasika Dugal also has a great track as rookie cop Neeti Singh. But Yashashwini Dayama's role as Chandni the daughter of Vartika seemed to be distracting. 

Another thing I appreciated about the show is reflecting the class conflict in the rape. I had chills as Jai Singh angrily recounts his crime without flinching. He understands rape and consent, but he believes he did no wrong because he is convinced the victims deserved it. India does need to have an honest dialogue about consent. We need to shift away from traditional patriarchal norms and gender roles. But they are not the only factor in rape. There is a class/caste motivation too in many rapes. Rape is an age-old tactic used in conflicts. And as long as these divides exist and fester in India, groups will continue to rape as retribution. 

PS: You might need to line up a few episodes of your favorite sitcom to recover from the bleakness of this show. 

I saw Lion King Live Action Remake.  Being a Huge fan of Lion King 1.0 I had massive expectations. The film was good and at times great. But there were some downers. Scar was my fav mostly cause he had this Hip British thing going on. This movie removed most of that. An some things seemed weirdly edited. But overall it was entertaining. Timon/Pumbaa obvious highlights. I did like the Hyena comedy. The music was good. Tho the extra songs werent needed. It was kind of feel like a Jungle documentary rather than real movie  But so did Jungle Book.  Id give it 7.5 out of 10