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Reviews
Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020)
A GRIPPING WATCH
You just cannot take your eyes off this series even for a second. It's very captivating and the pacing of the story is perfect. No unnecessary scenes and no unnecessary plot deviations. Each and every character has an active role to play and none of them have been wasted.
Whether or not you know the story, whether or not you understand the stock market or the money market, this story still resonates with you. Because in the end, it is the story of a family and its head, Mr. Harshad Mehta. No unnecessary glorification of the protagonist, no unnecessary sexuality or cussing, this show got all its elements right. More importantly, the script is way too rich & tight for anyone to find any problems with it. The first 6 episodes of the series was moving at such neckbreaking speed that I was shocked that this is an Indian TV series (couldn't have been more proud of this fact).
Overall, IT IS A MUST WATCH
Kappela (2020)
Not just a love story... This is often a reality!
Malayalam film industry has produced a lot of eccentric films with unique scripts & characters like never seen before in the past few years. Some of them which I could watch thanks to the lockdown were Driving License, Ayyapanum Koshiyum, Carbon & Kuttanpillayude Shivaratri (all of them must watch). Here's another film that can be added to that list. What seems to be just a cute romantic story initially becomes something else entirely. I'll try to list down what I liked and disliked about this movie without spoiling anything -
Premise: A small-town girl is smitten by a young auto rickshaw driver whom she accidentally comes into contact with thanks to dialing of a wrong number. Will this wrong number be the cupid to a beautiful love story?
What I liked:
1. Even someone who hates the entire movie will love the picturesque locations and cinematography. Malayalam film makers have a new love interest with Wayanad and it is a treat for us fans.
2. The lead actors Anna Ben & Roshan Matthew are in great form, especially the former. Capturing the little nuances & expressions of a small town girl, Anna Ben once again proves that her potential is seemingly endless. Roshan is charming & plays the cute lover boy very well. The other actor I'd like to mention is Sreenath Bhasi who transforms himself from the geeky hacker in Anjaam Pathira to the jobless youngster in this movie so effortlessly. He's simply superb in this movie!
3. The underlying themes that run parallel to the movie's script. Mentioning any of those might affect your perception of the movie while watching it so I won't mention them. However, I will say this again: It is not just another love story!
What I disliked:
1. Dialogue delivery could have been better
2. Some of the scenes were really unnecessary and did nothing to further the plot. On the other hand, some scenes were rushing the story ahead. So there was inconsistency in the pacing of the movie (which might work well for some viewers)
3. Some portions of the plot were left open ended & it left certain questions in my mind. They could have spent some time resolving them too
Overall, this is another undderrated gem which you should watch atleast once and judge for yourself. It's not everyone's cup of tea but it is one hell of a unique tea!
Anjaam Pathiraa (2020)
A special treat for anyone who loves crime mystery/thrillers
After a long time (read 'after Drishyam'), Malayalam film industry has produced yet another gem of a crime thriller. The story is about an aspirong criminologist who gets involved with the police in catching a serial killer who goes about killing policemen one by one. It is also said to be inspired by true events.
Right from the first shot itself, the director wastes no time in putting the characters & plot into motion. With each passing scene, you're drawn deeper into the mystery of the killers, who they & what do they want. The pacing is immensely good, the dialogues are realistic & crisp, the editing is superb & the background score is chilling enough. The visuals are powerful & borderline spooky at times. All the actors are in fine form & convince us enough to invest all our attention into the plot. In the first half, there literally isn't one single moment where you're not thinking 'What's next?'. Credit goes to the script writers for writing a gripping plot that keeps you engaged throughout the movie. The mystery unravels well & is quite satisfactory in the end.
The movie isn't without its cons. The regular usage of the term 'psychology' in the movie isn't validated as the director chooses not to explore much in that direction in the second half. This causes discrepancies in the thought process in the first half amd second half of the movie. Also, the second half gets a tad bit dragged because it carries the burden of revealing all the answers to the questions it raises in the first half. Apart from this, the movie is an excellent crime thriller & a MUST WATCH
Joker (2019)
Some movies simply leave a deep impact within you for years to come!
Yes, Joker is one such film. Being a DC fan, I definitely had high expectations from the film & this one lived upto it in every way. The story has a lot of themes running in parallel & also revealing themselves one after the other like peeling of an onion. It is a slow-burner, so if anyone doesn't like such movies, this one's not for them. Unlike what a few stupid critics pointed out in the name of criticism, Joker isn't the kind of movie that would inspire violence. It is the story of an ordinary man with a mental illness. It is a reflection of the society we live in. It is what some of us want reality to be. It is what some of us don't want reality to be.
Kudos to Joaquin Phoenix for portraying this complex character & digging in so deep to bring out such a profound & layered performance that you feel for the main character in literally every scene. It is the kind of movie that challenges you to think what is right & what is not. However, you won't have a definite answer. It is the kind of movie that deserves multiple Oscars, especially for best actor & best director. This is a Todd & Joaquin show & you're all in for experiencing a masterpiece. It has its flaws too but they're so minor that when you walk out of the theatre, you don't really seem to care.
P. S. Excellent background score too. Worthy of an Oscar!
La casa de papel (2017)
A well made, intricately designed show that should have ended with season 2
La Casa De Papel or Money Heist was a series which took a couple of episodes initially to grab my interest. Having said that, seasons 1 and 2 (barring a few convenient plot lines) were supremely brilliant. The professor's detailed planning, the execution (along with the things that failed) made it a very interesting show that made viewers aware of the fact that anything is possible in this series & that you're in for a roller coaster ride. It also tied things up neatly (and conveniently, might I add) to give the fans a bittersweet yet strangely satisfactory end to their first 'heist'
Alas, with Netflix taking over & with the greed of milking the cash cow, they sort of started ruining the series in seasons 3 and 4. The new characters aren't that interesting (yes Palermo, I'm talking about you), the overuse of Berlin's past to act as a filler in between and also the strange chemistry that the team is now sharing seems very incoherent to what we saw & became used to in the first two seasons. Seasons 3 and 4 aren't terribly bad. They're watchable & they also have their genius moments. It's just that it's too little & something that demands a lot of energy from you to sit through the painfully dramatic scenes (especially in season 4).
Even though I'm looking forward to season 5, that's only because I'm way too tied up with the characters now thanks to the first two seasons & also since they left things hanging at the end of season 4.