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Oppenheimer (2023)
An incredibly important movie
So much has been written here about the brilliance of Cillian Murphy and the ensemble cast, about the cinematography, editing, sound track. And I concur it is a brilliant move on those fronts though a tad too long and heavy in lengthy dialogues in early stages.. However for me the move is incredibly important for bringing to the fore a turning point in the modern human civilization. Ability of humankind to destroy itself without needing any interstellar objects is a haunting prospect and this could be via nuclear weapons or via a more contemporary advances in AI.. The youth and future generations would be well served by watching this movie and being awakened to the destructive possibilities. In 1945, there was arguably a greater horror in the form of Hitler and fascists. Today there are horrors and evil forces but none that pervasive and so we are better served to unite in the thinking and philosophy towards the development and use of weapons of mass destruction.. Before I close off, I am a big fan of Cillian Murphy since Peaky Blinders and there is no better person to have essayed this fascinating character and genius. Watch the movie and make a note to watch it again to learn more ..
Sweet Kaaram Coffee (2023)
Delightful blend of 3 generations of women
This is such a refreshingly heart warming and delightful essay of three generations of women , discovering new possibilities of their future while reminiscing about their own past .. the casting is perfect, the notes nuanced, scripted just right and portrayed with ease by Lakshmi, Santhy and Madhoo .. the show also points sharply towards the still prevailing attitudes of men taking the women in their life for granted and allocating compartments.. In all this is a really nice and easy watch and avery commendable effort ..there is also some soulful music blended into the narrative which lends a great atmosphere!
1883 (2021)
Brilliant characters brought to life .. Oregon Trail
Beautifully shot , wonderfully essayed by all the main characters , this is a story that makes you feel the pain in your bones of the folks who set out to find hope and freedom .. Isabel May playing the central heroine Elsa is magnificent, her smile radiating and her pain equally manifesting in all the relevant frames.. She reminded me a lot of Jennifer Lawrence and is definitely a great talent .. The series has its slow pace in many episodes and so could have been crunched by a third.. That said this is a great watch and scenes of the bonding between the father and the daughter is exceptionally touching::
Hridayam (2022)
A complete heart warmer made exquisitely
Just sit back and soak this wonderful ride that sold you up in nostalgia going back to the days of your youth, especially those who stayed in a hostel environment and loved tree myriad facets of college days .. love , jealousy, fear, loathing, camaraderie, rage, loyalty all essayed by a terrific cast.. I did not take to Pranav in another movie but here he is perfect for the role abs played it with aplomb.. however the stand out for me was Darshana/ Dhanya and her emoting and expresssions .. terrific actress and we should get to see more of her in days to come .. Music, totally in tune with the moods .. This is a must watch and ideally with someone by the side with whom you can relate to a lot depicted in this movie .
Kumari (2022)
Occult and folklore brought to life with powerful visually
With an opening narrative of captivating notes and some powerful imagery and cinematography, the movie starts strongly outlining the backstory of how a family gets cursed by demonic forces.. generations later events unfold again and you have new characters suffering the consequences.. Aishwarya essays the character wonderfully, others less so but still without too much to fault .. it is a theme which is heavy on occult and dark forces and so very little to distract and hence needs a tight screenplay and second half is not taut enough .. On the whole this is a geniune attempt with some technical finesse to bring to the screen a tough theme to pull off and it is a good effort .. not for everyone though I would imagine ..
Minnal Murali (2021)
This is a truly stand-out creation in the superhero genre
Basil Joseph , take a bow, it requires immense skill, imagination and adaptation to brew the nearly perfect product of a superhero character attuned to the landscape and cultural milieu of Kerala . A few inches left or right can mean entering the territory of being corny, cheesy, tepid, ludicrous. But hey no such happened and the characters evolved beautifully to become the quintessential good and evil. Script is taut, side characters relatable, placed well to the story. Motivations and circumstances developed in an engaging manner to stitch the broader canvas from where Minnal Murali like Batman can go into protect the Gotham of Kerala. This is epic.
Kuruthi (2021)
All consuming hate yet convictions resist, hold firm
Told through the different perspectives of very deeply etched characters embroiled in a conflict of emotions, this is cinematic masterpiece for its adept handling of a sensitive topic of religious divide in a society which is increasingly being pulled apart from a traditionally strong foundation . Wonderful performances all round, taut screenplay and at the end of day thought provoking .. can't ask for more .. well done.
Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi (2019)
A soulful gem.. not to be missed
Having stumbled upon this beautiful piece of art , I do want to call out a few things .. wonderful cast of top notch actors who have put in their heart into the movie, brilliant direction, screenplay and a cinematography that is so attuned to capturing the best of each emotion. Rarely rate any movie 9; but did so as this was such an expected joy ::
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Brilliant capture of the epic race and bonding
Terrific narrative of the effort by Shelby and Miles to take on the night of Ferrari in racing .. gripping , wonderful performances .. Damon and Bale both playing their roles with class and cool .. and the race scenes have their Adrenalin punch .. must watch.
Giri/Haji (2019)
Cultures so distant and yet an ability to intelock.. superb drama
Wonderful narrative of such vastly different cultures, yet when faced with pain and duress, characters seek comfort and solace reaching across the aisles.. great performances, awesome sound track and a taut script make it delightful viewing .. these are dramas which you don't click usually because of stereotypes and biases in our head of what could make for appealing viewing but I am glad I gave it a go.
Neerja (2016)
"I hate tears"
"I hate tears"
How beautifully ironic that these very final words of Neerja is what one cant hold back as a tide of emotion washes over you as Ram Madhvani the director presents this epic tale of selflessness and courage. There are some who have observed that the acts of Neerja are so noble that it detracted from the assessment lens of the actor Sonam Kapoor who plays Neerja. While that's obviously on account of her at best mediocre acting events of the past, she has clearly poured her heart and soul into this character and has admirably essayed the role. It would definitely be a watershed moment in her career. Now there are 2 others who have on pure acting quotient surpassed Sonam and they are Shabana Azmi and Jim Sharb who play the roles of her mother and one of the more aggressive and maniacal terrorists. While it would come as no surprise about Shabana Azmi, Jim Sharb has covered himself in glory especially he is a relative novice to the world of acting. no doubt we would see a lot more of him in days to come.
Now as i reflect on the movie, one thing puzzled me and that was about not being able to put a finger on why exactly was I so moved when watching the movie. Was it bereavement of a nature so excruciating when it was that of your own child in youth? Was it the tight knit family bonds that tugged at your heart as they wait for the inevitable? Was it the lingering hope that flickers like a dying light as you hope and pray that the worst has not befallen your child? We have seen all of this including equally selfless acts resulting in a tragic loss of life portrayed on cinematic screen before.
Yet credit to the director for letting this remain a powerful odyssey set against a terrible event and eventually leaving us all with hope that on balance maybe humanity has more innate goodness than evil and that we can all hope that the best of the undying human spirit will rise to the fore in times of great crisis. That to me would be true worth of an artistic project and certainly Neerja does a stupendous job at that. Onto some other critiquing, this is not a high octane slick high jack drama in editing or production values. Performances of all the actors are well nuanced and creating the right impact. I leave with a final thought that if it were not for storytellers as Ram and his team, a generation or two would never have even heard of what Neerja did for her fellow human beings.