Red Notice

"Red Notice"

Watched English movie Red Notice. 

This film is directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Written by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Produced by Beau Flynn, Dwayne Johnson, Rawson Marshall Thurber and others. Music by Steve Jablonsky. Cinematography Markus Förderer. The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Gal Godot, Ryan Reynolds, Ritu Arya, Chris Diamantopoulos. The film runs for about 2 hour and was released on 5 Nov 2021. I watched it with Aditi on 27th Nov 2021 on Netflix .

Antony gifted Cleopatra three eggs. Two of them were found and third lost. Based on Bishop's tip, FBI profiler Dwayne comes to know that high profile art thief Ryan is going to steal first of Cleopatra's eggs from the museum in Rome. Interpol agent Das apprehends Ryan, but the egg is stolen nevertheless and needle of suspicion is on Dwayne. 

Can the unlikely partnership between Dwayne and Ryan work? How far will the one up man ship between them and Gal go? Can they find Cleopatra's third egg? How will their story end?

Red Notice is a interpol designation for most wanted criminal.

There is a competition between cons and they are followed by Interpole investigator Das and reluctant runaway Dwayne. It's an action comedy, so there is nonstop action and sprinkling of comedy. However, the action is very good. It's not mindless violence, it's creative. Director handles the story deftly and stays true to the genre of action flick. 

Dwayne does well as profiler who can fight. Gal Godot plays the Bishop, the competing con artist. She's beautiful, however, this movie doesn't capitalize on it much. Ryan is the surprise package. He plays the happy go lucky con very well. His character is adorable. Dwayne and Ryan have good timing for comedy. Ritu Arya has landed an important role and she plays the sincere cop. 

Movie ends with a big twist and start of a new adventure that should be Red Notice 2. I will look forward to it.

Recommend watching,  don't look for meaning. 

Kurup (कुरूप)

"Kurup (कुरूप)"

Watched Hindi movie Kurup (कुरूप). 

This film is directed by Srinath Rajendran. Story by Jithin K. Jose, K. S. Aravind, Daniel Sayooj Nair. Produced by Dulquer Salmaan. Music by Sushin Shyam. Cinematography Nimish Ravi. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Indrajith Sukumaran, Sobhita Dhulipala, Bharath Srinivasan, Tovino Thomas, Shine Tom Chako, Shivajith, Sunny Wyne. The film runs for about 2 hour 35 minutes and was released in Nov 2021. I watched it on Netflix on 23rd Dec 2021 with Aditi.

It's day of retirement of Police Officer Krishnadas. While his retirement ceremony is going on his subordinate stumbles upon a case diary of Kurup. Years ago Kurup returned from Persia to India and faked his death for an 8L policy. Krishnadas is not fooled and a cat and mouse game begins. 

Will Krishnadas catch him? Why does Kurup want to fake his death? Why did Kurup change his name? Can Kurup survive?

To deliver this story director has used the vehicle of Flashback. He uses it liberally. There are even nested flashback. It means flashback within flashback. That's interesting. Director gives a number of small surprises that retain audience interest. His endeavour to end the movie with another big surprise is also successful. 

The story is set in 1970s and 80s. So the art director and cinematographer get a chance to display tricks of their trade. 

There are three main characters. Dulquer plays the title role of Kurup. He acts decently. Sobhita Dhulipala plays his lady love. She has beautiful eyes. Indrajith plays the police officer. He acts well and looks like a police officer. Surprise element is Tovino Thomas. He impresses as a drunkard and liar. 

Biggest flaw? Locals in Persia dress like Arabs and they speak Arabic. How can director miss such a simple thing? This was a glaring blunder, an unacceptable one and unpardonable one. 

I watched the Hindi version of movie with English subtitles. I could not help but notice that the translation was horrible. 

Watch it for a change. 

Bunty aur Bably 2 (बंटी और बबली २)

"Bunty aur Bably 2 (बंटी और बबली २)"

Watched Hindi movie Bunty aur Bably 2 (बंटी और बबली २). 

This film is directed by Varun V. Sharma. Written by Varun V. Sharma. Produced by Aaditya Chopra. Music by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. Cinematography Gavemic U. Ary. The film stars Rani Mukherjee, Saif Ali Khan, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Sharwari Wagh, Pankaj Tripathi. Guest artists Prem Chopra, Asrani. The film runs for about 2 hour 20 minutes and was released in 2021. I watched it on Amazon Prime on 22nd Dec 2021 with Aditi.

A new pair of con artists is making waves. They call themselves Bunty aur Babli, after famous pair of con artists 15 years ago, who were never captured. The originals are leading a sedentary life. Police officer Jatayu Sing approaches the original pair and enlists them to capture the pretenders. A chase begins. 

Who are new Bunty aur Babli? Will the originals ensnare them? Can the pretenders be captured? How will it end?

The concept of the movie is juicy. Capitalising on the success of the original movie was a commercial matter stroke. On one hand there is a new pair on the block. On the other hand the original pair hasn't lost its mojo. Police are trying to capture all four. The game of one up man ship is on. 

However, for the movie to succeed, it should be better than the original. Alas! It isn't. The movie is a pale shadow of original. It neither has the naughtiness nor the thrill of original. It also fails on the front of excitement, ingenius ideas and anticipation. This movie doesn't have Abhishek Bachchan, so the Bunty Babli chemistry is also missing. Having a director who is also a writer could be an advantage, but when the recipe doesn't come off good, he has to shoulder almost the entire blame. 

Saif tries to fill in Abhishek's shoes but he doesn't succeed. Rani is ok. Siddhant is good. Bollywood has got a new hero. Debutant Sharwari is beautiful. She is a very good dancer too and acts well. She is a star in making. Pankaj Tripathi's talent is wasted. 

Music doesn't have recall value. Cinematography is good. With a portion of story happening in Abu Dhabi and rest in India, cinematographer has got good opportunity and locations.

Disappointing. Give it a miss. 

Holmes & Watson

"Holmes & Watson"

Watched English movie Holmes & Watson. Directed by Etan Cohen. Written by Etan Cohen. Produced by Will Ferrell and others. Cinematography by Oliver Wood. Music by Mark Mothersbaugh. It stars 

Will Ferrel, John C. Reilly, Rebecca Hall, Rob Brydon, Kelly Macdonald, Ralph Fiennes and Lauren Lapkus. I watched this movie on Netflix, on Oct 2021 with Dada. The movie is about 1 hour 30 min long and was released in 2018.

Holmes and Watson discover a corpse in a cake in Buckingham Palace. The corpse holds a note saying that the Queen wil die in 4 days. The work is cut out for Homes and Watson. This has to be a scheme of Prof. Moriarty. Watson wants Holmes to designate him a co-detective.

Holmes and Watson, counter intuitively, are bumbling fools by nature and detective and doctor, respectively, by accident. The entire movie is supposed to be a comedy or dramedy. But it comes out with predictable jokes, uninteresting plot, sloppy action, uninspired direction, poor acting and to top it up, the threat of a sequel.

This movie could not recover its production cost. No wonder it bombed on box office. 

Although I, Dada and Aditi started toi watch this movie, Aditi couldn't tolerate it and walked away to spend her time more meaningfully. 

AVOID

Ankahi kahaniyan (अनकही कहानियाॅ)

"Ankahi kahaniyan (अनकही कहानियाॅ)"

Watched Hindi movie "Ankahi kahaniyan (अनकही कहानियाॅ)". 

This movie is directed by Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, Abhishek Chaubey, Saken Chaudhari. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Ashi Dua. Screenplay Piyush Gupta, Hussain Haidry, Shreyas Jain, Zeenat Lakhani and Nitesh Tiwari. Music by Achint Thakkar. Cinematography by Eeshit Narain. This movie stars Abhishek Banerjee, Rinku Rajguru, Delzad Hiwale, Kunal Kapoor, Zoya Hussain, Nikhil Dwivedi and Palomi Ghosh. This movie was released in 2021 and runs for about 1 hour 50 min. I watched the movie on Netflix on 16th Oct 2021 with Aditi.

‘Ankahi Kahaniya’ is an anthology of three short films about unconventional love stories.

In the first short film, Abhijeet works in a garments shop. He is lonely. No friends, no relatives in the city. No one to talk to. One day a lady mannequin comes into his shop and his life changes. He gets someone to talk to, a companion. She evokes a range of emotions in him from awe, sympathy, friendship, love, jealousy. 

Director does well to ensure that this story doesn't come out as perversion.

In second shirt film, Rinku is stuck in a house where she is not appreciated, she is not allowed education. She is attracted to a young man working at the local movie theater. This young man is an orphan brought up by a drunkard. Both lonely, both suffocated. They decide to escape. But the escape is not what you expect.

Director gives a surprise that disorients you until you get the profound meaning of it. 

In third shirt film, Arjun and Natasha are having an affair. Their respective spouses try to find out why all this started and reconstruct how it happened. While doing it they discover something else. 

This story manages to prove the audience wrong on multiple occasions. You expect it to take a certain path, but it doesn't. 

All the three directors do a good job. Abhijeet is too good. Can't imagine anyone else doing this role. Rinku suits the role. Delzad looks like a drug addict. Kunal, we know, is good. Zoya is the surprise packet and she impresses.

This movie follows recent popular trend of presenting a set of short stories, with a common thread, as a movie. The common thread in this movie is unconventional love of lonely persons.

It's a decent effort and a decent watch.

Legally blonde 2

"Legally blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde".

Watched English movie "Legally blonde 2". 

This movie is directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld. Screenplay by Kate Kondell. Produced by David Nicksay, Mark Platt and others. It stars Reese Whitherspoon, Luke Wilson, Sally Field, Regina King, Jennifer Coolidge. Music by Rolfe Kent. Cinematography by Elliot Davis. Film runs for about 1 hour and 36 minutes and was released in 2001. I watched it with Aditi and Dada on 16th Oct 2021 on Netflix.

Elle Wood,  from the original Legally Blonde, suddenly remembers that she has to find the biological mother of her dog. The mother is traced to a medical facility where she is a test subject for a cosmetic company. She asks her release Ahmed is sent away. Elle decides to stop animal testing and relocates to Washington DC. Here she has to fight the government and bureaucracy to get a law passed to prevent animal testing. 

Why must she travel to DC? What kind of law are we talking about? Who will she encounter? Will she and her pink stuff be made fun off in drab DC?

The movie takes off where the previous one ended. Elle is the same despite joining the corporate world. She again uses her beauty therapy and knowledge of cosmetics to get to her goal. She puts compassion above everything else. 

Although this concept is similar to first part, the execution is not as good as the first one. Change of writer, director and cinematographer has taken its toll. It's always too make a sequel because you get little time and the expectations are heightened. 

Reese is good like first movie. Sally does well but appears helpless at times. Others support. Luke has marginal role.

This movie garnered 2.5 times its production cost. So it was a hit on box office but not as successful as the first one.

The guilty

"The guilty"

Watched English movie "The guilty". Direction: Antoine Fuqua. Screenplay: Nic Pizzolatto. Produced by Jake Gyllenhaal and others. Cinematography Maz Makhani. Music by Marcelo Zarvos. It features Jake Gyllenhaal, Adrian Martinez, Christina Vidal and other actors who provided voice over. The movie was released in 2021 and runs for about 1 hour 31 minutes. I watched it on Netflix on 18th Oct 2021 with Aditi.

Joe Baylor is on 911 operator duty. He is a cop but is put on 911 operator duty as a punishment. A mother calls 911 pretending to talk to her daughter. Joe wants to help her. He tries to do everything to save her. 

Joe is going through a difficult time. He is separated from his wife and daughter, there is an impending court case up for verdict the next day that will decide his career and to top it he is facing health issues. 

Rather than doing the job of 911 operator and reporting the emergency to the respective authorities, the cop within him takes over and he coordinates the search and rescue of the victim. 

This is a challenging movie to direct. All the story happens in the 911 call center with almost no outdoor scene. In such a movie, unless the screenplay and direction is gripping, retaining audience interest is difficult. Director does a commendable job. Screenplay is compact. Most important character in this movie is Jake. He does well as the protagonist. He looks good, acts well and portrays the character very well. Second most important character in this movie is phone. Without phones, this movie wouldn't have happened. 

This movie is based on 2018 Danish film by the same name. Since I haven't watched the original film, can't say if this is just a copy of original or if the writer, director and actors have brought something original to it. 

Recommend watching if you like the genre. 

Legally blonde

Mandar's movie review

"Legally blonde".

Watched English movie "Legally blonde". 

This movie is directed by Robert Luketik. Screenplay by Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith. Produced by Mark Platt, Rick Kidney. It stars Reese Whitherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair,  Matthew Davies, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge. Music by Rolfe Kent. Cinematography by Anthony B. Richmond. Film runs for about 1 hour and 36 minutes and was released in 2001. I watched it with Aditi and Dada on 21st Sept 2021 on Netflix.

Elle Wood is a blonde, totally into fashion, completing her fashion major. She is in love with Warner and is expecting that he will propose her. But on that day he breaks up with her to go to Harvard Law. She is simply not good enough for him. Jilted, Elle works hard, clears LSAT and joins Harvard law. 

What happens there? Is she taken seriously? Can she cope up with the rigors of law? Does she win Warner back? Is there a court case?

It's an interesting plot, however it's predictable. A girl who has all things pink enters the world of drab law. She is looked down, made fun of, considered just another blonde.  It's an uphill task to make others take her seriously, to establish herself and to convince others that she also has intellect. 

All others see is blonde hair and beauty. Despite having talent, intelligence and keen observation she doesn't get her dues, just because she's blonde. She's determined to prove herself. A case is what it takes for her to dispel all doubts. 

Reese is a perfect choice. As a blonde she is ideal. Needs to work a little bit on her serious side. Luke, Jennifer, Selma, Matthew and Victor play their supporting roles as story requires. 

End of the movie is a little hastened. A time leap of 2-3 years and the movie ends. Some more time wouldn't have harmed. 

This movie was a hit, a commercial succes. It recouped its production cost more than 7 times over. Legally blonde has become a franchise. 2nd movie is released and 3rd is announced. 

Good light movie. Recommend watching.

A castle for Christmas

"A castle for Christmas"

Watched English movie A castle for Christmas. 

This film is directed by Mary Lambert. Written by Kim Beyer-Johnson and others. Produced by Brook Shields and others. Music by Jeff Rona. Cinematography Michael Coulter. The film stars Brook Shields, Cary Elwes, Vanessa Grasse, Ando Osho, Eilidh Loan, Suanne Braun, Mark Fleischmann, Lee Ross, Stephen Oswald, Joe McKay and guest appearance by Drew Barrymore. The film runs for 1 hour 38 minutes and was released in 2021. I watched it on Netflix on 26th Nov 2021 (the release date) with Aditi.

Brooke is a bestselling author. She has recently undergone a messy divorce. She has also killed a popular character from her book series and it has caused a uproar and scandal. To escape from all of it she decides to take a trip to Scotland, where her family originally comes from. She wants to visit Dun Dunbar castle, where her ancestors worked.

In Scotland, she meets a group who call themselves "The knitters" and a handsome handy man. On a whim she decides to buy the castle that's up for sale but can't see the 12th Duke of Dunbar eye-to-eye. A difficult situation ensues. 

Who's this owner? Why can't the Duke and Brooke stand each other? Will there be romance with the handy man? Will she strike real friendship? Will the stay inspire her to write again?

Brooke acts well but she neither looks beautiful nor elegant. She looks severe. Nothing like her old self. Carry does well as the handsome hunk. The knitters provide necessary support to Brooke. Others play their part. 

What makes this movie stand out is the Scottish accent. After listening to the American accent for so long, it comes as a welcome change. Add to it the Scottish atmosphere and countryside. Cinematography is good. It's Christmas time. Scotland is beautiful, snow covered countryside and vibrant colours of village look beautiful.

It's a Christmas movie. A time when magic happens. So it's easy to guess what magic happens and how it ends. It's basically a feel good movie. We watched it on the day it was released. 

Watch if you like Christmas movies, but don't expect beautiful Brooke Shields. 

Dhamaka (धमाका)

"Dhamaka (धमाका)"

Watched Hindi movie Dhamaka. 

This film is directed by Ram Madhvani. Written by Puneet Sharma & Ram Madhvani. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Amita Madhvani & Ram Madhvanir. Music by Vishal Khurana. Cinematography Manu Anand. The film stars Kartik Aryan, Mrunal Thakur, Amruta Subhash, Sohum Majumdar, Aeklavya, Vikas Kumar, Vishwajit Pradhan, Priya Tandon, Anuj Gurwara, Aishwarya Chaudhary. The film runs for 1 hour 44 minutes and was released in Nov 2021. I watched it on Netflix on 26th Nov 2021 with Aditi.

Kartik Aaryan, currently demoted from prime time anchor to radio jockey, gets a call from a person who blasts a bomb on sea link. The terrorist will talk only to Kartik. He claims to be one of the workers whose friends lost life while repairing the sea link. He wants apology from minister. 

This movie exposes the ugly side of news industry where drama rules the roost and TRP is the only yard stick. Real news and truth don't matter. What's right is immaterial. Emotions are only for exploitation.

Kartik gives a good performance. He portrays the insincere as well as sincere side well. Mrunal does well in a small role and is assigned as guest artist. Amruta plays Aryan's boss and ruthless media personality. Vikas looks like a cop. Others don't have any meaningful role. 

Cinematography could have been much better. Cinematographer had a good opportunity with blast on a bridge, bridge falling, car falling, blast on a high rise, sniper etc. But the Cinematography is basic, like a low budget movie. 

A number of things are not rational, most of it being the destruction of Aryan's studio where, after blast, the table is overturned, furniture is destroyed, building is damaged but telephone remains on cradle, chord is not severed, camera remains functional etc.

It's a thriller. Director doesn't let his grip loose and keeps the adrenaline rushing. He is aided by decent story and good acting. He keeps the audience engaged. The movie builds up nicely and then suddenly crashes due to ending. Ending is the worst part of this movie. Why does Kartik take that action? It is completely in contrast with previous scene between him and Mrunal. What was the director trying to convey? Or did he run out of ideas to conclude the movie?

Director is probably trying to convey that life doesn't give you a second chance, but is it true?

Recommend watching

Lovehard

"Lovehard"

Watched English film "Lovehard". This film is directed by Hernán Jiménez. Produced by McG, Mary Viola. Written by Danny Mackey, Rebecca Ewing. Cinematography by Shane Hurlbut. Music by Mark Orton. The film stars Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Lang, James Satio, Rebecca Staab, Takayo Fischer, Harry Schum Jr., Darian Martin & Darren Barnet. This film was released on 5th Nov 2021 (1 week ago). It runs for about 1 hour 45 minutes. I watched in on Netflix on 12 Nov 2021.

Natalie dates online and finding that they are all dishonest, never being successful. In her day job, she writes a column of her disastrous dates. One day she connects with Josh, a dashing guy who loves poetry, who is gentle, considerate. In short, her Mr. Perfect. After 4 weeks of online romance. One day she decides to surprise him by visiting him for Christmas. There is a surprise alright, but it's Natalie who's surprised. The handsome hulk turns out to be a chubby, bespectacled, 30 years old Chinese guy. 

What's Natalie's reaction? Why did Josh do it? Does the handsome hulk exist? What will Natalie do?

Well, it's a Christmas movie. A feel good movie. So you know how it ends. What matters is what happens in between and how it happens. 

The story is predictable. Presence of the handsome guy, whose photo Josh uses fir online profile, makes the things little interesting. That also encourages Natalie to stay on. It gives opportunity of self discovery to Josh and Natalie. There is just enough drama to spice up the things, but it's not over-done. 

Nina acts well and so does Jimmy. Their chemistry is good. Takayo provides unexpected humor. Harry's character is turned into a caricature, some more work was needed. Director does well and remains in control. The movie slows down a little bit in the middle but eventually recovers.

It's Christmas time. A little romance, a little humor, some emotions and a happy ending. Why would one not feel good?

A feel good Christmas movie worth watching. 

Sooryavanshi (सूर्यवंशी)

"Sooryavanshi (सूर्यवंशी)"

Watched Hindi movie "Sooryavanshi (सूर्यवंशी". This movie is directed by Rohit Shetty. Produced by Reliance entertainment, Rohit Shetty Picturez, Dharma Productions and Cape of good films. Story by Rohit Shetty. Screenplay by Yunus Sajawal. Music Tanishk Bagchi, Lijo George, Chetas, JAM8. Cinematography Jomon T. John. It stars Akshy Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Vivan Bhatena, Nikitin Dheer, Gulshan Grover, Jackie Shroff, Haelin Shastri, Javed Jafri, Abhimanyu Singh, Kumud Mishra, Rajendra Gupta. Guest appearance Ajay Devgan and Ranveer Singh. The film runs for 2 hours 25 minutes and was released on 5th Nov 2021. I watched the movie in theater with Aditi,  Mihika, Dada, Thangaokar family, Kamble family and Sambhaji family on 6th Nov 2021.

Veer Sooryavanshi (Akshay) is an ATS officer. A Pakistani terrorist (Jackie) and an Indian terrorist (Kumud) who ran away to Pakistan after causing 1993 Mumbai blasts, activate 40 sleeper cells in India and retrieve 600kg RDX that was buried in 1993 in India. Akshay has to foil the terrorist plot. 

It's a Rohit Shetty movie.  So it has the customary grand entries, bunch of vehicles on the move, exploding and tumbling cars, jumping over buildings, superb action, destruction of property, high speed car chases etc. This time there are a lot of choppers too. Add to it situational comedy, slapstick comedy and comedy fighting. There is Hindu Muslim unity and also the customary song while credits roll by at the end. 

Akshay forgets names of his near and dear ones (including his wife) and calls them by rediculous names like kide, garbhavati, malaria, hernia etc. Its overdone. 

Akshay's name is Veer. But Katrina and others call Akshay Soorya, whereas Sooryavanshi is his surname, not name. Singham had same issue.

Akshay looks old. Javed Jaffri has got a decent role after a long time. Ajay Devgan has a grand entry with spinning car. He evades RPG like a fly. Katrina can't speak Hindi and needs to start acting. There is a scene of police officers wife (she's a Marathi actress, but don't remember her name) and Katrina after the death of a policeman. It's a study in contrast. Marathi actress acts naturally, with ease and there is almost no expression on Katrina's face. But it's Ranveer Singh who steals the show with his guest appearance. He is good. His comedy timing is impeccable and dialogues are witty. 

 

One wonders why no bullet hits 3 heroes and why villains manage to jump in front of bullets fired by the heroes. But one mustn't ask such questions. After all it's a Rohit Shetty movie. There is one mistake. When the villain wraps bomb around Katrina, he shows a trigger that he threatens to press. This was the mistake. A dead man's trigger is not one to be pressed but one to be released. With dead man's trigger bomb blast happens even if the trigger person is killed, hence the name. How did Rohit miss it?

The movie is not good. There isn't enough comedy, not enough story, not enough seriousness, not enough drama. As a result it has become insipid. It doesn't capture the imagination of audience. It becomes somewhat interesting after entry of Singham and Simba. Rohit had no choice but to bring them to hold the movie together. Without them this movie was a flop. 

At the end of the movie there is a preamble for next movie. A Singham sequel. I hope there is no Sooryavanshi sequel ever. 

Give it a miss. If you buy tickets, consider it your donation to film industry

Bleeding Steel

"Bleeding Steel"

Watched English movie Bleeding Steel. 

This film is directed by Leo Zhang. Written by Leo Zhang, Erica Xia-Hou, Siwei Cui. Produced by Heyi Pictures, Perfect Village Entertainment. Music by Fei Peng. Cinematography Tony Cheung. The film stars Jackie Chan, Nana Ou-Yang, Show Lo, Tess Haubrich, Callan Mulvey, Erica Xia-Hou. The film runs for 1 hour 50 minutes and was released in 2017. I watched it on OSN on 13th Aug 2021.

Officer Jacky is going to meet his dying daughter when duty calls and he is asked to escort and protect a bio scientist from one of scientist's own creations. A fight. A blast. 13 years time leap. Australia. A young girl.A father, who can't reveal their relationship. A boy who has fallen for the girl. Return of bio creation. Desperate father's fight. 

Well the story is based on the theme that this scientist has created a metallic heart and self regenerating genes. Hence bleeding Steel.  Rest is all action. 

It's a Jackie Chan film, so the action has to be good. This time it's on top of Sydney opera house, in a futuristic flying plane, on the road, in Chinatown, in the night, during the day. In short everywhere. However action is not as good as Jackie Chan movies. 

Main component of the story is revealed in snippets through flash backs. But the story is weak, very weak. There are a lot of holes and illogical things. Let's just say it's not the film's forte. 

Jackie is good. Now his age shows. Nana is sweet. Show its ok, but looks much older than Nana. Tess, Callan and Erica (who is also the writer) play the supporting role. 

Not what you expect from Jackie Chan.

Give it a miss.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

"Kingsman: The Golden Circle"

Watched English movie Kingsman: The Golden Circle. 

This film is directed by Matthew Vaughn. Screenplay by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn. Produced by Matthew Vaughn and others. Music by Henry Jackman, Matthew Margeson. Cinematography George Richmond. The film stars Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Mark Strong, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry, Elton John. The film runs for 2 hour 21 minutes and was released in 2017. I watched it on 15th Aug 2021.

A new villain, this time a female. She kills all the Kingsman, but Eggsy and Merlin escape. They team up with Statesman (their American counterparts). Harry is alive but not the same. Kingsman are tailors (cover), Statesman are brewers (cover). Kingsman are codenamed after King Arthur's knights. Statesman are named after various alcohols (Champaign, Whisky, Tequila etc. ).

Actions in this movie are also good like the first one but this movie doesn't have the USP that previous one had. Similar tricks. Audience wanted more, but it didn't come. In last movie Kingsman appear ernest and skillful. In this movie they appear lost and Statesman appear like caricatures.

They have added implausible story to bring Harry back. But rather than returning as supremely skilled agent and mentor he returns as a comedian. Why? If not bring him back as his original self, why bring him back at all?

A few things are offbeat. The villain kills a man, passes him through meat grinder, makes a burger of that meat and feeds friend and killer of the deceased. She threatens the world but no country responds with military might. If she is so evil, how come she dies easily? Princess of Sweden, who was all aristocratic in first movie, does daily chores like a common girl and waits for her man to return home. Why does she take drugs? Chief of staff of US President justifies taking drugs. Why did Elton John agree to play himself and allow to be made a joker?

In this movie emphasis is more on comedy (that comes out as laughable rather than humorous) than action and story is the casualty in the melee. This film is not as good as the first film. 

This film was a commercial succes, netting four times its production cost at box office. 

 Not a must watch.

Prince of Persia: The sands of time

"Prince of Persia: The sands of time"

Watched English movie Prince of Persia: The sands of time. 

This film is directed by Mike Newell. Screenplay by Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer & Walt Disney. Music by Harry Gregson-Williams. Cinematography John Seale. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Toby Kebbell, Alfred Molina, Richard Coyle. The film runs for a little less than 2 hour and was released in 2010. I watched it on OSN on 14th Aug 2021.

Dastan, an orphan, is adopted by King of Persia and raised as Prince. Nizam, kings brother, brings evidence that sacred city of Alamut is forging weapons for Persia's enemies. Persian armies attack and conquer the city led by heroic adventures of Prince Dastan. Priestess Princess of Alamut is captured and Dastan gets hold of an enigmatic dagger. Someone kills the king and Dastan is accused. Everything is not what it seems.

It's a movie based on video game with same name. In the game, the prince, climbs on and jumps from various buildings. The same happens in the movie and these scenes are really watchable. 

It's a story set in old time Persia with elements of paranormal and fiction combined with realistic action sequences, good special effects and decent acting.

Film critics criticised that Jake did not suit the title role. Jake is understood to have made a similar statement. However I didn't feel so. Jake suited in the role. Gemma is given Cleopatrish appearance and is referred in the movie as the the most beautiful woman in the world. However, she doesn't look so. Ben Kingsley portrays the antagonist to perfection. His looks are sufficient to portray his mal-intent. Other supporting cast does well. 

This film made a good profit and was the highest-grossing video game film at that time. 

Recommend to watch, if you like the game. 

Kingsman: The secret service

"Kingsman: The secret service"

Watched English movie Kingsman: The secret service. 

This film is directed by Matthew Vaughn. Screenplay by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn. Produced by Matthew Vaughn and others. Music by Henry Jackman, Matthew Margeson. Cinematography George Richmond. The film stars Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Sofia Boutella. The film runs for 2 hour 9 minutes and was released in 2014. I watched it on OSN on 13th Aug 2021.

A secret spy organization of England, independent of any government interference. Fantastic gadgets and weapons. Name: Kingsman. Limited members with superb survival and killing skills named after King Arthur's knights. Eggsy, whose father was a member and died trying to save Harry, auditions for induction in Kingsman. A megalomaniac billionaire issues free sim cards and internet access to all. But he has an agenda. 

It's a sleek story. Fantastic action. Amazing gadgets. Very good special effects. Fast pace with vintage English atmosphere and setup. The concept of Kingsman is interesting but it's never revealed who they eventually report to. 

Samuel Jackson plays the megalomaniac. Although he acts well, he simply doesn't look like a megalomaniac. Tarron plays the rookie well. However his language transforms from lower class to upper class in a jiffy. Colin plays the mentor and looks as if the role was written for him. 

Cinematography is very good and so are special effects. Director handles the story well and presents it as what it is, a sleek action flick. This film won Empire award and Best British Film in 2015. It was a commercial succes too netting five times the production cost at box office. 

Recommend watching. 

No time to die

"No time to die"

Watched English film "No time to die", latest James Bond film. This film is directed by Cari Joji Fukunaga. Produced by Michael J. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Cari Joji Fukunaga. Cinematography by Linus Sandgren. Music by Hans Zimmer. The film stars Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Wishaw, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Jeffrey Wright, Billy Magnussen, Rory Kinnear, David Dencik, Dali Benssalah. This film was released in 2021. It runs for about 2 hour 43 minutes. I watched in theatre on Oct with Jayant and Dada.

Bond is in love with Madeleine. There is an assassination attempt. Bond suspects her and sends her away. Time leap. Bond isn't active any more. MI6 assign Nomi, a black lady, as 007. A bio weapon is stolen from MI6's lab that doesn't exist. Bond is brought back into the fold. 

What it's the bio weapon? Who will be 007?

Bio weapon with nano bots that target specific DNA is a curious plot. Such a weapon in hands of a villain is a recipe for disaster. One 007 isn't sufficient. 

Like any other Bond movie, this one too has top class action scenes. It's the USP. There are gadgets made by Q, another USP. 

Two characters stand out and none of them is Bond. One is the villain Safin, played by Rami, who underplays the character and makes it chilling and calculative. Second is Madeleine, played by Léa. She is beautiful, acts well as wronged one who still loves Bond but is fiercely independent. 

This movie has a number of firsts. Bond being emotionally involved and looking to settle, Bond having a child, Bond is dead etc. This makes Bond humane but at the same time reduces the glamour. 

Cinematographically, the opening scene is excellent. All the actions are shot very well and are tantalising. 

Specially of Daniel Craig's Bond films is its continuity. The characters and references from previous movies keep appearing. This was not the case in previous bond films. Each film was a stand alone film. 

The million dollar question on everyone's mind is 'Will there be any more James Bond films?'. Will they bring Bond back to life? Will Nomi continue as 007? Will there be a new Bond and will the story simply reset? Well, we have to wait and watch. 

Watch if you like Bond films. 

Chehre (चेहरे)

"Chehre (चेहरे)"

Watched Hindi movie "Chehre (चेहरे)". This movie is directed by Rumy Jaffery. Produced by Anand Pandit. Screenplay and dialogues by Ranjit Kapoor, Rumy Jaffery. Music Vishal-Shekhar, Gourav Dasgupta. Cinematography Binod Pradhan. It stars Amitabh Bacchan, Annu Kapoor, Imran Hashmi, Raghubir Yadav, Rhea Chakraborty, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Samir Soni, Siddhanth Kapoor, Krystle D'Souza, Alexx O'Nell. The film runs for 2 hours 19 minutes and was released in Aug 2021. I watched the movie on Amazon Prime with Aditi and Dada on 9th Oct 2021.

Imran is driving through a snowy mountain when fallen tree blocks his path. Luckly he meets a retired defense lawyer who takes him to his friends, a retired prosecutor, a retired judge, a retired hangman. They propose to play a game, a mock trial, and invite Imran to become the accused. A mock trial or is it?

Will Imran accept? What will be the charges? How will the trial go? How will it end? What happens to the game?

It's a psycho thriller. Mysterious plot. Excitement of unknown. Mind games. A well handled plot and well directed movie. Most of the movie happens in a house with a few outdoor shots. A mock court, an accused, proofs, arguments and verdict. 

In my opinion the movie takes longer than necessary to start the trial after interval. The trial is developed nicely. However, the movie doesn't end with an ascending graph. At the time of verdict one wonders, if the verdict is in proportion to the crime. Probably even director thought the same after watching the rushes and then appended another scene as an afterthought to end the movie with a small surprise. 

Amithabh's long-winded closing argument is  scintillating acting, but script wise it appears a bit out of context and a gross generalization with rape, acid attacks, terrorism and law & order (in general) being discussed rather than the context of the case in hand.

All actors are established actors and they do well. Imran and Rhea ensure that they do not fall woefully inadequate in the August company. 

Cinematography is good. Outdoor snow covered locations are good. The last action scene, especially, deserves special mention. Music is forgettable. 

If a few things had been handled better, it would have become a good movie. 

Its a one time watch.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of life

Mandar's movie review

"Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of life"

Watched English movie "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of life". 

This movie is directed by Jan de Bont. Produced by Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin. Screenplay Jean Georgaris. Story Steven E. de Souza, James V. Hart. Music by Alan Silvestri. Cinematography by David Tattersall. This movie stars Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Noah Taylor, Djimon Hounsou, Ciarán Hinds, Simon Yam, Terence Yin. This movie was released on 2003 and runs for about 2 hours. I watched the movie on OSN on 12th Aug 2021.

This is the second film in Lara Croft enterprise. Angelina refused to do any more films. 

An earthquake near Greece unveils Luna temple built by Alexander. Here Lara discovers an orb that's supposed to open Pandora's box which is located in the Cradle of life. Pandora's box is a box that contains a deadly plague. But the villains attack and steal the orb.

A villain wants to discover Pandora's box and sell the pathogen. Lara obviously wants to prevent. She decides to collaborate with MI6. She demands release of Terry (Gerard), her ex flame, from prison to assist her. 

What follows next is a series of high octane action scenes, good special effects, scenic locations, grand sets but little emphasis on story and acting. A lot of bullets fly around but none touch Lara and Terry. There are African tribes, beautiful animals, shadow monsters and of course Pandora's box & Cradle of life. 

Angelina suits as Lara. Her action scenes are graceful and she also tries to act. Gerard is known as action hero, however, his character undergoes inexplicable transformation at the end. I found Ciarán's acting inadequate. Djimon has impressive personality. Others don't have enough exposure worth mentioning. 

Cinematography and special effects are good. Director could have done a better job by paying more attention to story. 

This film made a tidy profit but wasn't as successful as the first one. 

Watch if you want to watch a mindless entertaining action flick. 

For more movie reviews, please visit:

Mandar's Movie reviews

http://mandarmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Hercules

Mandar's movie review

"Hercules"

Watched English movie "Hercules". Direction: Brett Ratner. Screenplay: Ryan J. Condal, Evan Spillotopoulos. Story by Steve Moore. Produced by Brett Ratner and others. Cinematography Dante Spinotti. Music by Fernando Velázquez. It features Dwayne Johnson, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, John Hurt, Rebecca Ferguson, Joseph Fiennes, Aksel Hennie, Reece Ritchie. The movie was released in 2014 and runs for about 1 hour 38 minutes. I watched it on OSN on 11th Aug 2021.

In past wife and thre children of Hercules were killed and Hercules was found unconscious near their bodies. He is considered killer, leaves Athens and becomes a mercenary. He and his friends are recruited by King Cotys of Threcia to defend his kingdom against attacks of Rhesus.

Is Hercules son of God? Are the legends about him true or is he just another human being? Can Hercules train the ragtag bunch of farmers? Can he defeat Rhesus? Is everything as it seems or not?

This is a fiction based in Greek legend of Hercules. The movie depicts him as human with extraordinary power, courage and resolve. His nephew's tales make him demigod with superpowers and it works in favour of his band of mercenaries. Basically it tells us that you can become a hero if you believe. 

With The Rock starring in the film based on Greek mythology, I expected it to be an action film and i wasn't surprised that it was. I also expected that it will be a run of the mill flick but was presently surprised to find it also is a decent film and gives a message. 

Dwayne acts well. He is maturing as actor with time. His band of mercenaries and his close friends play supporting role. Rufus Sewell and Aksel Hennie impress. 

The story is good. It shows the tormented Hercules, the brave Hercules, the good and empathetic Hercules and the avenging Hercules. Credit to the author. 

Action scenes are good, especially the war scenes. Special effects serve their purpose but can't call them wow. Cinematography is good. This movie made a tidy profit st box office. 

All in all a good light movie to watch if you have some spare time and don't mind the genre. 

For more movie reviews, please visit:

Mandar's Movie reviews

http://mandarmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Gemini man

"Gemini man"

Watched English movie Gemini man. Directed by Ang Lee. Produced by Jerry Bruchkheimer and others. Story by Dareren Lemke and David Benioff. Cinematography Dion Beebe. Music Lorne Balfe. It stars Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen, Benedict Wong. I watched this movie on Netflix, on 7th Aug 2021. The movie is about 2 hour long and was released in 2019.

Will Smith is best sniper of US. He decides to retire after 72 kills, at the age of 51. He is chased by an assassin who anticipates his moves as if he knows them. He is younger and faster. He looks like younger him. 

Who is this assassin? Why is he trying to kill him? Who sent him? How come he looks like him?

Well it doesn't remain secret that it's a clone of Will created by Gemini. They have same DNA. They have same habits. They have same history. But do they have same feelings?

It's an interesting plot. But the execution is shallow. It could have become a fantastic movie if director had given more attention to the story and execution. Alas! It doesn't happen, so it becomes a commercially acceptable successful movie that made a profit on box office. 

Young and old Will Smith are shown very well. The fight scene between them is also engaging. 

Will Smith does the double role well. He is more convincing as the older self. Mary looks good, acts ok and supports the story. Benedict, who impressed as Kublai Khan in TV show Marco Polo, plays a secondary character in this movie. 

Why Gemini man? Well, Gemini is the name of private defence contractor who cloned Will. It's a lame title. 

Watch as an action flick. 

Bell bottom

"Bell bottom"

Watched Hindi film "Bell bottom". This film is directed by Ranjit Tewari. Written by Aseem Arrora, Parveez Shaikh. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani; Jackky Bhagnani; Deepshikha Deshmukh; Monisha Advani; Madhu Bhojwani; Nikkhil Advani. Music by Amaal Mallik, Tanishq Bagchi, Shantanu Dutta, Gurnazar Singh, Maninder Buttar. Cinematography Rajeev Ravi. The film stars Akshay Kumar; Lara Dutta; Vaani Kapoor; Huma Qureshi, Adil Hussain. This film was released in 2021. It runs for about 2 hour 3 minutes. I watched in theatre on 27th Aug 2021 with Aditi, Mihika, Sucheeta, Jayant, Manish, Trupti, Tanisha, Pratik, Vijay, Jyoti, Pratyush, Gargi, Gauri, Rucha, Sameer and Pooja.

This movie is inspired from a true event but the similarity ends there. This is a fictionalised story vastly divergent to the one it's inspired from. So audience should watch it, not with a pinch but with a handful of salt. Now that this is out of the way, the story is good. The time period is 1984, so you see a lot of old cars, olds style clothes, old Delhi, old London and old Dubai. 

Akshay is good as usual. Vaani is beautiful, acts decently but looks too modern for the time period. Adil Hussain delivers a good performance. Huma Qureshi is ok. However, the best performance is delivered by Lara Dutta as Indira Gandhi. She underplays the character and delivers performance of Head of State with restraint.

Vikram Gaikwad (makeup artist), the man behind Lara's transformation to Indira Gandhi deserves due credit for his work. 

Sepia + colour film gives it an authentic old look. Cinematography outdoors as well as indoors is good. Especialy the storm scene where audience can see what characters are not supposed to see. Although there are 5 music directors, music is nothing to write about.

Some things are typical Hindi movie stuff like RAW not having any agent senior than Akshay, assigning a desk analyst to head field operation just because he is Akshay Kumar, Akshay handling the operation almost singlehandedly, a sand storm coming so precisely at the designated hour that you can set your watch etc.

Direction is good. He remains true to the story. Takes us twice into flash back to create background. He handles the story well, without letting his grip loosen and retains audience interest. Although the story is not fast paced, it doesn't slow down.  Director gives a pleasant surprise in the last scene of the movie. It doesn't change or impact the story, but leaves the audience with a good feeling. A good end. 

Recommend watching

Monster in law

"Monster in law"

Watched English movie "Monster in law". This movie is directed by Robert Luketik. Produced by Chris Bender and others. Written by by Anya Kochoff. Music David Newman. Cinematography Russell Carpenter. It stars Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Wartan, Wanda Sykes, Monet Mazur, Elaine Stritch. The film runs for 1 hours 46 minutes and was released in 2005. I watched the movie on Netflix with Aditi on 8th July 2021.

Jennifer, a dreamy girl, finds a prince charming in Michael. They are in love. Enter Michael's mother, Jane, a career woman and a control freak. She doesn't think highly of Jennifer. Will she be a mother in law or monstor in law?

Jennifer acts decently but looks older than Michael. Michael has limited scope for acting. Jane Fonda grabs the limelight. She is the one you remember after the movie. Her presence is larger than life. She is an accomplished actress and she proves it again. 

With a title like that it's a no brainer to guess that this must be a tussle between mother in law and daughter in law. The story travels an expected path. Hardly any surprises. Viewers need no imagination. End is also expected, feel good. It's too predictable. 

And this predictability is the reason why I wouldn't call the movie a success. It falls short of viewer's expectations. You think what I watched was not bad, but it should have been more, much more.

Not a must watch.

Kandasamys: The wedding

"Kandasamys: The wedding".

Watched English movie "Kandasamys: The wedding". 

This movie is directed by Jayan Moodley. Screenplay Rory Booth and Jayan Moodley. Produced by Jayan Moodley, Suda Singh. It stars Mishqah Parthiephal, Madhusudan Singh, Mariam Bassa, Jailoshini Naidoo, Maeshni Naicker, Yugan Naidoo, Koobeshan Naidoo, Rushil Juglall. Music by Chris Letcher. Cinematography by Justus de Jager. Film runs for about 1 hour and 34 minutes and was released in 2019. I watched it with Aditi on 1st July 2021 on Netflix.

Naidu's and Kandasamy's are neighbours in Durban. The ladies are best friends. Gents are very good friends. Naidu's son, Prishen, and Kandasamy's daughter, Jodi, are engaged to marry. What can go wrong?

It's a film about families of Indian origin living in South Africa for generations. They have imbibed the African way of life but haven't forgotten the Indian culture. Their souls are Indian. They think like Indians. They love and hate like Indians. They fight like Indians. Although Naidus are Hindu and Kandasamys are Christians, religion has no significance in this movie. 

Mishqah is beautiful. Madhusudan is good looking. Both are decent actors. Jailoshini and Maeshni are sister-in-laws and have a love-hate relationship. Yugan and Koobeshan portray understanding husbands. Although Rushil acts well, his character is unnecessary for the story. 

Some of the locations, especially where marriage happens, is stunning. South Africa id's beautiful. Cinematographer has scope, so cinematography is good.

If this was an Indian movie, I would have given just passing marks. Since the movie is South African I was more considerate. This is second movie in Kandasamy series. A sequel "Trippin' with Kandasamys" is released last month.  

Watch it for a change. 

Shershaah (शेरशाह)

"Shershaah (शेरशाह)"

Watched Hindi movie Shershah (शेरशाह). 

This film is directed by Vishnuvardhan. Written by Sandeep Srivastava. Produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar and others. Music by Tanishq Bagchi and others. Cinematography Kamaljeet Negi. The film stars Siddharth Malhotra, Kiara Adwani, Shiv Pandit, Nikitin Dheer, Himmanshoo Malhotra, Anil Charanjeet, Shataf Figar. The film runs for 2 hour 15 minutes and was released on 12th Aug 2021. I watched it on Amazon Prime with Aditi, Sucheeta, Jayant and Siddhant on 12th Aug 2021.

This movie is based in the true story of Captain Vikram Batra, who became shaheed in Kargil war. 

Story starts from his final battle and then takes us back to Vikram's childhood, college, love affair with Dimple (Kiara), passion to join army, life in army and then back to Kargil war ending in his martyrdom. 

A happy go lucky youth who is good at heart and who isn't afraid of taking risks. One who dreamed joining army since childhood, achieved his dream, asked for more and became greatest hero of Kargil war and was awarded Param Vir Chakra (India's highest honour) posthumously.

In such a movie, the director has to walk a tight rope. While ensuring that the movie remains interesting, he has to stay with the true story and avoid the temptation of turning it into melodrama. Director Vishnuvardhan does a commendable job on this front. He displays restraint and remains true to the story. As a result it is a bit short on drama and deshbhakti.

Siddharth plays the lively character of Vikram very well. Kiara plays his love interest. Although her Punjabi doesn't sound authentic she does a good job. Others play supporting roles appropriately. 

Locations are very good and Cinematography is good. This movie has two songs and both are likeable and have a recall value. 

The movie is titled Shershaah because it was Vikram's call sign in the Kargil war. It was originally scheduled to be released in July 2020 but was delayed due to Covid pandemic. 

A good movie. Recommend to watch. 

Fatherhood

"Fatherhood"

Watched English movie Fatherhood. 

This film is directed by Paul Weitz. Story by Dana Stevens. Produced by Marty Bowen, Kevin Hart and others. Music by Rupert Gregson Williams. Cinematography Tobais Datum. The film stars Kevin Hart, Anthony Carrigan, Melody Hurd, DeWanda Wise, Alfre Woodard, Lil Rel Howrey. The film runs for 1 hour 49 minutes and was released on 18 Jun 2021. I watched it on Netflix with Aditi on 24th Jun 2021.

Kevin's wife dies in child birth. It's now upon Kevin to raise the daughter. His mother in law thinks he isn't mature enough to raise a child. 

It's a family movie, so don't expect any action. It's all about father's love for his daughter and his journey of discovery while raising a child. What issues does he face? How difficult is it to raise a child for single Male parent? Can he juggle his responsibilities? Can he achieve work life balance? What happens when Kevin gets a girlfriend?

Kevin portrays the feelings of single parent, irritated father, loving dad, man torn between daughter and girlfriend, guy conflicted by career Vs Daughter well. Melody plays the sweet little daughter. Alfre is impeccable as mother in law. Anthony, Lil and DeWanda support ably.

Director manages to avoid the trap of turning it into a melodrama by over emphasising the daughter Vs girlfriend angle. The end wasn't appealing. A crisis is created to demonstrate that father's love is supreme. Could have been handled better. 

 

I may not go and watch it in a theater but acceptable to watch from comfort of home.

Sahara

"Sahara"

Watched English movie "Sahara". 

This movie is directed by Breck Eisner. Produced by Stephanie Austin and others. Writing credits James Hart and others. Music Clint Mansell. Cinematography by Seamus McGarvey. This movie stars Matthew McConoughy, Penelope Cruz, Steve Zahn, William H. Macy, Rainn Wilson,  Lennie James, Paulin Fodouop, Lambert Wilson. This movie was released on 2005 and runs for 2 hours 4 minutes. I watched the movie on Netflix on 25th Jun 2021.

Dirk Pitt and Al Jordino of NUMA are looking for a, lost to sea, ironclad ship of civil war era in Sahara desert. Dr. Eva and her colleague is searching for the origin of a mysterious decease in Mali. If you are in Africa, a dictator has to be there. So there is an ongoing conflict between the dictator of Mali and Tuareg people. 

Matthew McConoughy plays Dirk Pitt. Although his character is more flamboyant in the movie than books, he plays the role decently. Penelope plays Dr. Eva, but needs to work on her acting. Steve Zahn plays Al Jordino. His character is also not like the book but he acts well.

Some of the situational jokes in the movie are top class. Director shows brilliance in some scenes. Locations chosen for the movie are really good. Cinematography is fabulous. It's probably the best feature of this film. Scenes of men praying and protagonists riding camels against the sunset backdrop in desert were awsome. 

This movie is based on Clive Cussler's book by same name from Dirk Pitt series. Although I have read numerous Clive Cussler books, I haven't read this, so can't say how true movie is to the book. However, it's said that Cussler was so upset after he watched the movie that he decided not to sell movie rights of his books ever again. 

This movie made a big loss on box office. All in all the movie is not bad. 

Watch if you have spare time and want to watch a light and action movie. 

Angle has fallen

"Angle has fallen"

Watched English movie "Angle has fallen". Direction: Ric Roman Waugh. Screenplay: Robert Mark Kamen, Matt Cook and Ric Roman Waugh. Story by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedict. Produced by Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel and others. Cinematography Jules O'Loughlin. Music by David Buckley. It features Steven Gerard, Morgan Freeman, Nick Nolte, Piper Perabo, Jada Pinkett Smith, Danny Huston, Tim Blake Nelson, Lance Reddik. The movie was released in 2019 and runs for about 2 hours. I watched it on Netflix on 16th Jun 2021.

An assassination attempt is made on President of USA. He is saved by head of his security, Mike Banning, but all other secret service staff is killed. President is in coma, VP is in charge of country. Mike is accused of masterminding the assassination. The guardian angle has fallen.

This is the third movie of fallen series. This time it's the guardian angle who is accused to be fallen. Mike has no one to go to. He has to prove his innocence but the only man who can vouch for it is in coma. The story is how he achieves it. 

The story has all the commercial ingredients. The action scenes are top class. There is surprise help. There is betrayal. There is unyielding loyalty. There is supreme trust. There is family reunion and there is promotion. 

It's an action movie so one should not delve on the nuances of story. One shouldn't think why the villain does it and why is he happy in death or how come a pariah become angle within 10 seconds or how transfer of power happens or what's in it for the politician etc..

Gerard and Morgan are good. Others support. Cinematography is good. Special effects are realistic. Attempted assassination of President is the best scene. This movie made a good profit. 

Worth watching once if you have watched previous two movies. 

Toofan (तूफान)

"Toofan (तूफान)"

Watched Hindi movie Toofan (तूफान). Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Produced by Farhan Akhtar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ritesh Sidhwani. Written by Anjum Rajabali, Vijay Maurya, Farhan Akhtar. Cinematography Jay Oza. Music Shankar-Ehsan-Loy. It stars Paresh Rawal, Mrunal Thakur, Farhan Akhtar, Hussain Dalal, Vijay Raaz, Supriya Pathak & Mohan Agashe. I watched this movie with Aditi, on Amazon Prime, on 20th Jul 2021. The movie is about 2 hour 41 min long.

Farhan, muscle for a local goon, has two new entrants in his life. One is the lady doctor, Mrunal and another boxing. He is crazy for boxing and takes big strides. Then he falls. 

Mrunal has lovely smile and acts decently. She plays a non glamorous roll. Farhan does well but is let down by the story and direction. Paresh is good as usual. Other actors play their roles diligently.

Story and direction leave lot to be desired. Director handles the story casually. Rakeysh is better than director this. It's inconceivable that a person who decides to take the right path agrees to throw away the match. It's also inconceivable that the girlfriend has a change of heart when a friend accepts the blame. It's also inconceivable that a person who is clearly out of shape and who has boxed for maximum one year in his life, thaat too 5 years ago, comes into shape, performs incredibly well and wins the championship. Director could have given one year easily. The stampede scene was not effective. Bringing the character of Patil back was also unnecessary. Movie slows down considerably after match fixing scandal. Length of the movie is also longish. Shot of patch up between Farhan and Paresh was the high point of movie, but it was very brief. 

In short, movie lives up to neither the hype nor expectation. Thankfully I did not have to buy the ticket. 

Watch if you have Amazon Prime subscription. If you don't have it, give it a miss.

Gods of Egypt

"Gods of Egypt"

Watched English film "Gods of Egypt". This film is directed by Alex Proyas. Written by Matt Shazama and Burk Sharpless. Produced by Basil Iwanyk and Alex Proyas. Cinematography Peter Menzies Jr. The film stars Gerard Butler, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brenton Thwaites, Courtney Eaton, Chadwik Boseman, Elodie Yung, Geoffrey Rush, Rufus Sewell. This film was released in 2016. It runs for about 2 hour 8 minutes. I watched with Aditi on Netflix on 12th Jun 2021.

As the title suggests, it's the story of the era of Gods. Egyptian Gods. Osiris decides to crown his son Horus as king of Egypt when Osiris' younger brother Set intervenes, blinds Horus and usurps power. A thief, Beck, and his girlfriend Zaya decide to help Horus. Beck cuts a deal with Horus that Horus can't honor. 

Being a mythological movie it has Grand sets. Egyptian Gods are twice as tall as humans. They turn into animal or bird. They fly. Their riches are plenty. There is a lot of action. In short a lot of scope for special effects. The special effects are good. Especialy, scenes of God and man together. However, the conceptualisation of action is not satisfactory. The action scenes are not much different than other movies. 

My expectations were raised with the entry of Sphinx. But thre Sphinx wasn't impressive. It was a disappointment.

Gods are portrayed as powerful, vain, self centred, having no respect for humans and lacking tender emotions. Humans serve Gods, are afraid of them and do whatever they can to appease them. All the actors do a decent job. 

It's a story of what a mortal can do, to what extent can he go, how he can put himself in harm's way for his love. It ends with Gods realising the power of love and meaning of sacrifice.

This movie barely recovered its costs and wasn't highly rated. 

Watch for fun or give it a miss. 

Koi jaane na (कोई जाने ना)

"Koi jaane na (कोई जाने ना)"

Watched Hindi movie Koi jaane na (कोई जाने ना). Directed by Amin Hajee. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Kishan Kumar, Amin Hajee. Writer Amin Hajee. Cinematography Arun Prasad. Music Tanishq Bagchi, Amaal Mallik, Rochak Kohli, Vikram Negi. It stars Kunal Kapoor, Amyra Dastoor, Ashwini Kalsekar, Sameer Khandekar, Kareem Haji, Atul Kulkarni, Vidya Malwade, Neha Mahajan, Kamlesh Sawant, Achint Kaur, Raj Zhutshi, Aditi Govitrikar. I watched this movie with Aditi, on Netflix, on 29th May 2021. The movie is about 2 hour 18 min long.

Kunal is a writer by the day and vigilante by the night who is contracted to a publisher to write a second self help book that he is unable to. His wife has divorced him after her affair with his publisher. He decides to go to Pachgani to his ancestral home to complete his book. There someone starts killing. The killer is exactly like hero of books that he writes as Ghost writer. 

The story is ok. Concept is good but the execution lacks finesse, its crude. Director could have done a much better job. I was able to guess the killer much earlier. 

Kunal acts well. Amayra tries to act well, but she has limitations. Ashwini, Atul and others do their job as supporting cast. 

This movie has lot of unrelated things. A lot of things are left without any closure. The maid, the sardar disguise, suspense of Ghost writing, shooting of Police Inspector, doctors doubt at the end erc. 

The movie ends with the hint of a sequel. 

AVOID.

Haseen Dilruba (हसीन दिलरुबा)

"Haseen Dilruba (हसीन दिलरुबा)"

Watched Hindi movie "Haseen Dilruba (हसीन दिलरुबा)". This movie is directed by Vinil Mathew. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and others. Written by by Kanika Dhillon. Music Amit Trivedi. Cinematography Jaya Krishna Gummadi. It stars Tapasee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Harshavardhan Rane, Aditya Stivastava. The film runs for 2 hours 16 minutes and was released on 2nd July 2021. I watched the movie on Netflix with Aditi on 3rd July 2021.

A blast. Vikrant is dead. Flashback. Tapasee is married to Vikrant, but they are like chalk and cheese. Things are not going well when Vikrant's cousin, Harshavardhan, comes to stay with them. Sparks fly. Did she kill Vikrant or didn't she?

The scenes between them, immediately after their marriage, are nothing short of amateurish. There is a lot of space for improvement. Movie is slowish. Action is lacking. Palpable tension keeps the viewers interested. In such a movie the end is supposed to shock the viewers. But end of the movie is very predictable. Hardly any surprise!

Tapasee looks stunning, especially in sarees. She acts decently. Not one of her better performances. Vikrant impresses and the character suits him. Harshavardhan plays the macho but lacks acting skills. Aditya has been playing inspector for decades, so it comes to him naturally. 

Locations are good. Village in UP is brought to life. Cinematography is good. Couldn't remember any song after movie.

In short: Decent plot. Acceptable acting. Directorial shortcomings. Plain handling of story. Predictable end. 

Not a must watch. 

First daughter

"First daughter"

Watched English movie "First daughter". This movie is directed by Forest Whitaker. Produced by John Davis, Mike Karz, Wycik Godfrey. Story by Jessica Bendinger, Jerry O'Connell. Screenplay Jessica Bendinger and Kate Kondell. Music Michael Kamen, Blake Neely. Cinematography Toyomichi Kurita. It stars Katie Holmes,  Mark Blucas, Amerie, Margaret Colin, Lela Rochon Fuqua, Michael Keaton, Michael Milhoan. The film runs for 1 hours 46 minutes and was released in Mar 2004. I watched the movie on Amazon Prime with Aditi on 21st May 2021.

Daughter of President of US (First daughter) wants to go to university like a common student, without media limelight, without security, without attention. She chooses an institute in far away California. There she finally meets a boy who treats her like a girl next door, not a celebrity. 

Who is the guy? Will his attitude change? What will she experience in this new school?

Katie Holmes looks sweet and acts well. Probably the movie was shot over a long duration because in some scenes she has put on weight. Mark Blucas looks handsome and acts well. Michael Keaton is a good actor but doesn't look President of United States. Michael Milhoan has 3 or 4 sentences but leaves an impression with his non verbal acting. 

This movie was released in 2004, so the technology isn't like today. The story is decent. Direction and cinematography is ok.

This film made a loss at box office. 

Watch iit for a change. 

Sandeep aur Pinky faraar (संदीप और पिंकी फरार)

Mandar's movie review

"Sandeep aur Pinky faraar (संदीप और पिंकी फरार)"

Watched Hindi movie Sandeep aur Pinky faraar (संदीप और पिंकी फरार). 

This film is directed by Dibakar Banerjee. Written by Dibakar Banerjee, Varun Grover. Produced by Dibakar Banerjee. Music by Anu Malik. Cinematography Anil Mehta. The film stars Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, Nina Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Jaydeep Ahalawat and Rahul Kumar. The film runs for just over 2 hours and was released in Mar 2021. I watched it on Amazon Prime with Aditi on 21st Apr 2021.

Suspended Police constable Pinky (Arjun Kapoor) is tasked to take Sandeep (Parineeti) to meet her lover and boss. A fortunate incident tells them that both were destined to be killed. They run towards Nepal.

Who is trying to kill them? Why? Can they survive? What will be the price? How will it end. 

It's a movie with some difference. To start with Pinky is a male and Sandeep is a female. Why is it so? No idea. The heroine is pregnant, typically Hindi film heroines aren't. They run but are basically out of ideas except one. Generally Hindi film hero and heroines are full of ideas. Supporting characters do not have a change of heart and don't help them when everything seems lost. The film does not end with them kissing and living happily ever after. So it's not a typical Bollywood film. 

Parineeti acts well. Surprisingly so does Arjun. The role of hot headed Haryanwi Jat suits him. Supporting cast of accomplished actors fulfill their responsibility. 

The end however, is hastened. They run from the bad guys. Keep running for the entire film. But at the end when she succeeds, it's not shown how she succeeds and how she overcomes the pursuers. So it appears abrupt. 

A one time watch. 

For more movie reviews, please visit:

Mandar's Movie reviews 

http://mandarmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Sherni (शेरनी)

"Sherni (शेरनी)"

Watched Hindi movie "Sherni (शेरनी)". This movie is directed by Amit Masurkar. Produced by Bhushan Kumar and others. Writing credits Amit Masurkar, Yashaswi Mishra, Astha Tiku. Music Utkarsh Umesh Dhotekar. Cinematography by Rakesh Haridas. It stars Vidya Balan, Neeraj Kabi, Vijay Raaz, Mukul Chadda, Ila Arun, Sharat Saxena, Bijendra Kala. This movie was released on 18 Jun 2021 and runs for 2 hours 11 minutes. I watched the movie on Amazon Prime with Aditi, Jayant and Sucheeta on 18th Jun 2021.

Vidya, an upright forest officer, gets her posting after 6 years of desk job. A tigress, named T12, has killed couple of villagers. Two politicians, a hunter and her boss are trying to use this opportunity for their own gains while Vidya is trying to analyse root cause of the issue to find a permanent solution. 

What is at stake? What happens to the tigeress? Can Vidya find a solution? Who will prevail?

The concept is good but execution is pedestrian. It appears as if you are watching a documentary rather than a movie. The story drags on and on. Not enough drama, not enough action, not enough emotions, not enough excitement. The result is an insipid  recipe that you watch with a lot of expectation and become very disappointed. 

Vidya neither looks beautiful, nor dashing. Most of the time she appears either confused or clueless but with good intentions. Can't say she delivers a powerful performance. Neeraj and Vijay are very good. 

Directorial shortcomings? Character of Neeraj undergoes an inexplicable change. Although Vidya gets a field posting after 6 years she tells Neeraj that she got her purse from her last posting. Can villagers support the Cubs and for how long? What was the objective of bringing characters of Vidya's mother and mother in law?

Cinematography of jungle at night is very good and so is that of tigers. The selection of location (jungle) is also good, there's a thick canopy. 

Based on the name one thinks that Sherni is a dual meaning word. One for the real one and one for Vidya. But character of Vidya doesn't portray the fearless, fighter, indomitable lady. It appears like a good intentioned but helpless lady. End of the movie is very suggestive. But at the end of it you wonder why did I watch this movie?

Give it a miss.

Sardar ka grandson (सरदार का ग्रॅन्डसन)

"Sardar ka grandson (सरदार का ग्रॅन्डसन)"

Watched Hindi movie "Sardar ka grandson (सरदार का ग्रॅन्डसन)". This movie is directed by Kaashvie Nair. Produced by  Bhushan Kumar and others. Written by Anuja Chauhan, Kaashvie Nair. Music Tanishq Bagchi. Cinematography by Mahedra Shetty. It stars Arjun Kapoor, Rakulpreet Singh, Nina Gupta, John Abraham, Soni Razdan, Aditi Rao Haidari, Kanwaljit Singh, Kumud Mishra, Divya Seth, Priya Tondon, R. Bhakti Klein. This movie was released in 2021 and runs for 2 hours 20 minutes.  I watched the movie on Netflix with Aditi on 20th May 2021.

Sardar Kaur, a 90 year old lady, wants to go to Lahore to visit her pre-partition home once before she dies. Her grandson Amreek decides to fulfill her wish. But her Visa application is rejected. Amreek is still determined. 

Can he take her to Pakistan? Is the home still there? How can Sardar Kaur see her home before she dies?

Nina Gupta doesn't look 90 years old, neither does her acting and movements portray that age. A really old actress would have been a better choice. Now it's high time that Arjun starts acting. Kanwaljit breaks the shackles and plays a funny role. The real surprise package was Aditi Rao Haidari. She delivers a convincing performance. Kumud plays a different role, Mayor of Lahore. 

It's a fantastic concept. But the director takes easy route to present the story, so the execution is shallow, although he shows flashes of brilliance. For example the scene when Sardar visits and touches the house. 

Set of house in Lahore is too obvious and hence doesn't look realistic. Inexplicably, a house that is unused for years hasn't accumulated dust. Arjun does everything from design to jacking to driving the truck, despite having a team. 

There are several small details that are missed. Things like use of car jacks for the house, jacking them by hand when loaded and loading the structure on truck instead of multiple SPMT's, forgetting about the electric wires etc. defy engineering logic. Some basic engineering input was needed. 

Why call it Grandson of Sardar? Was director trying to bask in the reflected glory of movie 'Son of Sardar'? 'Sardar ka ghar' would have been a better title.

Watch it,  if you are ready to forget it soon  enough. 

47 Ronin

"47 Ronin"

Watched English movie "47 Ronin". Direction Carl Rinsch. Screenplay: Chris Morgan, Hossein Amini. Produced by Pamela Abdy, Eric McLeod. Cinematography John Mathieson. Music by Ilan Eshkeri. It features Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, Ko Shibasaki. The movie was released in 2013 and runs for about 2 hours. I watched it on Netflix on 14th May 2021.

It's the story in the times of feudal Japan. Lord Kira conspires with a witch that forces Lord Asano to draw sword. Shogun orders him death by Seppuk (Killing oneself by honor). After his death his team of Samurai become Ronin (Leaderless and disgraced Samurai). They wait for one year and exact the revenge of their masters death. 

This movie is based on actual historical event which has become pride of Japan. Generally when a movie is made, director id's allowed to take artistic liberty. Here he takes too much liberty. Character of Keanu Reeves, son of an English father and Japanese mother. Love story between him and Asano's daughter. Adding a witch to assist Kira. All of these characters are additions and don't appear in the original.

I have read a book by same name and posted a review of a book in Feb 2016 on my book review blog. I had recommended to read it. Apart from the fact that 47 Ronin take revenge of their master's death, the movie and book are as different as chalk and cheese.

Acting is good, especially, Hiroyuki Sanada. Fight scenes are also very well choreographed and look authentic. Special effects are very good. Especially when the witch transforms and moves as a cloth.

It's a good change with all Japanese cast except Keanu Reeves. Although divorced from known story, it's an entertaining movie. I was surprised to know that this movie made a loss.

Recommend to watch for a change. 

Unpaused

Mandar's movie review

"Unpaused".

Watched English movie "Unpaused". 

This movie is directed by Raj & DK, Nitya Mehra, Nikkhil Advani, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Avinash Arun. Written by Devika Bhagat, Nitya Mehra, Reshu Nath, Vidur Nauriyal, Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh. Produced by Raj & DK, Madhu Bhojwani, Monisha Advani, Baisakhi Nair, Sanjeevkumar Nair. It stars Gulshan Devaiah, Sumeet Vyas, Saiyami Kher, Richa Chadda, Abhishek Banerjee, Ratna Pathak Shah, Ishwak Singh, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Rinku Rajguru, Lillete Dubey. Music by Tanishq Bagchi, Payal Dev, Parth Parekh, Shishir A. Samantha, Gaurav Kadu. Cinematography by Pankaj Kumar, Jay Oza, John Jacob Payyapalli, Navagat Prakash, Kaushal Shah. Film runs for about 1 hour 53 minutes and was released in 2020. I watched it with Aditi on 13th May 2021 on Amazon Prime.

This movie is a collection of 5 short stories. The stories revolve around the lives of people impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. 

Glitch

This story happens in 2030 when people haven't gone out of the house for years. Everything is virtual. Computer selects Ayesha (a COVID warrior) and Ahan (a non-warrior) for a date. Is it a glitch

The apartment

After 5 girls accuse her husband of sexual harassment, ashamed, Richa decides to commit suicide, twice, when the Doorbell rings. Will she, won't she?

Rat-a-tat

Lillete, an irritated, angry and complaining senior citizen, has a young neighbour (Rinku). Rinku has a rat problem.

Vishaanu

A Rajastani worker is stuck in Mumbai with his wife and son. Where will he stay? How long can he survive? Does he and his wife have an unknown side?

Chand Mubarak

Ratna a paranoid, lonely old lady takes a ride in Rafiq's auto rickshaw. Can she stand him, or anyone else?

All these stories are with the backdrop of Covid and the way behavioral changes have occurred in its aftermath. The stark realities.  However despite these outward changes the human heart and emotions are the same. They crave for company and friendship. Despite the social restrictions, they surface. But they surface in peculiar ways. Each story has a female protagonist. 

The actors are all established and they deliver powerful performances. Be it Richa Chaddha, Lillete Dubey, Rinku Rajguru, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Abhishe Banerjee or Ratna Pathak Shah. Each one delivers convincingly. 4 ot of 5 stories have a happy ending. 

Special mention for Geetika's performance. When her horseman tells her that they have to leave, her expressions are priceless. The happiness and comfort replaced by harsh reality in 5 seconds.

First story appears weak as compared to others. 

Recommend watching. 

For more movie reviews, please visit:

Mandar's Movie reviews

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Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

"Tom Clancy's Without Remorse"

Watched English film "Tom Clancy's Without Remorse". This film is directed by Stefano Sollima. Written by Tylor Sheridan, Will Staples. Produced by Akiva Goldsman and others. Cinematography Philippe Rousselot. The film stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Jodi Turner-Smith, Luke Mitchelle, Jack Kesy, Bret Gelman, Lauren London, ColmanThis film was released in 30 Apr 2021. It runs for about 1 hour 49 minutes. I watched it on Amazon Prime on 7th May 2021.

John Kelly's (Michael B. Jordan) special forces unit is sent by CIA to rescue one of their operatives captured by Syrians. But it turns out to be a Russian depot. Later all men from his unit are killed by various means. Killers come for John. His pregnant wife dies, he is wounded but survives. Now he seeks answers. 

Why are men from his unit killed? What is the Russian connection? What is the plot? Is there a mole?

It's an action movie based on Tom Clancy's novel with same name. Something keeps happening all the time. At times it appears that things happen too easily. Be it rescue from downed aircraft, moving in and out of Russia, reaching to some one as important as Secretary of State etc...

Acting has limited opportunities in such movie, but everyone performs satisfactorily, no exceptional performances. 

A lot of movie happens in the dark, so watch it at night without external lights. I watched it during the day and had a hard time.  The end id's predictable. 

All in all, watch if you are a Tom Clancy fan, otherwise give it a miss. 

Tum milo to sahi (तुम मिलो तो सही)

"Tum milo to sahi (तुम मिलो तो सही)"

Watched Hindi movie Tum milo to sahi (तुम मिळो तो सही). Directed by Kabir Sadanand. Produced by Nikhil Panchamiya. Writer Kabir Sadanand, Sameer Siddiqui. Cinematography Pushan Kripalani. Music Sandesh Shandilya. It stars Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Shetty, Surendra Pal, Mohnish Bahl, Amit Behl, Vidya Malwade, Rehan Khan, Anjana Sukhani, Vrajesh Hirji and Nana Patekar. I watched this movie with Aditi, on Netflix, on 23rd Apr 2021. The movie is about 2 hour 7 min long.

A cafè chain wants to acquire a Irani cafè, located at prime location, owned by a Parsi lady. A legal clerk is retired by the younger owner of the firm. An army officer decides to come to Mumbai to get a degree in Mass Communication. A CEO is having marital troubles. 

The story is slow. Director's take appears shallow rather than profound. Characters are not properly developed, so they appear out of sorts. The real story of fight over cafè starts more than half way down the movie. Director spends too much time for the build up. Climax needed more drama. 

Nana is Nana. Dimple is good. Mohnish and Amit Behl are better actors than their acting. Vidya and Sunil do a decent job.

The movie has numerous unanswered questions e.g. Keeping the secret does not solve the issue, then why keep secret? How come Nana finds what the daughter can't? How come Anjana wears same dress in all photos? Why does owner of a law firm delivers notice and summons, not a belief? Etc.

There was a better movie about saving Parsi eatery, called Maska, released last year.

Give this one a miss. 

Pagalait (पगलैट)

"Pagalait (पगलैट)"

Watched Hindi movie Pagalait (पगलैट). This film is directed by Umesh Bist. Story Umesh Bist. Produced by Gunit Monga, Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor. Music by Arijit Singh, Neeti Mohan. Cinematography Rafey Mahmood. The film stars Sanya Malhotra, Shruti Sharma, Sayani Gupta, Ashutosh Rana, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang, Raghubir Yadav. The film runs for almost 2 hours and was released in Mar 2021. I watched it on Netflix with Mihika and Aditi on 27th Mar 2021.

 

Sanya's husband dies within six months of marriage. This movie starts on the day of death and happens within next 12-13 days. 

How would the family react? How would the relatives react? How will Sanya react?

Based on the name I thought it will be a light movie, but it isn't. It handles an important social issue. But rather than handling it in a art film way it handles it in commercial film way. When you do that, there is a risk of losing the plot, but the director does a commendable job. He does not lose the grip on the story and still doesn't make it too serious. He has also written the story. He captures the reactions of family succinctly. The only point that did not go with the story is that the atmosphere in the house does not appear serious enough after death of a young man. 

Sanya delivers a good performance. She starts shaky but composes herself and then excels. She doesn't falter opposite cast of all known and accomplished actors like Raghubir, Ashutosh, Sayani, Rajesh etc.

Cinematography of a rustic town in UP is good. Music is also good, but I couldn't remember any song after the movie. 

Title of the movie does not make justice to the movie. It's too light for the profound subject. It's a low budget movie but it's money's worth. 

Recommend watching. 

Ajeeb Dastaans (आजीब दास्ताँ)

"Ajeeb Dastaans (आजीब दास्ताँ)".

Watched Hindi movie "Ajeeb Dastaans (आजीब दास्ताँ)". 

This movie is directed by Shashank Khaitan, Neeraj Ghaywan, Raj Mehta, Kayoze Irani. Screenplay by Shashank Khaitan, Neeraj Ghaywan, Uzma Khan, Sumit Saxena. Produced by Karan Johar and others. It stars Fatima Sana Sheikh, Jaydeep Ahalawat, Arman Ralhan, Abhishek Banerjee, Nushrat Bharucha, Sara Arjun, Maneesh Verma, Konkona Sensharma, Bachan Pachera, Aditi Rao Haidari, Shefali Shah, Tota Roy Choudhury, Manav Kaul. Music is by Tanuj Tiku. Cinematography by Jishnu Bhattacharjee, Pushkar Singh, Siddharth Vasani. Film runs for about 2 hour 22 minutes and was released in 2021. I watched it with Aditi on 22th Apr 2021 on Netflix.

This is a collection of 4 short stories by four different teams. Neither director nor actors are repeated. 

Majnu (मजनू)

Babloo (local strong man) and Lipakshi are in a loveless marriage. Enter Raj, strapping young son of Babloo's driver. What next?

Khilauna (खिलौना)

Meenal is a house maid and has a young sister. She loses her electricity. Vinod Agrawal, her employer, can restore it. Who is toying with who?

Geeli Pucchi (गीली पुच्ची)

Bharti is a graduate dalit machine operator aspiring promotion to desk job. But a new girl, Priya, gets it. A relationship is formed between these only two female employees. What is the significance of Geeli Pucchi or sloppy kiss?

Ankahi (अनकही)

Natasha's attempts to get her husband Rohan to communicate with their daughter who's going deaf go in vain. At the same time she meets a deaf artist. What happens next?

All the stories have three basic ingredients. First is dysfunctional relationships. These relationships lead to the second ingredient.   It is lust or sex, it is in various forms like Gay, Lesbian and heterosexual. There is a strong undercurrent of lust. Third is shock. There is a shock at the end of every story. A shock that shatters your expectations and leaves you numb. 

The shock of Geeli Pucci was the best. Konkona, Shefali were exceptional. Sara Arjun is a very sweet girl. Nushrat doesn't look like a domestic help. 

You can watch this movie in as many as 4 sittings. Recommend watching!

For more movie reviews, please visit:

Mandar's Movie reviews

http://mandarmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Instant family

"Instant family"

Watched English movie "Instant family". Direction Sean Anders. Screenplay: Sean Anders, John Morris. Produced by Sean Anders, Stephen Levinson, John Morris. Cinematography Brett Pawlak. Music by Michael Andrews. It features Marc Wahlberg, Isabela Moner, Iliza Shlesinger, Tig Norato, Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty,  Octavia Spencer, Tom Segura. The movie was released in 2018 and runs for about 2 hours. I watched it on Netflix with Aditi.

Mark and Rose decide to adopt a child. They visit a adoption fair and are impressed by 15 year old girl, Isabela. They decide to adopt her but are told that they will have to adopt her with two younger siblings. So now they have 3 adopted kids and instant family. 

The movie is all about if and how the kids adapt to the new environs. Do Mark and Rose manage to win them over, do they manage to stand the kids? Is the 15 year old the most difficult? What happens when biological mother of kids makes an entrance?

Thre story takes us into the lives of this instant family. It takes time for any new member to adjust into family, here there are three. Add to it handling the adoption with kids gloves and parents not really ready for three kids. To top it, one of the adopted kids is coming of age. So it's a family drama, coming off age and above all feel good movie. 

Mark, Rose and Isabela are the main characters and they play their roles very well. Isabela has potential. The little ones look cute. 

It's a feel good movie and that is exactly what it achieves. 

Watch if you have spare time.

Double dad

"Double dad"

Watched "Double dad", an original Portuguese movie dubbed in English. This film is written and directed by Chris D'Amato. Produced by Valeria Costa Amorim and others. Screenplay Thalita Rebouças. Writer Marcelo Andrade and others. Cinematography José Roberto Eliezer. The film stars Maisa Silva, Eduardo Moscovis, Marcelo Médici, Thaynara Oliviera, Fáfa de Belém, Pedro Otonni and Laila Zaid. This film was released on 15 Jan 2021. It runs for about 1 hour 43 minutes. I watched it on Netflix on 21st Jan 2021 with Aditi.

Vicenza lives in a hippie community, in sync with nature, in Brazil. She turns 18 when movie starts. While her mother is away on a trip to India, she decides to find out who her father is and travels to Rio. Here she encounters two persons who could be her father and an assortment of friends.

How will the probable dads treat her? What does she feel after meeting them? Which one of them is her biological dad?

It's an easy story. No surprises, no twists. Yet you enjoy. This film shows the change a young girl brings in the lives of two middle aged men, with the backdrop of carnival. Some of the scenes are very simplistic. They could have been improved to enrich the overall experience. The movie ends on an expected note. 

Maisa plays Vicenza. She is beautiful and also acts well. She is really 18 years old and has been in show business since age of 6. She carries the movie on her shoulders confidently. Eduardo plays Paco, a vimsical painter. I just couldn't understand his paintings. Marcelo plays Giovanne, a tough investment banker. Both of them show the tough exterior and soft interior convincingly in their own style. Laila Zaid plays Vicenza's mother. Pedro Otonni  plays Cadu, Vicenza's friend and eventual love interest. 

The real treat in this film is Cinematography. It's excellent. The locations are selected carefully. Be it the hippie community, pristine nature or Rio city, there is a riot of colours. Beautiful! One wants to go to Brazil after watching the movie. 

A feel good movie. 

Recommend watching for Maisa and Cinematography.