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Dangal (2016)
What a staunch paunch and what a strong punch!?!?
What a staunch paunch and what a strong punch!?!? That's what Dangal is. Simple, true, gritty, raw, real and determined.
Before coming to the name under whose name the film opens, let's first salute the actual person on who this is based on. Hats off Mr Phogat for being such an awesome person and father. Someone who saw the germ of gems within the girl child and didn't live in the fiefdom of monomania
The portrayals by each character that adorned the screen were meaningful and said it all. Even the eye movements and glances from Sakshi Tanwar replaced the unwarranted dialogue that would have taken its place.
All four girls depicting geeta and babita in both age brackets have done a tremendous job considering that they were untrained and this is not just one chick flick wherein just emotions would help them carry off a portrayal. This required both the mental as well as the physical strength and stamina and very importantly perseverance. In the earlier years Zaira took the cake, ate it as well as relished it in her depiction.
We have all by now seen KWK and heard the story of how Fatima and Sanya hid their injuries to be a part of the project and not be replaced. That's good learning in the art of method acting and what a good tutelage they have had. They are truly blessed to have a mentor in the form of the one and only Amir Khan.
And what do you say about him - Maestro's best performance yet. It's truly worth the wait for an Amir film as when he comes he ensures that you are witness to the best that the world has to offer. He has taken the form of acting to a different level. The kusti between him and his daughter were specially telling. It spoke reams of each of their insecurities, their wants and aspirations.
They say a picture says a thousand words, well this one just spoke an omnibus.
Deadpool (2016)
The name is Dead, DeadPool
At the onset have to mention that though a fan of super heroes wasn't so well educated on the character of Deadpool. So kind of went to the movie blind in terms of back story. But that really didn't matter.
The movie had me at the opening title sequence. Quirky, funny and satirical. Asshat sticked out for me and i came up with a whole new bad word but more on that later.
This is an out and out Ryan Reynolds movie. And why not when he has been fighting for it for the last 11 years. When one is passionate and has the utmost belief in something it shows. The character wasn't just enacted, RR was DP.
We have been used to seeing Superheroes always do good, kill only bad people out of sight, generally save the earth. Basically be all soft, nice and cuddly!! Well this one ain't going on that path. And am so glad it didn't.
The path less traveled is what this movie took in quite a lot of T & C's. There wasn't any political correctness and neither was there any qualms of making fun of one self. The self deprecation was the underlining all the way through. Wry and witty the scripting was tight. The jokes yes sometime a bit skewed only to the other gender but in today's gender agnostic world everyone can laugh about it.
The only thing I wished we had more was that of the character Negasonic Teenage Warhead. She seemed interesting and wish there was some more meat and balls to that character beside only the fire thrust.
The movie references made specifically that of the fourth wall and Mr smith were special. Though i know that there is a tug between marvel and fox but wouldn't it be just a treat to see how iron man and deadpool team up? Oh that would be a perfect universe where chaos is the new order and the language is pure poetry. That's a match made in heaven and romance will overshadow all evil.
The Revenant (2015)
Poetry juxtaposed on painting
From the time the movie opens up it feels as if you have opened your eyelids and you are at the forefront of the elk hunt. This space that you are at very rarely strays during the duration. You are not a spectator, you are a fellow journeyman.
This movie is not just a film. It's a cinematic expression of the entire crew both on and off the screen. And the architect of that expression is Inarritu. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to convince the studios to see the vision just through the concept. After all it's just the constant battle of one man against the nature and the nature of man. The movie rests on his portrayal of his grit and tenacity. And would audiences who are used to all high tech visual effects and racing story lines be patient enough to sit through only one man's ordeal?
Well the answer lies at the heart and soul that the protagonist has poured, seeped, toiled into the character. With the camera focused on his each grimace, each torsion of his body Leonardo Di Caprio reigns tall from the moment the finger lays on the trigger of the gun. He is the bullet that you see even before the gun has been fired.
Tom Hardy one of my fav actors is the perfect foil to the intent of Di Caprio s character. Here i have to digress a bit. Both these actors were there in inception - one of my all time favorite. There we see the masterful Nolan cerebralise these characters and there too we see them doing the tango gracefully. In the revenant that dance form is waltz and both of them dance around their inevitable duet with poise and patience.
Am not a fan of the cold climate but when in spite of that i feel the desire to visit that place says a little something about the cinematography. Lubezki is the maestro painting his deft strokes. And back to the architect of this entire vision. Seriously one has to blind not to see the nuance of the vision that Inarittu lays in front of us. We are entrenched in the snow alone with him. Thanks for bringing such an expression where we see how mankind is indebted to mother nature. In spite of all the ravages we as a human race has inflicted on her nature still hides us and we hide inside her entrails
Wazir (2016)
i lost but in the end i won
Cut, Dry, Crisp, to the point without any loose threads. The languidness of the moment that comes in is to establish the undercurrent of the raw palpable emotions.
Will come to the portrayals later - first lets get to the technical aspects of the film. The screenplay is tightly wound like the straps of the wheelchair and it lets go off the thread at the perfect moment and doesn't falter or is never loose preventing the viewer to fall. The camera is from our view point. The background music is the pounding of our heart and we are entrenched in completely. The songs are the soul of the film. The editing is as sharp as that of sushi maestro's knife and why wouldn't it be when the story is the maestro's himself. Who better to know how to tighten the strings.
Now to the portrayals. What can one say of the ever evolving AB. He has not only reinvented himself but has proved Darwin's law. Every film he showcases a new facet. He is truly the pawn of the chessboard who with every step he is taking in the board of acting has retaken his position as king again and again. FA has the right amount of restraint and is a delight to see and cherish.
Yes I did get the plot midway of the film but the checkmate that I was dealt was that of the alter ego of the true Wazir. Thanks for the checkmate. Truly I have lost on the twist but I am glad that I won seeing the movie
Desierto (2015)
Gritty, on the edge
Desierto Griity, at the edge. human and inhumane nature of the species called homo sapiens. Given the refugee scenario all across the world this movie has a lot of significance.
Instead of a maniac killing the illegal immigrants creeping across the border its the political and government that's murdering the journey of the refugees.
The environment is harsh and yes they are ironically called the bad lands. True that but humanity is not bad right? We are not born with prejudice. That is instilled in us with our surroundings.
Can we not as a race merge the borders and stop the racism, sexism and all other isms and just enjoy how the earth meant us to?
On the movie, the acting and the bare knuckle direction gripped till the end. It rattled just like the snakes and made sure we were alert at all steps.
Godzilla (2014)
Well - my first outing wasn't so godzilla'ish
Am not a bonafide fan of the genre but for some reason was excited about this particular release. And well the reaction was mixed.
heard a lot about the classic ones and wanted to see what the new gojira was going to be upto. but to start with, the script, characters were rhetoric and one dimensional respectively. coming from breaking bad, BC hasn't done a good job at picking up this one. the incessant hammering of the one stuck of storyline was getting on the nerves. the other leads didn't do anything to lighten it either.
the behemoth himself along with the other 2, were not scary - i mean i am scared of these movies but these creations didn't even let me waver and inch. wish i had a better outing but it wasn't to be so
Revolver Rani (2014)
Bullet ridden or bullet holed?
am a big fan of Tarantino and have seen his masterpieces several times. At times continuously as if on a spool. So when someone pays homage to him and his style I do take notice and thus become more critical.
RR's venae cava is full of QT's nuances right from the nonsensical repetition of the triangular dialogues between the sanki villain brothers.
Started off in a slow pace and the time spent on the villains wasn't justified. But nevertheless the moment Alka appears she takes the screen and radiates on every inch of it. Everyone else pales in comparison specially VD. Wish there was some more meteoric element to the story to take it a bit more than the obvious and yes right till the end where Alka opens her eyes a la the bride in kill bill.
if 2013 was the year of DP, then 2014 seems to be the year of KR. And I fervently hope so.
The songs though nice comes in slightly as a requisite of a Bollywood film rather than as a fabric of the script. The character though etched for Alka, doesn't do justice to the other players on the stage. Is it because the director is fresh? We know a lot of care and passion goes behind making of a movie but sometimes it's good to see it from outside of the box and not just from the frame in the camera to see if one if is really paying the tribute in the rightful manner
Queen (2013)
Exuberance
in one word - EXUBERANCE
from the word go, the eyes were on the screen and on KR. The storyline swayed through and we as viewers were swept across in the waves. Not once did I feel I was drowning in any sort of melodrama or waywardness.
The innocence of asking whether she can go on her honeymoon alone and the reactions were in ad lingo mastercard. The bag snatching and then defending scene was hilarious and the fact that a Delhi girl can defend her bag besides her honor did us all proud. Some portions were a bit déjà vu but in its totality it was more than a valiant effort.
The director should take a bow and a very well deserved one at that. He brought about not only viridity but also validity of the subject. The end in which KR gives the ring back is swift and true. It provides the right bookend to RR brushing away the dry mehendi.
KR never went out of her character - even to her slouches and her fingers. She imbibed rani and excelled.
Implore all to go see how a good story line still works when all concerned are committed to the same vision.
Gulaab Gang (2014)
The birthing and metamorphosis - in more ways than one
Too many jumps doesn't let the story flow in a linear manner. I understand that there are a lot of by stories that need to be established but the jumps are way too many and the first foray in watching the film is that of disjointedness.
And why the delay in embracing the protagonist? And when finally she emerges from behind the veil, the entry lacks voltage.
And then comes in the antagonist and she doesn't fail. And the face off well that doesn't fail either. Both stand their ground and it's electrifying.
It's not a question of who had the meatier or glamorous role but JC over shone MD. JC was the character and vice versa. I was seeing Sumitra in each frame through all her mannerisms whether it was biting her lower lip or having that clove (atleast that's what I think it was).
Considering that the film is all about the leader of the GG, the magic, passion and the rawness just don't emerge. She excels in what she's the most graceful at but otherwise she just sparked intermittently.
There was more than a kernel of a story and considering its the directorial debut of SS, a good effort. Much will be expected in the second outing though. The reason why I couldn't add in a better adjective is because of a number of reasons. The number of songs and their reasoning for them to be? And what's with the shoddy editing? Storytelling is an art - why butcher it?
All in all it was a valiant effort and as I mentioned earlier given the sheer talent of SS, one expects a whole lot more.
House of Cards (2013)
Machiavelli u have a new contender in the Underwoods
When silhouettes and nape of necks also enact the palpable tension then one enjoys the art form of celluloid in its entirety. The performance are stimulating would be an understatement.
The characters with all their shades of grey poses a question on the erosion of morality, ethics and even humanity in today's society. Don't know if the same is just confined to the incestuousness of only Washington or it's tentacles spread all over the globe but that's a different subject.
Coming back to HOC, before the second season came out on 14th, did a rerun of the first just a few days back and when one catches them in continuance then one realizes that the grip was exceeding in the former than the latter. The sartorial sense also was superiorly finespun in the former.
All in all now awaiting what the ball of yarn now spills considering that a cat is loose in the wild and the keeper lay unfound. Await what the wearer of the blue tie now spins
Gunday (2014)
Baywatch - just a different take!
Where is the passion for movie making? When the cinematic landscape of Bollywood has gone through such seismic shifts and where content is becoming king again why can't we all be true to the grit of the business? There were strands and they were just being laid on the floor hoping that they will crawl and make the rug that would form the basic foundation of the storyline. But alas they strands were not woven together and neither did any of the characters have any conviction that would have helped form the fabric. They were all playing to a role but not playing the role .
Ranveer Singh has promise but that took a break. Didn't quite fathom why PC & IK would lend their name! One more thing that kept bugging was why they didn't incorporate the city and the situation to the storyline. It was all in limbo from start to finish
Lone Survivor (2013)
Gritting and to the bone
it was a toss up between grand piano and lone survivor. the latter won due to movie timings as well as the fact that mark wahlberg and emile hirsch was in it. from the time i sat down to the roll of the end credits it was a movie that transported me to the throes of humanity and how we see situations differently. no one is painted an enemy but we adapt and thus the same people we let go at times comes back to haunt us and if we don't have friends who have our back we are just forgotten. the cinematography and the background score was mesmerizing. the fact that it is a true story and well depicted by the four band of brothers as well as the other casts. hats of too peter berg for yet another star.
Rush (2013)
Passion thy name is Ferrari
have been a racing enthusiast for quite a long time. and the other hobby of mine is that of movies. but rarely do both these twain meet.
as a die hard Tifosi one cannot miss this film. and as a race fan one will see it. this is an adrenaline rush from the get go and a great showcase of how passion can fuel anyone to their limits. The portrayal of Nicki Lauda and James Hunt have been well portrayed and the race grid tactics well managed.
sometimes we don't know what our capabilities are till we have gone to the edge of the cliff and seen down.
this is what rush is all about. so don't linger but rush out for this one.