Category Archives: Genre

Comedy, Drama, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

The Big Short Review

The Big Short Review – The Big Short is an American comedy-drama released in 2015. The movie is based on true incidents that happened around the economic meltdown during 2008. The plot revolves around a bunch of individuals who had predicted the fall much ahead and made huge profits from the situation.

The movie relies heavily on some financial terms and concepts that may not be easily understood by common viewers. However, the makers have tried their best to make it very simple for a common man to understand. They have broken the 4th wall very effectively to help the audience understand the concepts so that they can relate to the upcoming incidents. They have popular personalities explaining the financial concepts using metaphors that can be comprehended by common man.

The movie has a star-studded cast that makes it more interesting in terms of some power packed performances. Steve Carell’s performance as Mark Baum is a stand out from others. Christian Bale, Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling help in decorating the screen well. Kudos to the director Adam Mckay in pulling this out very effectively and also making it appealing to a large crowd.

High Points: Star cast, a plot that is based out of true incidents, Breaking the 4th wall to keep the audience engaged, Screenplay that is not boring a bit

Low Points: The only low point could be this may not appeal to the audience who are not interested in the stock market.

Overall The Big Short is a must watch for all those who invest in stock market. You would be able to appreciate the movie much better. Even if you do not there is a lot that you can learn from the movie as concepts are made very simple to be understood by all. You could go without deep knowledge in the market and yet understand the movie.

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Action, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Superhero

Deadpool Review

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Deadpool Review – Deadpool is a Marvel superhero movie released in 2016. Wade Wilson, a mercenary leaves his girlfriend as he realizes he has cancer. However, an experimental treatment goes bad degenerates his face and turns him into a badass superhero.

This one is the first installment of Deadpool. He is probably the first superhero with antihero instincts. Deadpool comic character is known for his foul-mouthed language, merciless killing and always seen to break the 4th wall to interact with the readers or viewers. Director Tim Miller has effectively translated all these unique characteristics of Deadpool on to the big screen.

Right from the starting scene the movie makes you laugh. When I mention the starting scene it includes the starting credits which sets you up nicely for the rest of the movie. The major portion of the movie takes a non-linear narration starting from the first attack of Deadpool in a car chasing scene and shuttles back and forth on how he got there then merging onto the flashback of what made Deadpool. This could have been very flat and typical of any superhero movie. This deviation from the norm makes Deadpool stand apart. The breaking of the 4th wall right from the beginning to the end post-credits scene has worked like a charm. It does provides a unique movie viewing experience. For instance, the scene from where he is escaping from Colossus cuffs he calls it a money shot before performing the act.

High Points: Performance of Ryan Reynolds as deadpool, the breaking of the 4th wall, the initial stunt sequence and the visualization of deadpool’s character.

Low Points: Deadpool is what you would expect of a deadpool so no low points here.

Overall get ready to welcome a badass superhero that teases the dark instincts in the viewers. This is R rated for violence and explicit language, watch it without your kids.

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Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Thriller

Visaranai Review

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Visaranai Review – Visaranai is a Tamil thriller film released in 2015. Four labourers living in a park are arrested by the police in order to close the case of a theft.

Visaranai is a very realistic movie that pierces through your emotions well. Director Vetrimaran has crafted the scenes with brilliance and every scene impacts the viewer. The scenes are gripping and realistic in nature. There is no room for humor and the movie is laser focussed on a social issue. Although the movie is based on an incident that had occurred many years ago in the past it is still relevant to the present scenario.  The performances by all the actors in the movie are very good. In particular,  Attakathi Dinesh, Aadukalam Murugadoss, and Samuthrakani’s performances stand out very well.

The entire script is organized based on two investigations. One in the first half and the other one happening in the second half. Both are brutal in its own sense. The research works that has gone behind in making the movie should be appreciated. Vetrimaran has added a new visual dimension to the novel  by M. Chandrakumar which otherwise may not have been noticed.

The climax sequence is very gripping and is clearly one of the high points in the movie.

High Points: Performances of the lead actors, the story being based on a true incident, the gripping and thrilling climax, realistic treatment of the script.

Low Points: There are not many low points for the movie, but for the fact the realistic treatment may not be suitable for all audience.

Overall this investigation is brutal and very realistic. It is filled with moments that would deeply affect you. In the end, you would walk out with an immense satisfaction of watching a great movie. Kudos to Vetrimaran and team for giving a good cinema.

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Drama, Genre, Guest Post, Hindi Movies, Rating, Reviews, Worth a Watch

Guest Post: Aligarh Review

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Guest Post: Aligarh Review

Guest Post – This review is written by Ritu Verma working as part of PngFever

The movie Aligarh is all about the lonely life of a homosexual person in this society. Siras is the main character which is being played by Manoj Bajpayee. This movie would definitely question us our morals and our reactions to other’s sexual needs which wouldn’t match with your own or you would think is not right. If any film that makes you think twice before giving final responses after having watched would be a great film for sure.

The story was taken from a heart breaking and true story of Professor Ramchandra Siras who in the year 2010 was forced to leave from the Aligarh Muslim University after getting caught involving in the sexual activity with a male rickshaw puller. He was trying to have physical relationship with that male rickshaw puller.

The movie gives the strong message to the Society to changes their mind sets about the homosexual persons. This type of person should be treated with respect and they are not different from all of us. They are the part of our society as well and not different from anyone.

The movie Aligarh is like a jugalbandi between a man of nervous energy and man of stillness. Rajkummar Rao essays the journalist Deepu Sebastian role and Manoj Bajpayee plays Dr. Siras role. The movie is a completely unique step in reality cinema which uses actual places and people involved in the real incident. The film shows the psyche and personality of Siras. It also considers his inner life: his advancing age, loneliness and the humiliation and betrayal in his life.

Aligarh movie is worth watching and surely change your thinking regarding Homo Sexual person. After watching it, you would be able to think about them in a different way for sure.

 

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Other Languages, Rating, Reviews

Sweet Red Bean Paste (An) – Review

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Sweet Red Bean Paste (An) – Review – An is a Japanese drama film released in 2015. The manager of a small street food place selling doriyaki is contacted by an elderly lady requesting for a job. Although he hesitates first but her skill in making a tastier sweet red bean paste for his doriyaki convinces him to get her onboard. What starts is a relationship that affects his life deeply.

The film addresses a social issue in Japan through the three main characters in the movie. The elderly lady Tokue, the manager of the street food joint and a school girl. All three of them are deprived of something in life and are very lonely. As the movie progresses we learn about each of them and how their lives are similar. Tokue leaves a great wisdom from the live she is leading to both the generations, in turn she also questions the baseless belief of the social issue.

Throughout the movie Director Naomi Kawase has used nature as a metaphor to go through the emotional rides. The performance of Kirin Kiki as Tokue is a very powerful one. She lights up the screen. The way the scenes are constructed has been very effective. The introduction of the characters has been conveyed very precisely in few scenes. The shop manager who does not like talkative girls, the school girl who arrives alone in the shop for lunch builds very effective portrayal of the characters.

High Points: Kirin Kiki’s performance,  The visuals and the story addressing a key social issue, The way the food is picturized makes you crave for food

Low Points: The movie tends to deviate from the main storyline a couple of times.

Overall, Director Naomi Kawase has tingled the taste buds of the audience through her Sweer Red Bean Paste. It is a dish that would leave sweetness in your mouth despite the heaviness. Its a must watch for all movie lovers.

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Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Other Languages, Rating, Reviews

Cinemawala Review

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Cinemawala Review – Cinemawala is a Bengali drama released in 2016. The movie’s plot revolves around the stress in the relationship of a father and the son, where the father wants his son run his family business and the son takes a different route.

Director Kaushik Ganguly has used the background of a father-son relationship and depicted the fading glory of single screen theaters in India. The movie has a realistic take on the current state of affairs of the single screen cinema and how elements like piracy is killing them.  In a way the father and son and their strained relationship becomes the metaphor for the struggle and identity of the single screen cinemas.

The performances of Paran Bandyopadhyay and Parambrata Chatterji is very powerful and they add a lot of life to the scenes. Sohini Sarkar has supported them very well. Parambrata Chatterji has played the character with a negative shade very well. The character of the man who looks after the theater has also been created well. The scenes are constructed very well and there is an aesthetic appeal to it.  The climax sequence of the movie is very impactful and nails the message very effectively. This one is yet another wonderful movie I got to see at Bengaluru International Film Festival.

High Points: Performances of Paran Bandyopadhyay and Parambrata Chatterji, Engaging screenplay, Climax sequence

Low Points: The only low point is the core message on the state of single screen theater loses its focus when the focus is on the father-son relationship. However, the climax sequence brings back the focus and ends convincingly.

Overall Cinemawala has a very compelling story and creates the impact it intends to. You cannot stop yourself from feeling sad for the single screen cinemas that have been closed. This one is a must watch for all film lovers.

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Drama, Genre, Malayalam Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Ain Review

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Ain Review – Ain is a Malayalam drama film released in 2015. Maanu is a lazy and aimless youngster living in Malabar area. He has a weird interest towards the smell of blood from the slaughtering of animals. Things change when Maanu happens to witness a murder which makes him flee from his village. This movie has won the National Award for the best feature film in Malayalam.

Director Sidhartha Siva has painted the life of a jobless youngster very well. He has brilliantly used the canvas of local political situation. The movie questions the responsibility of an individual towards the society. While there are organizations fighting for rights of animals there are a lot of human slaughtering that goes unquestioned. Thanks to Bengaluru Film Festival, I was able to see this on a big screen.

The tone of the movie is very realistic and takes you into the life of an aimless youth in the region. The nativity of the region is very well covered in the movie. The script has a very good sense of humor built in which makes it a very interesting watch. In particular, the dream sequences of Maanu are well done. The lead actor Musthafa has portrayed the character of Maanu very well.  There are no dramatic turns in the movie. The movie just captures the coming of age process of the lead character.

High Points: The performance of Musthafa, a very realistic tone, the nativity of the Malabar area, the dream sequences

Low Points: If you are not aware of the Malabar area you might miss many subtle things portrayed in the movie

Overall Ain (The Eye) is a movie made sincerely. Although about an aimless youngster, the movie has an aim in questioning some of the social injustice that happens and emphasizes the duty of the citizen to stand up for it. If you are interested in watching good cinema without the usual song and dance then this one is a must watch.

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Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Other Languages, Rating, Reviews, Uncategorized

Pather Panchali Review

Pather Panchali Review – Pather Panchali is a Bengali drama directed by Satyajit Ray, released in 1955. The movie is based on the novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay by the same name. This was also Satyajit Ray’s directorial debut. The story revolves around a poor family in the rural area of West Bengal. It is the journey of the family struggling to make the ends meet.

This movie is now a landmark in the history of Indian Cinema. Ray took the film to outdoors and started the trend of realistic movies in Indian Cinema. The movie introduced many legends to Indian Cinema. It took 3 years to make the movie due to funding issues. If you are interested in the journey of the making of the movie then read the article Song of the Little Road from this site. Thanks to Bangalore International Film Festival, I was able to enjoy this movie on a big screen in Gold Class.

The movie is very engaging from the start. Given the limitations of the technology and challenges in lighting the output still brilliant. Ray paints the picture of the family in the rural area. The household set has been brilliantly designed and is utilized to the maximum. There is a scene in which the mother pushes her daughter out of the house and closes the door. Through the hole in the wall, Ray has captured both the characters and their emotions at the same time without resorting to any split screen editing. You would see many such brilliant moments in the film.

The music composition pandit Ravi Shankar is just brilliant and adds soul to the movie. The sound recording captures the sound you would experience in a countryside. The two kids in the movie are the ones that win you heart as compared to the others. They have performed very well.  Although the family is going through financial troubles the world in the eyes of the kids is still beautiful as they take extreme pleasure from the smallest things. The activities they do would have been nostalgic for many of the movie goers during that time.  As the movie is based on a popular novel the story itself is very compelling and Ray’s visual language gives a new dimension to the story.

High Points: The outdoor sequences, Scene compositions, performances of the actors, nostalgic moments, background score, use of the sets, the iconic train scene

Low Points: The only low point is the legend Ray is not with us now

Get ready to travel to a countryside and relive the early 20th century. This is a milestone movie in the history of Indian Cinema that had got a lot of attention from the world. Don’t miss if you get a chance to watch this one.

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Comedy, Genre, Malayalam Movies, Must Watch, New Wave, Rating, Reviews, Romance

Charlie Review

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Charlie Review – Charlie is a Malayalam romantic comedy released in 2015. A young woman Tessa moves into a house and finds the previous tenant Charlie has left his things as is in the house. As she cleans she finds the narration of incomplete incident and attempts to find more about it. Her attempt turns into a journey of her life and she falls in love with Charlie before she meets him.

Charlie is a soul searching journey filled with love. It seems to be a fairy tale of sorts that each one of us try to find in our life. The characters in the movie are sketched beautifully and each one of them stays in your mind later as well. The comic tone of the movie adds to a pleasant watching experience. Dulquer Salman and Parvathy Menon have essayed their roles with perfection. As the movie progresses they grow on you. The curiosity and eagerness to meet Charlie grows on with Tessa. As it grows on her it grows on the audience too. The other significant character in the movie is played by Aparna Gopinath. She is a great addition in the second half.

The screenplay never dulls for a moment and it is one of the best interval blocks I have seen for a romantic movie after Vinnaithandi Varuvaya. The movie also captures the essence of the culture of Cochin very well. The background score and songs merge with the sequences well. The climax sequences happening amidst of Thrissur Pooram has been done well. Kudos to Director Martin Prakkat and team for believing in Charlie and being candid in presenting it.

High Points: Fresh screenplay, Characterization of the artists, Comic flavor to the whole movie, Culture of Cochin, Performance of the lead actors.

Low Points: Not many low points here.

Overall, if you have been complaining about the usual cliches in movies go and watch Charlie it is fresh, emotional and provides a great viewing experience.

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Genre, Hindi Movies, Rating, Reviews, Thriller, Uncategorized, Worth a Watch

Wazir Review

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Wazir Review – Wazir is a Hindi mystery thriller released in 2016. Anti-Terrorism Squad officer Daanish and Ruhana lead a fairy tale life with their little daughter Noori. Things take an unprecedented turn when Noori is killed in an unplanned ambush attack in Daanish presence. He is stuck with guilt but finds some peace with learning chess from Noori’s chess teacher Pandit Omkar Nath Dhar who has lost his wife and daughter. Soon Daanish learns that Omkar Nath’s daughter is killed by a politician and decides to help him settle scores.

Director Bejoy Nambiar has taken up a mystery thriller with some stellar star cast after his multi-star film  David. This is based on a script initially written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra in early 90s. The movie is slick and engages with the audience throughout. However, the more predictable nature of the mystery involved spoils the watch. At least, I felt the story gave too much away before it should have. One more reason is the interval break. This movie shouldn’t have had one. That gave me time to think and predict the next half easily.

The performances of Amitabh and Farhan are the pillars of the movie. They seem to have slipped into their roles with ease and are very convincing.

The first 5 minutes (titles) of the movie has been sketched like a happy ending of a fairy tale with some ultra motion visuals and jump cuts. This is visually very appealing. Even the rest of the movie is visually appealing product and helps you glued to the screen. The encounter operation in the night is shot well. Also, the length of the movie is just right for the script. I hope all the Indian movie makers follow this to keep their movies precise.

High Points: Performances of Amitabh and Farhan, Visuals, Stunts, short length of the movie

Low Points: Predictability in the suspense

Overall Wazir is a commendable attempt in the Bollywood. This would be a memorable movie for Farhan Akthar and Bejoy Nambiar. I hope to see more such movies from our talented filmmakers.

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Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Thriller, Worth a Watch

Oru Naal Iravil Review

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Oru Naal Iravil Review – Oru Naal Iravil is a Tamil thriller film released in 2015. Shekhar, an NRI lives with his family of wife and two daughters. He gives into the temptation of sleeping with a call girl. His friend Suri an auto driver arranges for it in an unused shop near his house. Circumstances lead them to be locked in the shop through the night and Shekhar fears of getting shamed if someone opens the shop during the day.

This is the debut directorial venture for editor Anthony. The film is a slick 100-minute thriller without too much of frills. Given this is the first movie for Anthony the output is definitely good and keeps the audience engaged throughout. The casting of the movie is also good. Sathyaraj’s performance stands out in the movie. He makes us feel the pressure of the situation very well. He shines in the scene where he hesitantly looks out of the auto as his friend talks to the call girl and immediately gets as she sees him. He is ably supported by Anumol, Yugi Sethu and Varun.

The movie is based on the Malayalam movie Shutter released in 2012 directed by Joy Mathew.  However, he has carefully tread over the boundary of maintaining the idealism of the protagonist. He could have been bold in crossing the boundary and shown the weaker side of the protagonist without having it look like a induced situation due to compulsion.

High Points: A slick thriller, No unwanted sequences, Sathyaraj’s performance.

Low Points: The plot has certain holes that help in creating the conflict.

Overall Oru Naal Iravil is a decent thriller movie that would keep you engaged throughout. If you are a fan of thriller movies go and watch this one. Looking forward to more such ventures from Anthony.

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Comedy, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance

My Sassy Girl Review

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My Sassy Girl Review – My Sassy Girl is a South Korean romantic comedy movie released in 2001. Gyeon-woo an engineering college student meets a girl who is very bizarre. But circumstances make them meet frequently and he falls in love with her. Will they get together is the plot of My Sassy Girl.

A feel good romantic comedy script’s success depends upon the uniqueness of the characters and the situation although the overall plot is going to be the same. The script should introduce the lead pairs and make the audience want them to get together. My Sassy Girl does that perfectly. The movie is so fresh due to the characterization of the lead characters and the unique situations they are seen in. The movie throws a surprise to the audience in the way the characters react at every scene. It thus makes it a very interesting watch. For instance, the habit of the girl to create screenplays for movies based on some popular blockbusters and bringing in a twist to the ending is a brilliant ploy. The director Kwak Jae-yong has not given into the temptation of creating the usual cliches of a romantic movie. Rather he has travelled along with his characters throughout and the suspense he has held till the end makes it a very interesting watch.

The script also brilliantly leaves certain aspects to the viewers discretion. For instance, the girl’s name is not told throughout the movie and if she actually meets an old man at the end is left for interpretation.

High Points: The plot situations are crafted well, The characterizations of the lead protagonists are done well.  The suspense held till the end gives a high degree of satisfaction to the viewers, the fresh visuals are of a great strength for the movie. The flash sequences of the story written by her.

Low Points: Not much of low points here

Overall My Sassy Girl is a great example of how a romantic comedy script should be. This is a must watch for all romantic comedy lovers.

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