All posts by Souranath Banerjee

Bhonsle (2018)

Bhonsle Review

written by Souranath Banerjee

Manoj Bajpayee reinvents himself with every film he does and this one is no exception!

My ratings: 4/5

Mumbai – the city of dreams; but then who gets to dream first? The locals or the so called migrants? The film portrays the time when the conflict between the Maharashtrian extremists and the Bihari emigrants was at its peak. When a dingy chawl in Mumbai got divided into two distinctive communal groups and managed to mirror the tension of an entire state at a micro perspective.

Bhonsle Trailer

With this conflict being the backdrop, Bhonsle is a film that revolves around a lonely retired cop whose only goal in life is to get an extension of his working years and join back to his police duties. His retired boring routine is killing him (literally), as brilliantly depicted through a dream sequence at the very start of the film.

An aged Mr.Bhonsle (yes, the film is named after him) wearing the typical Marathi styled white-cap along with the white shirt and trousers, who stays in a certain Churchill-Chawl where communal tensions are escalating rapidly with high tendencies of occasional violent outbursts. Vilas, a petty yet ambitious Maharashtrian party-worker struggles to establish himself as a local leader and what better way to get importance than to teach the immigrants a lesson.

But Bhonsle who hardly ever speaks, is surprisingly indifferent to everybody around him. No amount of tension in the chawl seems to get his attention. But then arrives this new Bihari family (a sister and his little brother) and through a string of brief yet sensitive events, Mr.Bhonsle feels an emotional connection to them. And soon the wellbeing of his next-door neighbours start to matter to him; and after a point their wellbeing is the only thing that mattered to him!

Bhonsle (2018)

Directed by Devashish Makhija (of Ajji fame), this is an incredibly well told/directed story, subtle but highly effective in putting forward complicated human emotions and desires.

Manoj Bajpayee, he has hardly 12 lines of dialogue throughout the 2hr run time of the film, but his silence, his body language, his looks, the pain in his eyes speaks volumes! His exceptional performance resonates even long after you leave the theatre. Santosh Juvekar, who played the role of Vilas, the enthusiastic Maharashtrian fanatic also displays immense control over his acting capabilities. Ipshita Chakraborty Singh, Abhishek Banerjee and young Virat Vaibhav – all have done justice to their roles.

Superbly shot by Jigmet Wangchuk and so well edited by Shweta Venkat the film transports you to the dark rat-infested, poverty-stricken gullies and chawls of Mumbai where people have nothing else other than their dignity and identity, and they are ready to fight for it!

Overall a superb film that had its run around some of the most prestigious festivals across the globe. Now it is your turn to watch!

Poster courtesy:www.imdb.com.

Kaamyaab (2020)

Kaamyaab Review: Written by Yogeswaran Ganapathy @moviemanyogi

Ratings: 4/5

Synopsis: An everlasting ode to the pillars of movies – The character Artists.

The opening sequence of Kaamyaab shows a montage of the films in which Sudhir (Sanjay Mishra) has played the role of character artists. The montage ends with one of his most recognisable dialogues “Enjoying life; aur Option kya hai “. But ironically, his present life is anything but that. He is remembered as that guy who played that part but not as THE guy who played THE part. That is beautifully captured by the way he is presented on screen for the first time. He is in the middle of screen but out of focus. That’s what the life of any character artist is. 

He realises that he has acted in 499 movies. The idea of doing a 500th movie crops up. He wants to ensure that his legacy is not just lost in few seconds of WhatsApp forwards but a memorable one. And thus begins a new journey towards the elusive 500th film of his life!

Enjoying life; Aur Kya hai.

The direction of Hardik Mehta is supported by the his solid writing. The Bollywood industry is explored with a gaze that would make us laugh and cry with same intensity. He also makes pleasent little tributes to all the character artists, which added the nostalgic feel to the film. The dialogues by Radhika Anand deserve a special shout out for aiding the screenplay in a very good way. Comedy is sprinkled in right doses and issues such as casting couch, nepotism are touched upon in subtle ways throughout the film.

Deepak Dobriyal, Manoj Bakshi – the supporting cast of the main ‘Supporting star’ did their best. Isha Talwar appears in a few scenes but has great impact on the character arc of the lead actor. The first half is breezy and the second half is where the conflicts are explored. The family of the Sudhir forms the emotional conflicts. The interactions with the daughter are staged to give us an emotional urge. Sudhir removes his fake make up and reveals his real face to the world in only two brilliantly written sequences. Only Sanjay Mishra could have convincingly pulled off both the scenes with such ease.

Enjoying life; Aur Option Kya hai.

People only remember about the Sun that appears during the day, but not the stars that are present all the time. Such is the case with film stars and character artists. The fact that Gauri Khan produced Kaamyaab is bitter sweet, as most people noticed the film because Shah Rukh Khan and his company Red Chillies Entertainment’s name was attached to the film; which in itself is ironic. The last one minute of the film surely raises the bar of how films make you breathless with just one mind boggling moment. Kaamyab is definitely a resounding kaamyab.

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Enai Noki Paayum Thota (2019)

Enai Noki Paayum Thota Review: Written by Yogeswaran Ganapathy @moviemanyogi

Ratings: 3/5

Synopsis: An underwhelming bore of an action-comedy film that almost transcends into a parody of it’s genre.

The movie has all the elements you see in Goutham Vasudev Menon (GVM) films. From the voice-overs to the pleasing songs to the police story to the damsel in distress heroine. After few minutes into the film, I sensed that, this is in fact, the director paying tribute to his earlier film Accham Yenbadhu Madamiyada (2016). That one didn’t work only in the last part. But this film only works for the first few minutes.

This romance film also lacks the chemistry between the leads which is very essential to the genre. When Lekha (Megha Akash) signals her love for Raghu (Dhanush) the feeling we get is so bland. There are sparks here and there like when they talk for the first time over phone. But these moments are far too less to make it a compelling case of love. The more it is stretched, the more it feels like a disaster.

Enai Noki Paayum Thota
Dhanush in Enai Noki Paayum Thota

The action portions try to be the saving grace but end up being even more ridiculous. The meta dialogues in this portion, like the references to Pokkiri work decently.

The voiceovers of Dhanush are shoved down our throat and unbearable beyond a point. The sentences never seem to end and it goes into a zone where it is describing things in to a person thinking that he is blind. The film doesn’t take its premise seriously despite trying hard to establish it. Beyond a point, the hero’s journey becomes sort of a parody/satire where the hero wins anyway neglecting any collateral damage.

The casting and acting is totally off. This is primarily due to the lack of depth in writing. Dhanush is stranded between three phases – Cool dude, beast mode and Autopilot mode.

The second and the third modes are unintentionally funny. Megha Akash is the text book damsel in distress and has only a small range of emotions. Sasikumar becomes a early 2000s Vijaykanth. Sunaina is reduced to a “are you okay?” repeating friend. It is such a shame to see GVM who has given memorable villains like Daniel Balaji (Vettaiyadu Vilayadu) and Arun Vijay (Yennai Arindhaal) gives us a one note villain Kuberan.

Enai Noki Paayum Thota
Enai Noki Paayum Thota

The music is the biggest positive of the film. Darbuka Siva has composed tunes that will rule our playlists for a long time to come. Maruvaarthai pesadhe is undoubtedly the pick of the lot.

GVM quotes bharathiyar’s Veezhven endru ninaithayo (Did you think I have fallen?). Ironically, he has fallen very bad in this film. The title roughly translates to the “Gun after me”. After watching the film, we are bound to feel that the gun is after us, The audience.

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

                   

Joker (2019)

Joker Review: Written by Yogeswaran Ganapathy @moviemanyogi

Ratings: 4.5/5

Synopsis: A film which chronicles on how a small time clown in Gotham City became the legendary Joker.

Joker Trailer

When the end credits roll, you sit back and let it all settle, and after a point you finally realise that you have just witnessed a masterpiece unfold in front of your very eyes. That is power of the film – Joker!

Joaquin Phoenix is born to play this role. His filmography from The master (2012) to Her (2013), to You were never really here (2017) all made Phoenix brood into a performer who can give life to character of JOKER. Jack Nicholson in batman (1982) was a goofy, campy and eccentric joker. Heath ledger in The dark knight (2008) was an anarchist who did things as he pleased. Joaquin Phoenix gives yet another unique dimension to this character. He explores the untouched  process of how a mere nobody becomes the guy everybody feared in Gotham. 

I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize, it’s a comedy.

Phoenix has the best joker laughter after that of Mark Hamill’s joker. Joaquin blends into the role effortlessly. The way he moves, the way he dances, it is all so effortless and magical. The way he puts effort in each and every step as he runs from his terrors and torments makes us feel the intensity that he faces. One thing is for sure, only phoenix could have done this aspect of joker with such finesse. 

Todd Phillips who had directed the Hangover trilogy, has given such a beautiful, poetic movie. Todd known for comedies, this time ventures into film having dark and gritty tones and delivers splendidly. The director has taken inspirations from Taxi driver (1976) and The king of comedy (1982). He has Modelled the era of the 80s based on these two films. The metaphors running throughout the film are stunning. Comparing the growing number of rats to the number of dissatisfied people is a prime example. The director also takes subtle digs at comedies of current times which made jokes mainly based on sleaze and didn’t have anything innovative to offer. He also ensures that the screenplay moves forward by making innovative use of DC comics folklore. Be assured, I am not going to spoil any of the brilliant twists though.

Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?

The opening sequence shows a group of street children picking on a helpless poor man. They proclaim that he is weak and beat him up. That’s exactly what is wrong with society. Be it the society in today’s times or earlier times, bullying and picking on the weaker sections are constantly persistent and not being spoken of many a times. Joker is ridiculed, constantly bullied and picked upon which brings about a Change in him. The society has never cared for people with mental illness and quite simply neglects them. The gritty portrayal of the society in its real way is a great job done by direction and writing. 

Lawrence Sher gives a cinematography which engages you and at the same time makes you wary of every little detail. The movement of the camera to cover the dance sequences of Joaquin phoenix is poetry in motion. The long shots intensely zoomed in on the joker gives us time to channelise and compartmentalise the feelings of those on screen.

My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face. She told me I had a purpose: to bring laughter and joy to the world.

Robert de Niro plays Franklin Murphy which is almost the continuation of his role from the ending sequences of The King of Comedy (1982). He represents everything that represents the typical materialistic society, too comfortable with superficial fun and games, not caring for the real problem existing in the outside world. Not caring about people. 

The film is haunting and stays with you for quite sometime. This is mainly due to the theme it tackles and also partly because of its heart pounding music by Hildur Guðnadóttir. The writing of the film says That “Society makes the man ” and not the opposite which is usually said. 

Joker will surely stand the test of time and emerge as one of the greatest character studies made on a comic-book character. Heath ledger would definitely be smiling from the heavens, his legacy is restored and honoured. 

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

BEST WORLD CINEMA OF 2019 SO FAR (10+1LIST)

Best World Cinema of 2019 so far

written by Souranath Banerjee

2019 – half gone. But be optimistic. The glass is also half full. And on top of that we have a flashback List to consider!

Best World Cinema of 2019 so far – amazing films from across the globe you shouldn’t have missed. But if you have, no worries. There is always enough time for good Cinema. Cheers!

10. The Souvenir

Country: UK

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Al2nC0vzY

Set in the early ’80s, it is about a unique connection between a young female film-student and an older man – a relationship which is complicated, twisted but addictively engaging.

Directed by Joanna Hogg, this one is the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

A slow burner, but surely worth your time.

9. An Elephant Sitting Still

Da xiang xi di er zuo (original title), Country: China

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om6xGJ4S3LY

Four troubled characters, one city, and finally their lives intersect with each other – you think you have seen similar plots but this one will still surprise you.

Directed by debutant Bo Hu who tragically committed suicide in October 2017 at the age of 29. But the one movie he made is pure art and will stay with us forever!

8. Transit

Country: Germany

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R15ekRCq-eY

Nazi-occupied France, a man desperate to escape under a false identity but then his plans get messed up as he falls in Love with a woman who is the wife of the dead author whose identity he has assumed!

Directed by Christian Petzold, this is the director’s last chapter of the trilogy which also includes Barbara (2012) and Phoenix (2014).

7. Parasite

Gisaengchung (original title), Country: South Korea

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUXfv87Wpk

Very rarely does a movie from Thriller-genre wins the Palme d’Or in the Cannes Film Festival. This one did!

Directed by Joon-ho Bong, this is a unique story of how an unemployed family sinks its hooks into a rich household and the incidents that follows are both comic and tragic at the same time. A brilliant work of art!

6. Beanpole

Dylda (original title), Country: Russia

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfWhQXg4GrA

Set in the backdrop of post World War II, 1945 – the city Leningrad demolished, citizens devastated yet desperate to survive in the aftermath of the war.

Directed by Kantemir Balagov, this is the story of Iya and Masha, two female soldiers who struggle to revive their lives. A beautiful, powerful and emotionally painful movie!

5. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Country: USA

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0FnJDhY9-0

A perfect indie film focused on two major subjects – San Francisco – the city itself and the Friendship. It is also about coping up with changes around, and sometimes just letting it go and be simply nostalgic instead.

Directed by Joe Talbot, visually beautiful, awesome performances, superb music and effortless story telling – a very entertaining watch!

4. Hotel Mumbai

Country: India/Australia/USA

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVQpbp54ljA

The 2008 Taj Hotel terrorist attack that shook Mumbai to its core! The focus is mostly on the horrific proceedings that went on inside the hotel, the many lives lost and so many lives saved by the dedicated hotel staff.

Directed by Anthony Maras, terrific performances, an intense thriller based on true events – a bit underrated but definitely one of the best movie of this year.

3. Ruben Brandt, Collector

Country: Hungary

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dOZpivfNxw

A psychotherapist is haunted by images of famous paintings but thankfully four of his patients know exactly how to help – by stealing the real artworks! But then a detective is desperate to catch them in the act.

Directed by Milorad Krstic, this one is an animated masterpiece, very artistic, a visual treat packed with insane action sequences.

2. Midsommar

Country: USA

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vnghdsjmd0

A couple travels to Sweden to attend a rural mid-summer festival and it all sounds so fun. But then when a pagan cult is involved things are bound to turn bizarre and weird.

After the success of Hereditary this is director Ari Aster‘s second film – same ‘horror’ genre and equally entertaining. A chilling experience – totally worth it.

1. Queen of Hearts

Dronningen (original title), Country: Denmark

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36D00AXXF_M

Directed by May el-Toukhy, this is an emotional drama where a woman makes some irrational choices in her life and has to live with the consequences.

Intense and passionate, a controversial plot, very well written, superb detailing of the characters, and an Oscar-worthy performance by Trine Dyrholm.

The film is a must watch!

and (The ‘+1’ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)

+1. The Farewell

Country: USA/China

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RofpAjqwMa8

The story of a Chinese-American woman travelling back to China to see her grandmother who has cancer. She struggles with her family’s decision to hide the illness and to plan an impromptu wedding!

Written and directed by Lulu Wang, a perfect family drama that is making waves in the festival circuit as well as entertaining the audiences in the theatres!

Similar Interest: Best Hollywood Movies of 2017 so far

Similar Interest: Best of World Cinema 2017 so far

Similar Interest: Best Hollywood Films of 2018 so far

Similar Interest: Best World Cinema of 2018 so far

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Capernaum (2018)

Capernaum Review

written by Souranath Banerjee

Rarely does a film have the potential to empower you, aspire you and at the same time make you feel ashamed of the world you are living in!

My Ratings: 4.4/5

A young boy, only 12 year-old sues his parents! The child wants his voice to be heard. He wants the judge to listen to him. He wants all the adults in the world to listen to him. But what is it so important that a dirt poor Beirut street kid has to offer? May be something we all know but choose not to care about.

“I want to make a complaint against my parents. I’d want adults to listen to me. I want adults who can’t raise kids not to have any. What will I remember? Violence, insults or beatings, hit with chains, pipes, or a belt?”

Capernaum is a film that portrays the adventures (hardships to be more appropriate) of Zain, a kid from Lebanon who runs away from his abusive parents and tries to figure out the pitiless world on his own. He meets interesting people on his journey, the old forgetful Cockroach man, and then an Ethiopian woman named Rahil. She is an immigrant without legal papers who lets Zain stay at her place. And in return Zain takes care of Rahil’s toddler while she is out at work. But soon Zain is again on the street, cold hungry and shelterless, with nothing but the toddler and a stolen skateboard – standing all alone against the world outside!

No wonder the film’s title Capharnaüm means ‘chaos’ in Arabic, and is also a reference for the Biblical town cursed by Christ.

Capernaum
Capernaum Official Poster

Directed by Nadine Labaki, Capernaum was the official Lebanese entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA and almost every other prestigious film festivals across the world. Competing for the Palme d’Or, it won the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and received a 15-minute standing ovation following its premiere!

A work of fiction but based on reality! Each character in the film has been influenced by some real person whom Nadine Labaki met and interacted while researching on the plot. Surprisingly all non actors were casted in the film. The shoot went on for six months which gave her 12 hours of footage to edit from. And then the editing process lasted for over two years!

Capernaum
Capernaum movie still

The brilliant cinematography by Christopher Aoun of the Beirut alleys gives the film the much needed documentary like reality and the performances of the actors are unbelievably genuine! Specially the young lead actor is simply terrific, he is an actual Syrian refugee named Zain Al Rafeea. 

For me Capernaum brought back fond memories of Danny Boyle‘s Slumdog Millionaire and Mira Nair‘s Salaam Bombay! But then again it will be an injustice to compare such movies because these are not mere cinema but a shout out to the society we live in. They show us the real world. They show us the mirror. They show us that we have lost the battle. They show us that may be we still have a chance!

If you still haven’t please watch Capernaum. You may be in tears but you won’t regret it. Trust me.

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Article 15 (2019)

Article 15 Review

written by Souranath Banerjee

The most significant Indian Cinema of the last few decades!

My Ratings: 4.3/5

1949. Let us begin from the very beginning. A quick recap.

‘… shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of race, religion, caste, sex and place of birth.’ – Indian Constitution. Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar. Fundamental Rights. Right to Equality. Article 15.

Fast-forward to 2014. Badaun gang rape allegations –  a true incident that happened at Budaun district, Uttar Pradesh; two teenage girls went missing and the following morning they were found hanging from a tree. It was a case of gang rape and murder, which both the local police and the CBI tried their best to cover up. Why? Because the murdered girls were poor and belonged to the Dalit community (the untouchables). And the murderers were from the Upper-Class, the rich and the influential.

The film Article 15 directed by Anubhav Sinha (of Mulk fame) is based on the above mentioned tragedy. The movie also takes inspiration from a number of other incidents from across India where people are being humiliated on a daily basis, condemned and tortured, and denied justice just because they belong to a particular caste.

Agar sab barabar ho jaayenge toh raja kaun banega?” (If we all become equal, then who will be the king?)

Farq bahut kar liya, ab farq laayenge.

Ayushmann Khurrana (who has mastered the art of choosing great scripts) does a fabulous job portraying the man who is desperate to change the system by being a part of the system. Thankfully not portrayed as an outsider, otherwise the script shouldn’t have worked so well. Kumud Mishra, Ashish Verma – both play pivotal roles and plays them to perfection. Sayani Gupta and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, though having limited screen time still manages to make an impact on the audience.

But Manoj Pahwa is the man who grabs the spotlight; his performance as the corrupt cop eager to derail the case is an absolute delight to watch!

Let’s be Indians firstly and lastly.

Special mention to Ewan Mulligan’s cinematography which brilliantly escalates the suspense and also gives the film the much needed feel of reality. Music by Mangesh Dhakde is so well balanced, just enough to maintain the intensity of the film.

Since Satyajit Ray‘s exquisite drama Sadgati (1981) starring Om Puri, Smita Patil and Mohan Agashe, hardly any other filmmaker have attempted to touch the sensitive subject of Caste-discrimination. And thus Article 15, a superbly directed social-thriller by Anubhav Sinha is surely the most significant Indian Cinema of the last few decades!

A film that dares to shed light over the sinister shadows of our civilisation, on the darkness that a nation unanimously prefers to ignore, on a curse that have been burning human lives for generations. Someone needs to put out the fire that torches the innocents, someone must heal the wounds, and put an end to this vintage shame. Someone must help us regain our faith in humanity!

But as Article 15 effectively points out – the real problem is that we are still waiting for that ‘someone’.

That someone needs to be Us.

Article 15 Trailer. YouTube.

P.S. According to the study of NCRB data on Caste Discrimination in India, the atrocities committed against SC and ST women are disturbingly high; statistics of the year 2016 alone shows 2541 rapes and 786 murders. That too, only half of these crimes are said to be officially reported.

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Robert Pattinson – Batman or Bust?

Written by Maria Hart

There was as much love as there was hate for Ben Affleck’s portrayal of the iconic character of Batman in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and the follow-up Justice League. But whether you loved Affleck as Batman or hated it, we now know that he will not be returning to the role.

Ben Affleck as Batman. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

According to DC comics news, in 2021 DC is planning a solo Batman film simply (and aptly) titled: The Batman. And now, we’ve learned the none other than Robert Pattinson is finalized to take up the role of the Caped Crusader in the much-anticipated 2021 release.

Matt Reeves (director of Cloverfield (2008), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)) is going to be at the helm of the project with Robert Pattinson going to play the leading man. In case you’ve been under a rock, we are talking about Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame.

As might have been expected, this announcement of the Twilight star taking up the cape and cowl of a beloved character like Batman has sparked a lot of chatter online. Is he the right guy for this job? Will people be able to get over his vampire roots in order to play a blockbuster character like Batman?

These and many other questions are flying around the internet. But we thought it’d be good to take a step back and look at the history of Batman in films. Perhaps that will give us some perspective on how to fit Robert Pattinson in for this role.

Batman Films Throughout the Last Century.

Lewis G. Wilson holds the distinction of being the first big-screen Batman all the way back in 1943. That’s right, Batman has been in movies since the middle of World War II! Wilson was only 23 at the time. There was a show in 1949 called Batman & Robin in which Robert Lowery played Batman. With not much background in film, Lowery was initially a bit of a surprise to get the role.

If you ever had the pleasure of coming across Adam West’s version of Batman starting in 1966, then you know that some versions of Batman are not quite as moody and serious as more recent versions. West went on to voice Batman through some animated versions of the superhero starting with 1977’s The New Adventures of Batman. He was literally the voice of Batman for almost 20 years.

Michael Keaton as Batman. Batman Returns (1992)

Then we all remember Michael Keaton’s take on the superhero in 1989 with Batman and then Batman Returns in 1992. It was at this point that Hollywood started to realize what they had in the Batman character. Which explains why 2005-2010 saw a whole bunch of Batman movies starting with Val Kilmer then moving on to George Clooney and then moving on to Christian Bale’s iconic performance in Christopher Nolan’s legendary Batman trilogy.

All of that leads us up to 2016 when Ben Affleck became the Batman. And while some hated it and some loved it, it was just not destined to last for very long. Affleck leaving the role left people asking – who will take up the cape now? And now we know – Robert Pattinson is the guy.

The newest version of Batman is coming to theaters in the summer of 2021. This solo film is going to be an interesting development in the character.

Can Robert Pattinson Pull It Off?

Prior to the internet, people’s opinions of who was acting as Batman were largely unknown. However, in this digital age, an announcement as big as who the next Batman will be is definitely going to be met with a lot of positive and negative comments regardless of who it is.

Robert Pattinson is no exception!

Fan poster of Robert Pattinson as Batman

Some people are arguing that Robert Pattinson is the perfect choice for Batman. Man has cited the fact that he’s already proved that he can pull off the moody, mysterious type of character. Being a teenage vampire for 4 different movies certainly will give you some practice in being moody and mysterious. Like Edward Cullen in Twilight, Pattinson had a lot of time and room to grow and develop as an actor. Add to that the fact that he already has a very large and very loyal fan base, commercially, casting him as the next Batman could bring in a whole new segment of viewers to the new movie.

Another reason put forth is that Pattinson has the right kind of look to play Batman. The same could not be said for every actor who has played Batman.

But while to some people, Pattinson’s work on Twilight is seen as a huge plug, others see it as a huge negative. There’s a large slice of the population that literally hate Twilight and argue that the main actors (Pattinson included) did a bad job of acting. Whether this is true or not, many people are up in arms, calling for Pattinson to reject the deal.

Something to remember is that Twilight was quite a while ago. Pattinson has continued to act and improve his abilities. In fact, he’s made a fairly successful career so far. Pattinson’s work in Good Time and High Life were pretty well received and showed that the actor had more range than he showed in Twilight.

It’s way too early to tell whether or not Robert Pattinson is the right guy for the job. There are countless examples of casting decisions that were decried as horrible at first that turned out to be genius later on. Let’s hope Robert Pattinson as Batman will be one of those choices.

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com, sunny99.iheart.com

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (2019)

written by Souranath Banerjee

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir: A quirky adventure that stretches its arms across the globe but yet manages to keep its heart rooted right where it belongs to – India!

My ratings: 4/5

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (in English) and Pakkiri (in Tamil) is the ideal definition of a Global Cinema. I will tell you why?

Adapted from a novel by French writer Romain Puértolas, made by Canadian director Ken Scott, starring Tamil superstar Dhanush in the lead, along with two beautiful actresses Erin Moriarty (American) and Bérénice Bejo (Argentinian). Also joined by the talented Somalian actor Barkhad Abdi. It is a French-Indian-Belgian coproduction released in India, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, UK, Canada and Sri Lanka today!

Now let’s explore the world of the Fakir.

At a very early age Ajatashatru Lavash Patel, a young boy from Mumbai learns about ‘poverty’, and to cope with it in his own style he invents this ‘Fakir-act’ – basically a con-performance played on the streets of Mumbai while his friends conveniently picked the spectator’s pockets.

But soon there comes a time when the talented trickster (by now grown into a young man) must prepare for a distant journey for Paris, in search of his father. A journey that proves to be far from ordinary, filled with love, friendship and excitement, much too promising than the Fakir had ever imagined!

But then it will be injustice to sum up The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir as just an entertaining comedy or a fun-filled travel-movie, punched with a Bollywood dance number.

The film also delicately touches the refugee-problem which is a serious world issue but seldom addressed. An important message conveyed effectively, though sugarcoated in accordance to the mood of the film.

The first international venture for Indian actor Dhanush and it is his performance that really keeps this movie compelling for us till the end. Sometimes the script gets a bit too whimsical and preachy, but Dhanush’s innocence, his child-like zeal to explore the depths of his extraordinary journey is what makes the audience hooked.

I really wish the film would have explored more of Dhanush and Erin Moriarty chemistry, both of them together demanded more screen presence.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir is well directed, portrays some terrific performances, magically shot all across the globe; overall an adventure that is comic, emotional, romantic and above all inspiring.

GO watch it now at your nearest theatres!

Similar Interest: The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir: The trailer launch.

Poster courtesy:www.imdb.com.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir – trailer Launch

written by Souranath Banerjee

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir: The trailer launch.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
The Fakir in mid-air!

When you enter a movie theatre you don’t really expect to see a colourfully dressed Fakir (wearing a turban and cool shades) sitting calmly in mid air without any visible support, right in front of the auditorium gate! Cheerful people are busy taking selfies with the pious man who certainly doesn’t seem to mind all the attention.

And this is exactly how you know that you have reached the right location, the right event – the Trailer Launch at Juhu PVR for the film The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir.

Ajatashatru Lavash Patel has lived all his life in a small Mumbai neighborhood tricking people with street magic and fakir stunts. He sets out on a journey with the intention to find his estranged father, but instead gets dragged on a never-ending adventure.

An adaptation of Romain Puértolas‘s best selling novel by the same name, The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (English) and Pakkiri (Tamil) will release on 21st June all across the world – in India, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, UK, Canada and Sri Lanka.

An official French – Indian – Belgian production!

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
The event had just started.

And so back at the trailer launch, buzzing with reporters and film-industry people all waiting for the event to start, but in the midst of all the filmy crowd the most happy-faces were of those many die-hard fans patiently waiting for their Superstar, the Hero, the Lifeline of the movie to arrive, none other than Mr.Dhanush.

The rest of the cast include some big names from around the world, the likes of Bérénice BejoErin Moriarty, Barkhad Abdi and Gérard Jugnot.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
The man himself!

Finally Dhanush walked into the theatre and the show began! We watched the trailer amidst deafening whistles and shrieks from Dhanush-fans which is a sure sign that the audience are more than ready to love the extraordinary journey of this Fakir!

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Director Ken Scott hugging Dhanush.

Then as the trailer ended with huge applause and appreciations, Dhanush spoke a bit about the film, his first International movie experience, his on-set chemistry with the other actors and specially about his bonding with director Ken Scott. Then he spoke directly to his euphoric fans and answered some questions from the audience – Dhanush is such a soft spoken, modest and down to earth person. A real Star, a real gentleman.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Dhanush interacting with the audience!

Others on the stage were the producers of The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir – Saurabh Gupta, Gulzar Inder Singh Chahal, Aditi Anand, Samir Gupta, Piiyush Singh and music director/singer Amit Trivedi.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Ken Scott

Director Ken Scott spoke about his own experiences of visualising the film, interacting with Dhanush and the overall creative process.

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Saurabh Gupta

Among the producers Saurabh Gupta and Aditi Anand put forward some interesting insights as to how the story of the Fakir had begun, the idea, the initiation, the collaborations, the challenges – an extraordinary journey indeed!

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Aditi Anand

Amit Trivedi guaranteed us that the music and songs in the film will be something to look forward to!

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Amit Trivedi

Finally it was the end of a superbly entertaining trailer launch, and when Dhanush was accompanied by Aishwarya on stage the shutterbugs went crazy!

The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir
Aishwarya with Dhanush

Save the date, The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir aka Pakkiri (Tamil) will release on 21st June. You won’t dare want to miss Dhanush’s first International movie on the big screen – do you?

Image courtesy: @CinemaForensic