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

SUPER DELUXE (2019)

Written by Yogeswaran Ganapathy @moviemanyogi

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Super Deluxe Review: A unique Tamil film which can never be replicated and is a definite watch for any movie lover!

Super Deluxe is a film which encompasses various issues on a runtime on 176 minutes and still fresh, interesting and highly engaging. The film has managed to bring together A-list stars, child artists, budding actors and gives a satisfactory final output.

Thiagarajan Kumararaja who last directed the cult classic Aaranya Kaandam (2011) has returned after almost a gap of 8 years and he has returned with a bang! We have waited for 8 years and the film is worth the wait. This film is surely an instant classic. The director manages to make every shot in the film speak to the audience.

The background, the wall posters, the warning signs on the road, the songs being played on the radio, the scenes going on in the television, the flickering of lights, the designs on the T-shirts all convey something to the viewer. The art direction and production management team has to be appreciated on a whole new level.
The screenplay of this film is by 4 directors who have their unique vision. The way in which the director manages to combine the stories and visions of all of them and give us a mixture with his own unique style is to be highly appreciated. Super Deluxe also has some subtle nods to Aaranya Kaandam scattered throughout.

Vijay Sethupathi has taken a role, which any A-list star would outrightly reject. This is his best performance, second only to his portrayal of Ayya Aadhimoolam in last year’s Seethakaathi(2018). The sequences in which he appears are truly the USP of the film. The child artist Ashwanth Ashokkumar playing “Rasukutty” his son in the film also has a beautiful arc. Gayathrie who appears in only a few scenes gives a spectacularly subtle performance. We are able to instantly resonate with what the character goes through in the scene where she meets Vijay Sethupathy for the first time. Vijay Sethupathi is one artist true to his art and his character is sure to be remembered for a long time to come.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Fahadh Faasil’s story arc is a splendid dark comedy on the lines of Andhadun. Samantha as vaembu rocks throughout the film and gives a variety of emotions that suit the situations perfectly. Fahad Faasil is like the conscience of the director to talk to the audience on various issues. His rants on the stereotypes are sure to have a huge fan following or should I say a separate fanbase!!!

Then we have the story of 4 school boys whose intentions turn into eventful incidents which help in moving the film forward without compromising the story. I don’t want to reveal anymore about this story arc. It has to be enjoyed in person. Ramya Krishnan ties beautifully into this story and also adds to the narrative in a splendid way. Myshkin, as usual, gives a superb performance. He is probably the best director working as an actor in today’s times. The scene where Mysskin meets Vijay Sethupathi is the best scene of the film. The lighting and setting of that scene elevate it to a whole new level and draws the viewer into the screen. Their character arcs merge in a simple, beautiful and highly satisfying way.

Bucks/Bagsu (Bagavathi Perumal) of Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom fame acts as a ruthless, menacing, sexist cop. He makes you hate his character from the gut. That is what is truly intended and he manages to do that perfectly.

The background music created by Yuvan Shankar Raja is awesome. The music at various points of the film is always in sync with the mod and is effective.                   

Gender bias, lust, parenthood, LGBT discrimination, politics, social stigma, chaos theory, Celestial theory, Religious superstitions, relationships are all encompassed in a Pandoras Box. Each of these issues makes a film on their own. But the director has managed to tie them together and unravel them in splendid ways and then has given a satisfactory ending to every one issue/event he has taken up. Please make your next film a bit sooner.

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Xq_Zz3nPA

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota (2018)

written by Souranath Banerjee

Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota Review: After ages I watched a typical Bollywood action masala film and enjoyed it to the bone. Ouch!

My ratings: 4/5

If a film keeps you smiling even after you have left the theatre, it has definitely done a job well!

Vasan Bala (writer of Raman Raghav 2.0) directs his second feature – and we have the best action comedy of recent times! An ode to the VHS era, Bruce Lee martial art flicks and also to the old Bollywood spells like Geraftaar (1985) and Aaj Ka Goonda Raj (1992)!

Separated childhood lovers finding themselves in adulthood, a set of good/evil twin brothers, a VHS inspired Karate kid who can beat 20 goons singlehandedly, a charming yet psychotic villain who kills in a wink – clichés lining up one after another. But the beauty of Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota is that it takes advantage of all these clichés, owns them proudly and churns them into pure cinematic humour.

Now what is fresh in this movie is the concept of ‘Congenital Insensitivity to pain’, Abhimanyu Dasani (his debut film), a brilliantly choreographed action sequence with Kishore Kumar’s evergreen song ‘Nakhrewali’ playing in the background and then of course the overall amazing performances!

Abhimanyu Dasani (son of Bollywood actress Bhageshree) stands out clearly as a winner in his debut film. Superb screen presence, he looks like a younger version of Madhavan plus the extreme level of fitness. Then there is the immensely talented Radhika Madan (earlier seen in Vishal Bhardwaj‘s Pataakha) and she is an absolute delight to watch. Mahesh Manjrekar and Jimit Trivedi are at their best perfectly blending into the roles and giving the film the additional support it needed. Even Shweta Basu Prasad made her presence felt in her cameo.

And then of course we have Gulshan Devaiah in his effortlessly charming double roles – he is so natural, funny and full of charisma. His best performance till date.

Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota is essentially a love story but told in style and a rare confidence that we search for but seldom find in our current day movies.

Paap ko jala ke raakh kar doonga” (Will burn all evil/sins to ashes) is the idea in prominence throughout the movie but it gets specially silly and enjoyable when told from a kid’s perspective.

Though the voiceovers repeatedly reminds us “Har mindblowing kahani ke peeche kuch bahut bure decisions hote hain” (There are always some bad decisions behind every mind-blowing story), but trust me, your decision to watch this awesome movie will definitely be a good one!

Go watch it.

Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb0-Mw_V_bA

Poster courtesy:www.imdb.com.

Triple Frontier (2019)

Written by Sarthak Suvankar

My Ratings: 3/5

Triple Frontier Review:There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.‘ – well, let this be the moral of this film!

Triple Frontier is a movie that took its time to be made!

It all started in 2010 when Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks were supposed to be part of the film, later Denzel Washington and Sean Penn were considered for some time, then came along Tom Hardy and Channing Tatum. And it doesn’t end there, over the years at some point or another Leonardo DiCaprio, Mahershala Ali, Casey Affleck, Will Smith were all attached to the project but later dropped out for various reasons.

Finally it was Ben Affleck and Oscar Isaac who owned the main roles along with Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal. And the rest is history, I mean the present!

This Netflix Original film starts with the same drug-cartel based dramas we are so familiar with; the likes of Narcos and Sicario where the DEA and his entire team are desperate to close the case on some master mind ever-elusive drug dealer.

So the first half goes mostly concerning Oscar Isaac (who is working with the DEA) getting a tip from his beautiful informant (Adria Arjona) about the ruthless drug lord Gabriel Martin Lorea and his hidden stash. He persuades his four ex-army buddies, soon gets reunited, and goes straight into action – to raid and destroy the camouflaged residence of this Colombian drug dealer in the deep jungles of Brazil.

And also, most importantly to get hold of the moolah hidden in that house which estimated a staggering figure of seventy-five million dollars!

‘You cannot go back to your normal life after tonight. You guys need to own the fact that what we’re about to do is criminal.’

But then the movie turns more interesting in the second part where transporting the looted money becomes a real problem for the team!

Greed and certain abrupt stupid decisions plays a very important part in their journey, or rather in turning their well schemed escape plan into a mess.

And after a point it is all about surviving! 

It was Kathryn Bigelow who was supposed to direct Triple Frontier but then finally J.C. Chandor took over the reigns of the film. And undoubtedly he did a decent job.

Good performances from all around, well executed emotional scenes where you get to feel the bonding between the characters. The cinematography of Roman Vasyanov is worth praising, the picturesque locations and the awesome landscapes of the Andes mountain range and its foothills are really the heart of the movie. Action sequences are also decent but overall don’t expect too much!

I think Triple Frontier had a lot more potential and could have been made into a much better film if it had a better first half. Honestly without the amazing star-cast the story/script in itself isn’t something really to look forward to. But then again, it is definitely worth a watch.

P.S. – To all Ben Affleck fans out there, go get some tissues. Thank me later!

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo3yRLLrXQA

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Thadam (2019)

Written by Yogeswaran Ganapathy @moviemanyogi

My Ratings: 3.25/5

Thadam Review: Despite a slow first half, the murder mystery gets into full speed going into the second half and ends with one the best crime thriller twists in the genre!

Thadam means CLUE in Tamil. And in this murder mystery it is all about joining the right clues and finding the killer.

Arun Vijay since his comeback has chosen pretty good scripts and Thadam falls in that list. He plays dual roles here, one of an educated IIT graduate named Ezhil and other who is a petty thief named Kavin. He excels in both the roles and gives a satisfactory performance!

Magizh Thirumeni has done a pretty decent job as the writer/director. The hardwork, efforts, research he has put for the project is very evident. A crime drama which is very much in touch with legal tussles and its loopholes in a very realistic, gripping way. 

Tanya Hope makes a memorable debut performance. She plays the love interest of Ezhil. The chemistry between them is pretty good. She plays an integral and interesting character. Smruthi Venkat plays a naive character. She is instantly having a good emotional connect with the audience. The dialogues in her scenes are very effective.

Fefsi Vijayan plays a ruthless cop role to perfection.

Sonia Agarwal plays a cameo role which affects the story in a very impactful manner. Yogi Babu‘s character has totally been underwritten. His comedy feels very forced. I feel bad that such a good performer has been underutilized.

The music by Arun Raj (debutant ) is decent, the opening credits is very catchy.

A well written script, though the screenplay is a bit dull in the first half where the romantic portions seem a bit dragged but post interval the movie shifts to a whole new level of awesomeness.

The typical murder whodunit is given a fresh and clever twist. The final moments of the film will keep the audience on the edge of their seats for sure!

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWdqv8YiQjg

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com

Captain Marvel (2019)

Written by Yogeswaran Ganapathy @moviemanyogi

My Ratings: 2.75/5

Captain Marvel Review: A debut hero movie with same MCU formula but with intense final moments which sets up an intriguing future for MCU.

The Basic Plot: The story of an USA pilot Carol Denvers who becomes Captain Marvel.

The opening moments of Captain Marvel give us a look into the latest addition of the Marvel Cinematic universe … Hala which is the home planet of the Kree force. These sequences give you a strong vibe of Asgard in Thor (2011) and Wakanda in Black Panther (2018) . There we have Brie Larson present as a fierce Kree warrior under the team headed by Jude Law. Is she holding more than what meets the eye ??? That forms the rest of the story.

Brie Larson gives a memorable performance as Captain Marvel. I must say that the hate she received for the trailer of the film is totally unjustified and she has made a decent debut as a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic universe.

Samuel L. Jackson steals the show as Nick Fury in the 90’s. He adds a cool swag to the role and easily connects with the audience., specially the scenes he has with Brie Larson are really enjoyable.

The digital de-aging of Nick fury is pretty inconsistent though. It is revealing in some scenes and fabulous in others. 

Ben Mendelsohn and Annette Bening give a justified performance in their given scope.

The direction and screenplay in the film is pretty formulaic . Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck follow the same Marvel debut hero formula with only a few standout moments. The setting of the era of 1990’s could have been exploited more to make the audience have a better connect. And unfortunately the push of women empowerment is shown in a cliched way. We need to understand that women empowerment need not be born ONLY by trying to prove that men are wrong! 

The story is pretty dull. We have a main character, a mentor, a power discovery …. you get it right.

The Marvel problem of antagonist/villians (barring Thanos and Loki) still persists in its 21st film . These characters just come and go along the screen with most performances being pretty forgettable.

The first hour of the movie is bland. It’s a mix of Thor, Black Panther and nothing amusing . The second half brings out the acting range of Brie Larson effectively. The core of the movie lies in the last 15 minutes and solely because it has a great tie in to the Marvel cinematic universe. These moments greatly set up the Marvel universe for the next few movies!!

Many people would argue that captain Marvel is the most overpowered character in the MCU as of now. But in this movie, her powered state is felt to be OVER-powered due to the pretty weak antagonists who fight against her. It is like a Bollywood fight fest between Salman Khan and low level goons in Dabangg! Captain Marvel is rarely shown to be vulnerable which is a huge drawback.

Iron man is a classic example of showing this vulnerability. The character was hurled towards death , was highly vulnerable and then he defied all odds to come out all guns blazing. That made us root for the character. This particular aspect was clearly missing in Captain Marvel.

We really have to appreciate the marketing team of Marvel and the sheer brilliance of the head of MCU Kevin Feige. They have attracted audience to watch a movie pretty well knowing that they are here for the last few moments. The last 10 minutes and especially the mid-credits scene is why most of the people actually came to see the movie. And it’s by far the best Marvel mid- credits scene ever!

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

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com


Sonchiriya (2019)

Written by Yogeswaran Ganapathy @moviemanyogi

Sonchiriya Review:It is a movie that comes once in a decade and celebrates cinema in its purest form.

My Ratings: 4.5/5

The basic Plot line is simple enough – movie revolving around a gang of dacoits in Chambal valley during the 1970’s.

The first shot of this movie speaks volumes. The audience are given a feel of what the film is going to be right from the first shot. It is gutsy, violent, raw and yet peaceful at the same time. This is that kind of a film which makes you fall in love with cinema once again. The director Abhishek Chaubey has done a magnificent job of giving us this movie in the best possible way.

Manoj Bajpayee plays Man Singh, the leader of the Thakur baaghis (rebels). His character is such that, despite being a rebel, he follows certain principles and is deeply religious. He believes that once if you are cursed, no matter what you’ll definitely receive punishment for it.

Apart from that his highest principle is the Dharma of a rebel. That Dharma is given various genius interpretations throughout the film.

Manoj Bajpayee has once again proven that he can excel in any given role, and Sushant Singh Rajput is splendid as Lakhna Singh.

He is an important member of the Thakur gang. His character deeply resembles that of Manoj Bajpayee. And yet there are subtle differences which make their characters stand out in their own way. I believe this is Sushant Singh Rajput’s best performance since his portrayal as MS Dhoni. He effectively shows a range of emotions from fear to happiness to rage to disbelief.

Bhumi Pednekar‘s arrival with a child named Sonchiriya is the catalyst that elevates the film to a whole new level. Bhumi gives a stellar performance that is surely going to be remembered for a long time. The child artist gives a memorable performance as well.

All of the supporting cast like Ranvir Shorey, Ashutosh Rana, Mahesh Balraj and the rest manage to hold their own.

The most important fact to note is that of writing. Abhishek Chaubey and Sudip Sharma have written properly fleshed out characters who are given satisfying character arcs. There is very little shortcomings whatsoever. All the scenes are interconnected and the audience feel as if they are another character in the movie. The direction is pretty solid and screenplay is very fluent. Abhishek Chaubey gives us a realistic sense of women and their conditions in 1970s rural india. They are grounded and highly realistic. The dark humour scenes are the icing on the cake. The shootout scenes are well choreographed. The music is pretty decent.

The dialogues though few elevate the film to a whole new level. For instance when the rebels are involved in a shootout with the police forces, Manoj Bajpayee says “these government bullets won’t harm us but the government policies can Kill us !!”. This scene is even more special as it happens with the then prime minister Indira Gandhi declaring emergency in the background.

The cinematography by Anuj Dhawan does a fine job of conveying the desires of the characters even if they don’t utter a word.

Sonchiriya means a golden bird. People seek the bird truly knowing that they can’t find it. I urge you all to find THIS Sonchiriya in theatres before it becomes elusive.

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

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com