102 Not Out

Movie Review (Hindi)

Though the movie has been touted as a comedy, it is much more than that. It tells the tale of neglected parents waiting for any kind of communication from their children who live on the other side of the globe and find it easy to cut off familial ties and hope the parents understand their problems. It also tells the tale of the elderly taking their age too seriously. 

The comedy lies in the witty repartee between father- played by Amitabh Bachchan who is 102 years old and his son - played by Rishi Kapoor who is 75 years old.  Both these actors show their mettle and the way the years in the film industry have matured them.

I do wish the wig used for Amitabh was given more thought. A matted white wig does not necessarily translate into a realistic one. Also a person who is 102 years old, would show it in his physicality too. Father and son seemed to be from the same age group. Would seem better had they been brothers with different personalities.

Like a good entertaining movie and as the name suggests - an interesting T20 Cricket match, there were several upheavals and the best saved for which brought out handkerchiefs.

I certainly hope that both the actors shine on and entertain cine-goers for years to come. Thanks to Umesh Shukla for competent directing even though he must have been in awe of the stalwarts!!

Raazi

Movie Review (Hindi)

Here is a Hindi movie which is a spy thriller but not quite. It has the entire gamut of an emotional drama and that is why it is different and that is why it is so watchable. I have been an admirer of Alia Bhatt and this movie simply strengthens my belief in her acting skills. Besides she has got one of the most talented directors, Meghna Gulzar, to direct her.

This movie is based on real life and has several heart-stopping and heart-breaking moments. Despite high drama what stood out was the subtlety of the enactment. Just not what is expected from a commercial Hindi movie with its over the top acting, hamming and mindboggling stunts. 

What stood out was the fact that Pakistan was not depicted as the war mongering ogre that it is generally shown as. Here, Indians marry Pakistanis and can live happily, though thanks to our political and armed discourse we are making it more and more difficult.

The movie is like a breath of fresh air. Each character has been excellently portrayed and there is the 1970s feel in the surroundings.

Sehmat is a character who will not be forgotten anymore, whether it the real Sehmat or the actor Alia who brought her back to haunt us.

Guptodhoner Sondhane (In Search Of Hidden Treasure)

Movie Review (Bengali)

The funny part of the movie is that the entire mystery behind the hidden treasure is revealed in the first few minutes into the movie.
The audience is quite aware of the Mughal treasure buried somewhere within the premises of the 300 year-old Singha Roy palatial home. So the movie relies entirely on the slick story telling, the dialogue and the acting talents of the performers to hook the audience.

The riddles as cryptic clues keep the movie going which is quite a clever ploy as it brings in literature, history and numbers together. The audience is pulled in to solve the riddles as well.

The amateur detectives do rise over the amateurish story and bring the trophy home. Abir Chatterjee as Sona da is the emerging Felu da and Byomkesh Bakshi of Bengali cinema today. He certainly has big shoes and big brains to fill.

Phantom Thread

Movie Review (English)

Phantom thread is an experience on the lyrical level. 

This is an incredibly moving story of a topnotch designer (Reynolds Woodcock) who has rigid rules, strange fetishes and beliefs, misses his deceased mother and refuses to understand that a loving relationship needs nurturing. His obsession with his creations rules his life and I think no one but Daniel Day-Lewis could have nailed the part. Of course, the magic woven by director Paul Thomas Anderson, through his enigmatic protagonist and beautiful muse (Alma), and the camera work that takes us to another era so very smoothly, cannot be overlooked.

I loved the fact that poisonous mushrooms had to finally work their venom into Reynolds’ system to make him realize how important Alma was for him. She had her ways of making him realize that. Alma played by Vicky Krieps is superb as the strong willed beautiful young lady who does not shirk from taking any risk to get the love of her life.

P.S. – Movie buffs will miss Daniel Day-Lewis as he retires from acting with this movie.

Hichki

Movie Review (Hindi)

Rani Mukherji has truly excelled in this movie. Maybe for me the story resonates closer to my heart. While working as a fellow with Teach for India I learned to empathise with my students and their stories. I see situations in the movie and they hit close to home.

The entire storyline about kids attending an elite school from the nearby slum because of RTE is not new. They are looked down upon by the other students; teachers give up on them from day 1. But the fact that these students should get a teacher who has a handicap herself (afflicted with Tourette’s syndrome) and the way ahead makes for an interesting plot. The students have enacted their roles pretty well as has the teacher (Neeraj Kabi) who sees no good in them.

It is interesting to note how unusual tics are overlooked when you get to know the person. Rani as Naina Mathur is brilliant with her neurological problem and her highs and lows with her class and in her family. The movie got me teary eyed and I cannot take that lightly.

P.S. You do not always need an unusual story. Convincing acting and a smooth edit could get the laurels.

The Shape Of Water

Movie Review (English)

The USP of the movie is its height of imagination and then hitting the right note connecting with the audience through that imagination. The movie is a love story. Elisa, who cannot speak, is an orphan and works as a janitor in a secret scientific facility. She falls in love with a marine creature held captive in this facility.

As plans are laid for this creature to be cut up and studied, the audience becomes a part of the group that sets out to rescue him. The fact that the creature becomes Elisa’s lover follows naturally and only endears the characters.

Elisa beautifully expresses herself, “The way he looks at me, he does not know what I lack, or how I am incomplete. He sees me for what I am as I am. He’s happy to see me. Every time, every day.” If that is not love, what is? The sensitivity used by director, Guillermo del Toro, and the closure of the love story is simply magical.

When Elisa approaches her close friend and neighbor, Giles, to rescue the creature, he remarks that the creature is not even human. She sums it up, “If we do nothing, neither are we.”

The writing is there on the wall. Do we care?

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Movie Review (English)

Mildred Hayes, played by Frances McDormand, the protagonist, is no perfect mother. But she will not rest till her daughter’s killer is brought to book. Single handedly, she takes on the establishment and the only ones on her side are the socially oppressed. Her fight to get justice leads her to the three billboards, well, just outside Ebbing in Missouri where she lives.

The plot weaves around the lives of Mildred, her son, her ex husband, the police chief and his family, the deputy and his mother and the proprietor of the billboards. People who begin as enemies turn into friends, as circumstances change with sudden events.

Frances McDormand, as the single mother living through the guilt of being a bad mother, of trying to get justice for her daughter, suppressing her anger, her fear and again giving vent to these emotions, has excelled. This role ought to fetch her the top accolades.

Does Mildred get justice for her daughter, Angela? Well that is a question that will haunt you long after you have walked out of the hall.