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Parachute (2023)
Promising debut
The movie should come with trigger warnings for body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Although Brittany Snow does a wonderful job of representing them, the theme might be too much to deal with for some people.
Okay, now that put aside, the performances in the movie were so beautiful. This kind of theme was elegantly depicted and to think that it was a directional debut certainly shows so much promise. Despite the erratic pacing and passage of time generally thrown at the audience through exposition, after a momentary whiplash, the scene brings you right back into it. I really loved character development of Riley and Nathan and even the minor characters for that matter. The movie did a wonderful job of showing both, what people suffering from mental illness go through and what people who care for them go through. Kudos.
Bad Newz (2024)
Meh
All the fun parts are in the trailer, a common ailment infecting comedy Bollywood movies. ADR is so bad that it's distracting and makes one wonder how a mainstream movie can have such mismatch in the voice-over. Clearly indicates laziness, which also translates to the screenplay. Songs are stuffed so badly that the movie feels disjointed. Tripti Dimri's acting was quite subpar, with wooden and a few discrete expressions bar a couple of scenes. She lacked chemistry with both the co-stars. Movie works well when it turns into a buddy comedy, as Vicky Kaushal and Ammy Virk's chemistry was far too better. Interesting concept, but didn't get explored much and the plot rushed to get to a happy ever after ending. Vicky Kaushal was the highlight of the movie.
Longlegs (2024)
Disturbingly amazing!
What a disturbing movie, WOW! Although I wasn't a big fan of the fantastical stuff, the psychotic evil was what I dug more. Nicholas Cage shines in a role worthy of the weird energy he is capable of. I really wish he had more screen time. I have been recently acquainted with Maika Monroe's work and she made her character so engrossing here. Direction and the choices that came along with were amazing! This movie is so blink and you miss it subtle throughout its screenplay that when it does put things in your face, it penetrates your mind. Even the fantasy horror elements were void of jump scares and genuinely horrid.
Pushtaini (2023)
Good debut
Albeit quite refreshing and so in touch with Pahadi culture while giving a glimpse of the good and bad of Hindi film industry, as a character in the movie would keep repeating, it was kind of all over the place. The climax was particularly disappointing resulting in a fairytale-like ending. Strong acting debut, good writing, but direction needs some work. Score was pleasant, especially the folk music was so good. The film had a lot of characters and managed to deal with them in a good manner, giving depth, development and arcs to them. I wish the film had released in more screens and more people would have gone to watch it, but maybe next to zero marketing was a big reason why it didn't do well even in Uttarakhand.
Aattam (2023)
Malayalam cinema does it again
Oh my goodness! What a movie! 12 Angry Men has been brilliantly adapted into 12 Men, tackling a delicate and topical issue. The screenplay is amazing, filled with such subtlety and nuance that you might miss them if you blink. It is engrossingly written and beautifully acted. Score, direction everything made the movie into such a believable piece, you empathise with the protagonist finding in them real people who have gone through the trauma of sexual harassment. Ending of the movie is just the cherry on the top which leaves a lasting impression and gives you something to take with and ponder upon.
Night Shift (2023)
Could have been good
The film had potential, but there were several factors that didn't make it work. First of all, it shows that it's a directorial debut, as the direction left much to be wanted. Continuity errors is one of such culprits. Second, the lead actor can't act in progressions, and although rest of the movie she did do passively good, at the end, her acting seemed as if she was trying too hard. Next, odd background music choices seemed amateur. The film was only good in parts, and couldn't help itself from doing repetitive tropes. Let's talk about the twist; homage to the other movie (SI) was a bit half baked, but even that would have been good, but sudden tonal shift was way too sudden.
Now the film has its moments, I'll give it that. Tension building both with visuals and sound are generally done well. I really liked the supporting cast; good work there.
All in all, it could have done better with more runtime and more meticulousness.
Belle de jour (1967)
I don't get the hype
I'm all for slow-burn drama, and I'll go on to say that surrealism is where this movie delivers, for sure. The rest of the movie, however, doesn't, except for the third act, of course, which made me ask "Why was there not stuff like this in the rest of it?" It does dive into the psyche of the titular role, but I don't feel that was enough. Had it delved deeper, then there could have been something to ponder over and something to carry with afterwards. Moreover, the slow pace of the first two acts isn't justified whenever the real events are taking place, because they are so stereotypical and nothing that would seem interesting or thrilling, for that matter. Themes are played with beautifully, though, but just played with, not dissected into.
M*A*S*H (1972)
M*A*S*H is a show that has not aged well
This supposed "comedy" lacks both humor and heart, and instead relies on cheap jokes and tasteless humor that has not aged well.
The characters in this show are completely one-dimensional and uninspired. The cast is quite forgettable, with their personalities consisting of little more than stereotypes. They all feel like caricatures instead of fully fleshed-out characters.
The show's attempts at humor are cringe-worthy at best and downright offensive at worst. The writers seem to think that racist and sexist jokes are the height of comedy, with numerous gags about the Korean people and women being inferior to men. Even when the show tries to tackle serious issues, such as the horrors of war and the effects it has on soldiers, it falls short. The show's attempts at drama often come across as shallow and insincere, with the characters quickly bouncing back from even the most traumatic experiences.
The laugh track feels forced and artificial, with the audience seemingly laughing at every single thing, regardless of how unfunny it actually is. Furthermore, the show's pacing is incredibly slow, with long stretches of dialogue that feel like filler. Full of tasteless humor and nothing else.
Una bala marcada (1972)
One of the worst movies ever.
Mindless, gun-toting action, with a screenplay that lacks any semblance of logic or coherence. The film neither engages intellect of the viewer, nor the senses. Even more troubling is the apparent treatment of sexual assault as a source of humor. This is a sensitive topic that should be handled with care and respect, but it seems that the filmmakers have chosen to use it as a cheap punchline. This is not only offensive, but it also trivializes a serious issue. Our hero is an overpowered cowboy, to whom no harm can ever come. Might as well have made into a short film, but even making it a short film would b too gratuitous than this thing deserves.
Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City (2021)
Really Bad
Firstly, instead of cartoons like Popeye, which inspire kids to eat spinach, here's a cartoon which overwhelms kids with sugary characters. Names. Puns and literally everything.
Secondly, plot is pretty dumb even for little kids. I have no idea why would anyone want to watch this, except for the protagonist which is a fun and sweet character.
Why is this show even on air? There's no audience for which this show is apt, no age group would feel enticed by this show and even if they would, this would still be a show about desserts with brainless plot even for a kids' show. Although, one more thing that it's got going for it is that the runtime is less, so at least that's good.
Maja Ma (2022)
Just not there
A good attempt, with awesome ensemble of actors, has a pretty neat setup going on, good characters, good angles, BUT fails in executing. Scenes don't carry much meaning outside of themselves; things in theme happen just for the purpose of that very scene. A lot of the dialogue feels unnatural, as if it was translated from English to Hindi. Unraveling was nice, but then things wrapped up in a hurried manner. No proper redemption arcs, except for Sheeba's character, who by the way is the best part of the movie. Could have been really good, but feels tremendously half baked. For more detailed feedback, I can be reached on maheshwarichaitanya at protonmail.
Dobaaraa (2022)
Not great, but not terrible.
We all know where most of these reviews are coming from. Anyhow, the acting is great, plot is great. Cinematography is great. Screenplay could have been better. Ending disappointed me a bit.
15 Minutes of Shame (2021)
Downside of Public Shaming
Although made with good intentions, the documentary can't seem to find out what it wants to be. There are individual sections, addressing different aspects of online shaming, but all scattered and thus, it makes one see all of it through one eyeglass. It definitely could have been better.
Jinne Jamme Saare Nikamme (2021)
Not exactly there, but a good step
Something like this to come out of Punjabi cinema is nothing short of something for the people involved to be proud of. Although the journey still remains, but this is a big step towards it. Good theme, good acting, good CGI even (according to the budget), good introspective message. The whole hook with the girl seemed unnecessarily stuffed and if it at all had to be put, could have been done in a better fashion, at least. Third act was a big letdown for me. Getting out of cliched tropes is difficult, but it's so much worth it. A good watch if you want to watch a Punjabi movie.
Haseen Dillruba (2021)
Vikrant Massey shines in the mess
I wanted to like the movie, but it was very poorly directed and written. Dialogues were too bad as well. But, Vikrant Massey was absolutely amazing. He was the best part of this movie. More than 2 hours long movie is a snooze-fest in the first half. 2nd half tries to redeem itself, but poor plot doesn't let it do so.
Content Cop (2015)
What did I just watch?
If I wanted to watch someone screaming slurs and doing weird impressions that they think are funny, I'd rather watch Donald Trump.
Pew News (2018)
Plainly Terrible
I'm sad that the kids made me watch a full episode of this. Ugh.
The 24th (2020)
Amazing premise, but boring movie
This could have been a really good movie, but ends up being boring for the most part of it.
Atlanta: Helen (2018)
Underrated
This is the first Vanessa episode that I liked. And there's everything to love here. Amazing shots, intelligent dialogue, weirdly good premise, good music, all of which focus on Earn and Van's relationship, and gradually shift the atmosphere to focus on Van. Callback of Earn trying to lower now locked window was so subtly and brilliantly placed. Disappointing to see people not understanding the episode.
What the Constitution Means to Me (2020)
I'd Rather Read an Article About it Than Watch This
It pains me to write this review, and I don't know what I expected. The content and stories told in this play are heart-wrenching, but the way it's shown and the decision to film this as a live taping with audience chiming in really made me stop halfway. I'd rather read an article about the ordeals that the protagonist faced (and I'll probably like them too), but watching this as a 1 hr 45 min drama is a chore, more so with audience laughing in between which gives the feeling that laugh track in a sitcom gives. Hamilton as a movie made sense, but not this monologue.
The Argument (2020)
Could Have Been Good
This movie has a lot of likeable things, but still collapses on itself. The writing is really inconsistent and has a lot of ups and downs throughout the runtime. The movie starts off good, but then some scenes become too dragged and humour becomes pretty forced at times. Instead of quirky, somehow in the middle, the writing shifts to being absurd and then gradually moves to quirky again. Fogler, Pudi, Coleman have done good, but it's Maggi Q who really stands out. This movie had some potential, but crashed.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Does a Clip Show (2018)
So underrated
This episode just blew me away. I was expecting to just keep forwarding, but darn!! This was something completely unexpected. Was expecting this to be quite highly rated, but so disappointing to see it this underrated, that lazy me had to write a review about it.
Commando (1985)
Bullcrap
How can anyone like this movie is beyond me. Senseless plot, pointless characters, worthless acting. It seems that someone had some on-liners and just built a movie around it. One of the worst movies I've ever watched.
Native Son (2019)
It's good and then it's not.
I don't usually write reviews, but since I did not find any sound review here, here it is.
The movie builds up great, great character development, good acting, intriguing plot; and then the third act begins, and it's all downhill from there. All buildup and character development stare into abyss upon an obvious climax. The realism that was there in the first two acts dies in the third act, and questionable choices are made in the plot, which makes you doubt whether there are different writing teams for Native Son. P.S I haven't read the book.
I think this will suffice.
Andhadhun (2018)
Is He or Is He Not?
The moment the movie starts, you know you are in for some good cinema experience. Plot Twists, like it's Game Of Thrones. Good direction, lovely soundtrack, awesome screenplay, great acting; editing comes with it's quirks.