Reviews
-
Review: Luca: Talks of inclusion with cute relish
"Luca" talks of inclusion, and the importance of accepting those that are perceived as different by society. Like all Pixar productions, the film serves its message in a goodlooking package that brims with feel-good verve, and animation that is as striking as you'd expect from the banner.
-
Review: Sherni: Slow-burn impact
"Sherni" tackles several diverse issues. The film is as much about sexism in the 'sarkari' workplace offices as it is about rapid erosion of forest land and the threat to wildlife in the name of development.
-
Review: Shaadisthan: Shoddy storytelling
Sometimes, the best intentions are lost in inadequate execution. "Shaadisthan" is a film that talks of women's empowerment, but the effort is burdened by shoddy storytelling that simply fails to hold your attention.
-
Review: Sunflower: Quirky but lacks focus
"Sunflower" keeps you guessing all the way, all right -- but that's because the show tries to do too many things, diluting the impact of the dark comedy thrills it should have stuck to. It's starts on a different sort of a high as a murder mystery, showing you the murder (and murderer) right at the start.
-
Review: Dom: Gripping saga
The father is a cop, the son is a criminal, and the show is a suspense drama woven around familial conflict. Bollywood masala, anyone? Well, "Dom" is based on a true story that happened in Brazil, the pre-credits announce. Truth can be stranger than fiction.
-
Review: The Family Man 2: Binge therapy
"The Family Man 2" crafts its fictional action drama referencing subcontinental socio-politics. Mainly centred on the Sri Lankan Tamil rebel movement, the plot incorporates an Indian Prime Minister concerned about China's need to gain strategic advantage in Indian Ocean and Pakistan's swing towards ultra-Right as necessary mentions.
-
Review: Maharani: Of Huma, drama and Bihar politics hungama
"Maharani" tells a story that could seem bizarre in many parts of the world (the observation is pertinent because, dropped on OTT, the series does vie for international eyeballs).
-
Review: 'Friends: The Reunion': The one that flew down memory lane
"Friends: The Reunion" was never really meant to reload the hysteria. The purpose was always to remind the world that the hysteria still exists. Seventeen years after the original series ended its decade's run, the reunion special was essentially aimed at reiterating the fact that nostalgia around the series is still intact.
-
Review: Army Of The Dead: Ocean's Eleven gets a zombie remix
"Ocean's Eleven" gets a zombie remix in Zack Snyder's latest, as Dave Bautista and company infiltrate undead-infested Las Vegas Strip to try and walk away with a fat load of cash against all odds.
-
Review: Sardar Ka Grandson: Boredom on the house
The problem with "Sardar Ka Grandson" is not that it loses the plot on an absolutely wonky idea. The problem is the film and its makers fail to capitalise on the one asset they truly had.
-
Review: The Climb: Winsome indie humour
"The Climb" is a 'bromantic comedy' that hits the road running -- or cycling if you may, given the opening scene. Friends Mike (Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Kyle Marvin) are struggling uphill on racer bikes. Huffing for breath, Kyle announces joyously that he is about to get married.
-
Review: Radhe: Salman Khan's chaos of set pieces
You couldn't care less, of course if you are a Salman fan, you weren't logging in for the sake of story. You're in it to watch all that goes on in between, when the 'story' isn't interfering with what Salman Khan needs to do on screen to reaffirm his Bollywood superstardom.
-
Review: Ammonite: Winslet and Ronan shine in sensitive film
Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan play out an intense romance in Francis Lee's bleak new arthouse effort that weaves fiction and speculation into a fabric of facts.
-
Review: Photo Prem: Snapshots of feel-good humour
Fifty-something Maee hates being clicked. Which in turn leads to a peculiar problem. She realises there's no decent photograph of her in the house. That's no petty issue if you consider your primary source of remembrance, when you're no more, will be the picture that hangs in the living room. So, Maee decides she must fix the situation.
-
Review: The Disciple: Hits the notes of excellence
Chaitanya Tamhane's new film intricately weaves diverse threads. It talks of the state of Hindustani Classical music and its 'Guru-Shishya parampara'.
-
Review: The Current War: Low-voltage drama
You could counter that, of course, arguing there is no documented evidence to the contrary either. And in any case, never mind that the film is pitched as historical drama, we understand that history has never really been Hollywood's strongest subjects. We will take the War with a pinch of salt.
-
Review: Last Moment Of Clarity: Neo-noir effort lacks edge
You don't get too many neo-noir thrillers these days and Brothers Krisel -- Colin and James -- have pitched "Last Moment Of Clarity" as a new entrant in the genre pool. Which seemed exciting, as you settled down to watch.
-
Review: Kathmandu Connection: Cop 'n' gangster drama with few twists
"Kathmandu Connection" is a cop-and-gangster drama that tries doing more than use these prototypes to set up a crime thriller.
