Reviews
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'Bhram": Kalki's eerie performance the only saving grace
If you are an addict of spooky cinema, there is nothing in "Bhram" that you haven't seen before. This, perhaps, is not a bad thing in the supernatural-horror genre where the audience revels in familiar scares.
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'Bigil' is Vijay's show all the way
For a film that speaks stridently on women's empowerment and the sins of sexism, "Bigil" is awfully enamoured of its male protagonist who all but preens when he is on screen. The camera clings to Vijay like a Siamese twin letting go of him only long enough for the incidental characters (and that includes leading lady Nayanthara) to let us know how privileged they are to be in the same narrative as Vijay/Bigil
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"Housefull 4" is more like a haggard circus
Give them some points for consistency. Maintaining the same low IQ over four films – and crafting it into a moneymaking franchise – is no small deal. By now, the makers of these "Housefull" films have chucked all notions of sensible storytelling and intelligent humour. Why bother? What matters is setting off a big bang hype before release, and the box-office math solves itself.
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'Wounds' is a horrific tale of cellphone abuse
Cockroaches are not the only creepy creatures crawling all over the frames of this subversive horror drama that takes the genre by its shoulder and shakes it hard. The end results are less stirring than imagined.
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'Made In China', faulty in parts
"Made In China" is symptomatic of what's often happening in Bollywood right now. They have a concept driven by content that's high on blending entertainment and message, and the idea is original, too. Yet the effort gets lost in execution, hampered by unsure storytelling.
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'Upstarts' conveys a certain rawness at the edges
By Subhash K JhaUpstarts (Netflix film)
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'Saand Ki Aankh' aims well but misses bullseye
"Saand Ki Aankh" aims well but misses the bullseye. The film is important for what it is trying to tell you, but the effort gets weighed down by an obvious obligation to tick-mark the diktats of commercial cinema.
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Netflix's new Japanese film is a magnificent mess
For the want of a better way to describe this repugnant revolting piece of hedonistic art , I'd say "The Forest Of Love" is a monstrous epic. Those familiar with the director's deranged filthy overview of suburban life the inexcusable excesses of "The Forest Of Love" come as no shock. For the uninitiated this film is enough to put you off Japanese cinema for at least five years. Not to mention the serial-killer genre for a lifetime.
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'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' is an engaging sequel
"Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, is the sequel to the 2014 released, dark fantasy adventure film, "Maleficent", which was the original live-action, re-imagining of the classic, fairytale, "Sleeping Beauty".
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'Zombieland: Double Tap': More comic than a horror
Designed as a road-trip film, Zombieland: Double Tap is more of a debauched comic-action drama than a horror Zombie film.
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'Downton Abbey': Cinematography, acting keep you glued
There is something magnetic about this period drama. It holds your attention from the first frame to the last, in spite of its frothy and lightweight narrative.
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'Diego Maradona': Superficial and lacks soul
Asif Kapadia's documentary on Diego Maradona, portrays the "God of football" -– the titular superstar Argentinian footballer -- with feet of clay. Yes, the film shows him as a rebel, a cheat, a hero who was revered as God, and moreover as a man imperfect and raw..
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'The Sky Is Pink': Sensitive but Soppy
The statutory note first: Don't forget a box of tissues. Sky, pink or white -- take your pick in colour but the tissues are a must, more than cola and corn. "The Sky Is Pink", Shonali Bose's most commercial film yet, rides exaggerated sentimentalism aimed to keep your tearducts working overtime while the show is on.
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'Gumnaami' re-opens uncomfortable questions on Subhash Bose
Srijit Mukherjee is unarguably the most prolific filmmaker of contemporary Bengali cinema. He switches from intimate human portraits to wide-canvassed bio-pics with the ease and fluency of a pro.
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'War' could have been named 'Bore'
Strictly speaking, "War" is not a film. It is a smart product manufactured to gyp you with a hard sell
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Review: 'Joker': Brilliant performance nails the character
For those unaware of the DC comic universe, the Joker is the supervillain who appeared in Christopher Nolan's 2008 superhero film the Dark Knight. He gave the superhero Batman a tough time.
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Review: 'Bard Of Blood': Bard To Worse
Terrorism is a terrible tragedy. Reducing terrorism to a formula-for-thrills situation is the worst tragedy.
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Review: 'Abominable': Adorable and occasionally magical
by troy ribeiro"abominable"; cast: chloe bennet, tenszing norgay trainor, albert tsai, eddie izzard, sarah paulson, tsai chin, michelle wong; director: jill culton; rating: ** and 1/2 (two and half stars)