“Dunkirk” Movie Review

Christopher Nolan is a remarkable filmmaker. As a writer and director, he is able to come up with bold, fresh and out-of-the-box concepts and give them a grand, larger than life treatment to execute a movie that is both refreshing in its subject matter and appealing for the sheer scale and spectacle of it all. With “Dunkirk”, he continues this trend and delivers a movie that feels new in more ways than one. Indeed, even as a Nolan movie, this one is different. “Dunkirk” doesn’t have an amazing twist or a challenging intellectual premise that would have you debating and analysing the movie for days, weeks or months on end. This is a straight forward story inspired by real events that took place in the initial years of World War II. But, consistent with other Nolan movies, the way these events have been brought to screen set it apart from other movies dealing with similar subjects, and the result is another cinematic experience which further cements Nolan’s mastery of his craft.

“Dunkirk” throws you right in the middle of the war with nothing more than three lines of text to set up the premise. The movie details the events that took place at the titular location, where more than four hundred thousand British soldiers along with French soldiers were essentially sitting ducks for the enemy. The story is told in three parts – the land, which focuses on the events that take place at the beach; the water, which follows the efforts of civilian boats and the navy to come to the aid of the soldiers; and the air, which looks at the events through the eyes of air force pilots who are taking on the destroyer planes attacking the Allied soldiers and ships.

To call “Dunkirk” a war movie would be inaccurate in a sense – it defies pretty much all of the conventions of the genre. There is no backstory to any of the characters and very little dialogue, which is typically used to make us care for the characters and root for them (this feels true to life – you don’t expect people in such situations to take time out to narrate their life story). There is no villainizing of the opposing side, and literally no face given to the enemy – I’m pretty sure there was not a single shot of the face of a German soldier. There are no flying limbs or gory scenes which are a staple of most war movies – in fact, come to think of it, there is hardly any blood in the movie. Despite all this, or maybe because of it, the movie captures the feel of war in a way not many war movies have – the dread, the fear, the helplessness, the unfair nature of it all; and at the same time the heroism, the will to survive and humanity in the face of adversity. One of the few criticisms I have heard on the movie is that viewers may not be able to emotionally invest in the proceedings, but I don’t share that opinion. I was completely immersed in the proceedings, and the brutal relentlessness of what the characters endure had me tense and at the edge of my seat throughout. This is more a story of survival, which is what I would imagine being on the front is for a soldier.

The screenplay is non-linear along with being told from three different points of view over different timelines, and it can throw you as you try to tie the proceedings. It works to create the confusion and sense of disorientation adding to the experience, though I’m not sure everyone would appreciate it. The sense of urgency, the constant dread and the rising tension as the storylines clash together in a climax that is so rewarding – the writing effectively captures all of this. And full marks to Hans Zimmer, who once again collaborates to take Nolan’s work to another level – the crescendo of the soundtrack is just perfect for this movie.

The acting from the younger, inexperienced actors wasn’t bad, but I felt it could have been better in the hands of more seasoned performers. It’s the big names in the smaller roles who create the lasting impact. Since the air force pilot is mostly in a mask, the obvious choice is Tom Hardy – and as he proved before, being covered by a mask for all but one scene doesn’t get in the way of a brilliant performance. Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy are also perfect, and add so much to the movie despite limited screen time.

But of course, the crowd-puller is Christopher Nolan. He is one of the few film makers whose works are a cinematic event that demands big screen viewing. If you haven’t seen even one of his movies post “Batman Begins” in the theatre, you have missed something. “Dunkirk” feels like what all his previous movies have been leading up to cinematically. From a technical standpoint, the movie is a masterpiece. The visuals, the sound, the practical effects with almost no CG (which in itself is an achievement), all of it create an experience which unsettles the viewer and makes the tension palpable. I could literally feel the claustrophobia in most of the scenes. With most of the movie being shot in IMAX, the movie offers up a visual treat – if you can watch it in an IMAX screen, I would highly recommend it. Even if you aren’t really particular, the bigger screen will add to the experience. I have to give special mention the dogfight scenes, which are easily the best I’ve seen put to film – it makes Top Gun look like a cartoon.

In case you haven’t figured it out already, I highly recommend the movie. While it may not necessarily tick all the boxes for everyone, it is a movie which showcases the talents of a master craftsman who is at the top of his game. “Dunkirk” is a worthy addition to his already impressive filmography, and for that alone, it deserves a watch.

“War for the Planet of the Apes” Movie Review

“War for the Planet of the Apes” (WPA) is a satisfactory conclusion (it does leave the possibility of future movies though) to a trilogy that has been able to combine heavy themes like war, subjugation and the hope for peace with the spectacle we come to expect of action movies. The series has improved with each addition, and ends on a high with WPA.

A word of advice, you do need to be caught up on the previous instalments (atleast “Dawn”) to fully enjoy this movie – the text during the opening credits aren’t enough. WPA starts off not long after the events of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”. Despite the efforts of their leader Caesar (Andy Serkis), the apes are being targeted by an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel (Woody Harrelson). When an attack by the humans leads to tragedy, Caesar sends his clan of apes to relocate across the desert as he sets off with a few others to exact revenge on the Colonel.

Matt Reeves is at the top of his game here. WPA is predominantly a war movie, and draws inspiration from movies like “The Great Escape” and “Apocalypse Now”, among others. The battle scenes in particular are very well executed, and the first scene in particular brilliantly captures the essence of war. But the focus is more on the emotional aspects, and the movie is more a meditation on the cost of war and themes of revenge, compassion and tolerance. In fact, the middle portion of the movie is quite slow as Caesar and his group make their way to find the humans. The portions with the little girl whom they come across, though a good plot device, feel like the brakes have been pressed hard, and slow down proceedings in a big way. That’s not to say it’s all slow and plodding. The moments of confrontation between Caesar and the Colonel were, for me, among the best moments of the film. 

Unlike the last movie, there are some lighter moments in the movie, mostly on account of the new character ‘Bad Ape’. These moments give the movie a more ‘filmy’ feel, but Matt Reeves is able to create a good balance between these lighter moments and the greater themes the movie wants to convey while still being a big budget action movie.

The performances are excellent. Woody Harrelson as the Colonel brings humanity to the character, and it helps that his character is very well written. The other supporting cast is also exceptional. But the movie undoubtedly belongs to Andy Serkis, who conveys so much emotion despite not having a lot of lines. It helps that the CGI has advanced, which helps to showcase his performance all the more. The CGI is so advanced that you have to remind yourself that the apes are computer generated. 

All in all, despite the inconsistent pacing, this is a solid movie and well worth a watch. 

“Jagga Jasoos” Movie Review

“Jagga Jasoos” is a perfect case study for what happens when a promising idea is met with sub-par execution. In case you were wondering, the results are not that great. The idea of a detective story set as a musical/thriller/comedy paying homage to works like Tintin, The Hardy Boys, Famous Five, etc. is interesting, and in the hands of a better crew, may have worked well. But “Jagga Jasoos” doesn’t work, mainly due to its confused and muddled tone, shoddy screenplay and overindulgent direction.

“Jagga Jasoos”, narrated mostly through music and as episodes from a comic book series of the same name, tells the story of Jagga (Ranbir Kapoor), an orphan boy who is shy and awkward on account of his stammering. He is befriended by a father figure he calls Tutti Futti (Saswata Chatterjee), who then suddenly leaves him and Jagga grows up alone with only yearly video cassettes he receives on his birthday. He has the mind of a detective, and helps solve cases including the one which brings him in contact with Shruti (Katrina Kaif). Events lead him on a quest to seek out Tutti Futti, and he is entangled in a world of militants, an illegal arms racket and a bunch of shady characters.

The biggest problem for me was that “Jagga Jasoos” can’t quite decide what it wants to be. Though the main aim is to be an over the top mad-cap comedy, it simultaneously tries to tackle ‘big’ themes like terrorism, the negative effects of illegal arms trade, activism, etc. with a level of gravity that rings untrue and ends up feeling shallow and nothing more than lip service. It doesn’t help that it does it with dialogues that have the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Even when it doesn’t, the movie doesn’t commit to the craziness and is a weird mix of being grounded in reality and being a fantasy, and as a viewer I couldn’t immerse myself fully into the experience, which is what a movie like this should be trying for. 

The makers try to capture the essence of detective stories like Tintin (the hairstyle of Jagga is an homage I’m guessing - either that or they were channeling Ace Ventura), but fail on account of trying to be crazy. Even with the exaggeration and the comedy, they seem to be trying too hard, and it all feels like a failed attempt at trying to be edgy and more often than not it misses the mark. Case in point – the stammering of Jagga lasts so long every damn time, it ended up being irritating instead of endearing.

The screenplay is very shoddy, and the makers try to hide it in the whole musical crazy vibe – once the novelty of the musical runs out (which is within the first ten minutes), it’s pretty evident that there isn’t much substance here and just a bunch of scenes strung together to form a movie. The amount of time invested in Jagga’s early cases, which covers pretty much all of the first half, seems bloated and overlong. Not that the second half is any better – the second half is a muddled mess that sees the protagonists going across the globe on a wild goose chase. It also doesn’t help that the editing is especially weak – unnecessary scenes and plot points get way too much screen time, and even scene transitions are jarring in their inconsistencies. Not sure if real world troubles including the multiple delays may have been a cause for this.

To focus on the positives, the camerawork is beautiful. It’s very clear that Anurag Basu and cinematographer Ravi Varman have an eye for capturing picturesque locations and beautiful shots. In a movie where the music is a key player, Pritam delivers the goods and the resultant soundtrack is infectious, catchy and actually manages to tie the movie together. The performances from the key players are also very good. Saswata Chatterjee is very good as the father figure. Both Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are in good form. Katrina Kaif was a surprise to me, especially her comic timing. Ranbir Kapoor is perfect, and he makes Jagga a very likeable character with the right mix of innocence and smarts. His performance is definitely the highlight of the movie.

At the end of the day, Jagga Jasoos is let down by a sum of its parts. And at the helm of it, Anurag Basu’s direction is the biggest letdown here. It looks like after Barfi, he has tried to replicate the beautiful visuals plus quirky characters success formula – but this time, he seems to have not paid attention to anything else. From “Life.. in a Metro” to “Jagga Jasoos”, it looks like his ambitions have increased but his execution has definitely taken a dive. Which is too bad – “Jagga Jasoos” could have been something special, but ends feeling like a “galti se mistake”.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” Movie Review

Marvel has finally got its hands on arguably its most popular creation. And as we all know, with great power comes great responsibility – Marvel Films has taken up the responsibility and how! They manage to bring freshness into the Spider-Man franchise by cleverly avoiding the normal tropes that have become cliché by now, and deliver a fun, light superhero movie that works.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” is a refreshing origin story (of sorts), which in itself is saying a lot. After his involvement in the events of “Captain America: Civil War”, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns to high school and spends his after school hours trying to fight crime in the streets of New York city, while impatiently waiting for his next ‘real’ mission with the Avengers. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has become Peter’s mentor, and entrusts his head of security cum chauffeur Happy (Jon Favreau) to keep an eye on him. Things get real once he gets entangled with a group of criminals making high powered weapons using the alien technology from the first “Avengers” movie led by the Vulture (Michael Keaton). Add to that everyday high-schooler stuff like dealing with bullies, building a Lego Death Star and trying to let his crush know how he feels!

You’ve got to hand it to Marvel Films – they are able to capture the essence of each of its vast array of superheroes and give them a unique and distinct treatment on screen. “Homecoming” is no exception – the web-slinger gets a treatment that feels true to the character. The tone of the movie is set with the opening bit itself, where the Spider-Man jingle plays. Peter Parker is essentially a kid when he gets his powers, and an obvious aspect of the character’s development would be coming to terms with his powers while going through issues any normal teenager would go through growing up. While the previous iterations of the character, including the comics, have used the death of Uncle Ben to essentially jolt Peter Parker into becoming a responsible superhero, this movie steers clear of this aspect in what now feels like a stroke of genius. In fact, there is not even so much as a mention of Uncle Ben. This allows for the entire movie to be about Peter’s development into a superhero (which is what this movie is all about), and also avoid the emotional baggage.

This movie focuses on all the right things. Peter’s interactions with his friends, especially Ned (Jacob Batalon) provide for some of the best moments in the movie. The bits where Peter is learning and adapting with the suit are also especially good. The big ticket action sequences are good, yet not over-the-top and all about the world ending. Even the Vulture is not a supervillain with grand plans of taking over the world, but just a regular bad guy trying to provide for his family through illegal means. The makers cleverly ground the story and live up to the “friendly neighbourhood” tag. It’s good that Tony Stark is not given more screentime than he deserves, and his involvement in the movie is not just to pull crowds into the theatres; but adds to the plot and the character’s growth as well.

The performances are all top-notch. The regulars like Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau have been playing these characters for so long it’s hard to find a false note. The supporting cast including Marisa Tomei, and especially Jacob Batalon seem perfectly cast. Michael Keaton as the Vulture is great, but feels underutilized. Speaking of underutilized, why was Donald Glover even there? It seems to be a placement for a plot point to come in the upcoming movies, but in this movie he is seriously wasted. I haven’t seen anything Zendaya is in, but I know she’s quite popular and even her character seems underwritten, and more in service of things to come.

But of course, this movie is all about Tom Holland. Marvel has taken a gamble with the younger Spider-Man storyline, which needs a young actor; but Tom Holland is definitely dispelling any doubts that may have been there. His performance as the young hero is perfect, and the earnestness and enthusiasm he imbues the character with is infectious.

All in all, this movie is definitely worth a watch. While it may not be the best superhero movie out there, it is a refreshing addition to the ever-growing MCU. It’s highly entertaining and caters to all audiences, and pretty much delivers on the good time I expected. 

P.S.: Stay till the end credits (there is a mid-credits and a post-credits scene, so make sure you catch both) – it’s hilarious!

“Despicable Me 3” Movie Review

If you have seen the movies in the “Despicable Me” series, you pretty much know what you can expect in the latest instalment. “Despicable Me 3”, not unlike its predecessors, is harmless fun which isn’t aiming for anything special – it’s a good time while you are watching it, but you’ll hardly retain any of it once you have stepped out of the theatre.

The movie follows criminal mastermind turned crime fighter Gru (Steve Carell), who is booted off the Anti-Villain League along with his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) when they are unable to apprehend former child actor turned criminal mastermind Balthazar Bratt (a criminally underutilized Trey Parker – pardon the pun). Into the picture comes Gru’s wealthy twin brother Dru, who wants to become a supervillain like Gru was. Add to it sub-plots about the minions leaving Gru, Balthazar Bratt’s evil plan, Lucy’s attempts at being a mother to the three girls, something about a unicorn, and you’ve got the hotch-potch plot that pushes the movie to the end credits.

The biggest problem with the movie is that there are so many opportunities lost in an attempt to cram in multiple storylines. The idea to separate the minions from Gru to give them their own storyline was a bad one, since it was Gru’s interaction with the minions that provided for some of the best laughs (which is probably why the “Minions” movie was just average). The introduction of Dru also doesn’t add much, and it’s a shame that more promising opportunities were compromised. The idea of having a former child actor become a villain was golden, but unfortunately not really utilized – and it’s a shame since Trey Parker’s bits were among the most enjoyable in the movie, and I couldn’t help but think about what could have been.

But that’s not to say the movie isn’t enjoyable. What the movie lacks in focus it makes up for in virtually non-stop gags and witty one-liners, which have been the highlight of this franchise in the past as well. Also the emotional elements and family-bonding type stuff are handled pretty well and doesn’t slow the pace. The voice acting continues to be the greatest strength, with Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and all the others continuing their good work from the previous movies. Russell Brand’s Dr. Nefario is absent from this movie, but it isn’t really a big loss. I guess I’ve said enough about Trey Parker already, and he was the scene stealer for me.

To sum up, this one is just a plain and simple decent time. The younger audiences would enjoy it a lot more I guess. Don’t go running to the theatres for this one – you can catch it on TV later. 

“Baby Driver” Movie Review

I have been very excited about “Baby Driver” ever since I heard the reviews the movie got in the South by Southwest film festival, and the trailers just added onto it. And the movie doesn’t disappoint – it is probably the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year; and to be fair, there have been a few good movies this year.

The plot of “Baby Driver” is pretty straight forward – Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a young getaway driver who is forced to work for a crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). Once he falls for a young waitress Debora (Lily James), he wants out and has to navigate his way out of his life of crime while ensuring he doesn’t get killed by Doc and his gang of crooks (including Jamie Foxx, John Hamm and Eiza Gonzales). What adds the flavour here is that Baby suffers from tinnitus (a constant ringing in his ear) on account of a childhood accident, and has to drown out the noise with music. So, since our protagonist is perennially plugged into his iPod, the scenes are almost all set to the music he is listening to.

In “Baby Driver”, writer-director Edgar Wright focuses on the technical side of his craft, and as a result, the movie is all about the action… and the music. So, not surprisingly, the plot is probably the weakest link here. That is not to say that his writing doesn’t hold up – it is just in service of the action here, and is as slick as the proceedings warrant. Some of the best scenes are the ones without any action, and just the witty exchanges between the characters (special mentions to the scene with the Mike Myers masks, and the one with Doc’s nephew). But the main plot device, which is the romantic track, doesn’t really get you invested. It felt rushed, and I never felt any emotional connect with Debora. But it doesn’t feel out of place and blends into the proceedings, so no real harm done. It felt like slow moving traffic in an otherwise fast paced screenplay.

Edgar Wright’s writing is complemented by the excellent cast, who seem to be enjoying themselves a lot. Which is good, since it shows in the final product. Ansel Elgort is suitably mysterious, but also manages to balance the innocence and vulnerability of Baby. Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx seem to be doing coked up, crazier versions of their roles in “21” and “Horrible Bosses” (with a ‘kill-everything-in-site’ motto) respectively. John Hamm and Eiza Gonzales are also well cast.

But, needless to say, it is the action that this movie is all about. With amazing driving and chase sequences set to a killer soundtrack, the movie doesn’t take its foot off the gas and pretty much keeps the pace throughout. The action is grounded and realistic, despite sequences being over the top – I think the “Fast and the Furious” franchise should take some notes here. And of course, there is the music, which works so perfectly everything seems choreographed around it perfectly.

If you haven’t yet watched “Baby Driver”, race into the theatre near you and catch it. It is an action movie; it is a musical; it is a comedy – and seriously, how many movies can you say that about? With hardly a false note from the time the ignition is turned on to when it zooms to the finish line, this is a joyride from start to finish.