So, the new year is here. Before we get into what promises
to be an exciting year of movies, I wanted to make up for my laziness over the last
few months of 2018 and write out some quick thoughts on some of the movies I
saw but didn’t review at the time.
Since I was super lazy and missed out on reviewing quite a lot
of movies, this will have to be a two parter. So, without further ado, let me
share my take on some of the movies I caught towards the end of 2018.
Tumbbad
Probably my favourite Indian movie of 2018, ‘Tumbbad’ is a fascinating
watch. Super-original and wildly imaginative, the movie feels like a folktale
come to life. ‘Tumbbad’ is a tale on the dangers of greed and how you can never
have enough, wrapped up in a horror movie. Gorgeous visuals with some good
special effects, commendable set design, a great background score, all anchored
by a strong performance from actor-producer Sohum Shah and brilliant direction
by Rahi Anil Barve, there is a lot to love here.
While not without its flaws, this is definitely a movie
experience worth your time. I was lucky enough to catch it in the theatre; but if
you didn’t, you can catch it on Amazon Prime.
Manmarziyaan
While a romantic movie may not be the first thing that comes
to mind when you think of director Anurag Kashyap, ‘Manmarziyaan’ feels like a
natural progression for his filmography. But of course, this is not just
another romantic movie. This is ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ without the frills and
fancies, and treated with the gritty realism Kashyap is famous for. A love
story that shows the messy side of love, the movie strips its central relationships
of the glossiness which we are accustomed to seeing while looking through the rose-coloured
glasses of usual romantic movies. Sharp writing by Kanika Dhillon, one of my
favourite soundtracks of the year, and great performances by the three leads all
complement the superb, albeit slightly indulgent (the movie could have been a
tad shorter for one), direction of Kashyap.
If you are a fan of Anurag Kashyap’s movies, 'Manmarziyaan' is
definitely one to add to your watchlist.
A Star is Born
If you like romantic movies, tearjerkers, movies with a
great soundtrack, or even ones that talk about fame and the ups and downs that
come with it (ok, got a bit too specific there), ‘A Star is Born’ is for you. The
commitment from actor-director Bradley Cooper is just complete, and it is
pretty clear he gave it his all while making this movie. While it is a confident,
assured and altogether a great directorial debut for actor Bradley Cooper; it was
the amazing acting debut of Lady Gaga that left audiences awestruck. A good
supporting cast, the ‘lay it all bare’ quality of the performances, the
charming chemistry between its leads, good writing and of course, the evergreen
premise all add to the beauty of this movie. And I would be remiss not to
mention the amazing soundtrack that fully utilizes Gaga’s, and surprisingly
Bradley Cooper’s (I know he trained a lot on both singing and guitar for this
movie) singing chops.
‘A Star is Born’ is a beautiful movie, and it isn’t
surprising it did so well. A must watch.
Creed II
‘Creed’ was such a breath of fresh air to the iconic ‘Rocky’
franchise. And while ‘Creed II’ may not have the novelty and freshness of Ryan
Coogler’s addition to the franchise, it is still a compelling sports drama that
uses the familiar tropes to good effect. Fine performances by its entire cast,
a good plotline even for the ‘antagonists’, and good boxing sequences – all of
them work together and we have a good package that lands a solid punch.
If you are a fan of the ‘Rocky’ franchise, or sports movies
in general, this one is worth your while.
Revenge
This Netflix movie, while not original or reinventing the
wheel, is visually stylish and gory enough to be an entertaining watch. Full credit to director Coralie Fargeat for creating a great experience. And
with one of the most badass heroines of late in Matilda Lutz’s Jen, this
revenge saga was quite enjoyable for me. Not a bad option to pass some time.
