Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War

It’s finally here – the internet memes notwithstanding, arguably the most ambitious crossover in movie history has finally come as a culmination of something that has come over eighteen movies. And “Avengers: Infinity War” really manages to carry the gravitas that a movie of this magnitude should have. Full credit to the Russo brothers, and the entire team – this is no mean feat.

Needless to say, you need to be fully caught up on the previous movies, as “Infinity War” wastes virtually none of its long runtime on recapping what happened. I would suggest watching one of the many videos available online which summarizes what has happened in the other movies. From a plot point of view, there is not much to tell without giving away too much. After teasing his arrival over ten years, Thanos is finally here – and he wants to wipe out half the universe by getting the six infinity stones. Our entire set of heroes have to overcome their differences and join to stop him from getting the stones. I’m not going to reveal anything else, but let’s just say that a lot happens and there is enough to surprise and shock everyone.

“Avengers: Infinity War” is a good showcase of what the Marvel movies have been getting right. Despite the long runtime, the plot is focused and none of the two and a half hours of running time is wasted. Despite the separate plot threads and the huge ensemble, the Russo brothers are able to bring all of them together and though certain characters invariably don’t get the screen time they deserve, everything is in service of the story and nothing feels pointless or gratuitous. Even though it can seem an overload and there is a lot to process, both in terms of plot and action, it works in a way that has become characteristic of this cinematic universe.

There are a lot of positives here. Josh Brolin’s performance as Thanos is probably the biggest one. Thanos is surprisingly a well sketched out character; and has a lot of emotional moments as well – unlike the generic villains we have seen in many of the movies. All the other actors slip back into their own roles without missing a beat. You cannot help but feel emotionally invested in the proceedings. The humour and interactions between the heroes, many of whom are meeting each other for the first time, is brilliantly written and acted and provide some of the best moments of the movie. Despite all this though, the tone is noticeably darker and has a sense of doom about it, something that is apt and plays a big part in giving Thanos the impression of being the formidable force that seems almost impossible to challenge. The visual effects, the screenplay, the amazing action sequences – all of them are top notch. The major issue here would be the runtime, and the fact that some characters seem to be short-changed, but that was expected.

So, should you watch it? Well, heck yeah! This is definitely the movie event of the year, and absolutely needs to be seen on the big screen. So, assemble your team and enjoy the ride!

Movie Review: “A Quiet Place”

“A Quiet Place” is one of those refreshingly original movies that shows that you don’t need a mammoth budget to make an effective movie. A smart and tense screenplay, a terrific cast and absolutely brilliant direction by actor-director (and co-writer) John Krasinski make for one of the standout movies of the year so far.

The plot is fairly simple – a family is trying to survive in a world that has been invaded by creatures that use sound as the means for hunting their prey. The family is able to adapt using sign language to communicate, staying really quiet and generally using their smarts to stay away from the creatures. Krasinski uses the silence as a powerful tool to evoke tension and fear, and there were many scenes where I was holding by breath and trying not to make a sound (I was very lucky to be in a screening where the members of the audience were also equally engrossed and there were no instances of phones ringing and people generally being inconsiderate). In fact, the movie was such an immersive experience for me that even after the credits rolled, and even as I am writing this review, I feel like keeping the noise to a minimum so that I don’t lose the feel of the movie. There is very limited dialogue in the movie, and it almost comes as a relief in the proceedings where everyone tries not to make a sound. It was such an effective tool, I felt the creatures in the movie were the least scary thing.

The screenplay is top-notch. It is a good thing that there is hardly any exposition, and audiences are filled in through newspaper clippings and notes on boards, as well as character experiences. The underlying themes of parenthood and protecting your family give it the emotional heft that makes you invest in the characters. The stakes are established very early, and it’s great how they show that actions have consequences, no matter what the intention or motivation.

The characters are very well written, and the actors do them complete justice. The child actors are great, and Millicent Simmonds is exceptional as the deaf daughter who is going through so much internal turmoil. Emily Blunt is fantastic and has some of the best moments, which she completely steals – she really makes you feel her character’s dread. And John Krasinski is very good as the father who will do anything to protect his family.

Krasinski’s direction is the movie’s revelation and its biggest highlight – it takes great skill to keep the audience continually engaged and on the edge of their seats, and Krasinski doesn’t rely on too many jump scares to get the frights either. The constant elevation of tension is achieved mostly in scenes where characters are waiting; and being very careful about the sounds they make. The camerawork, the lighting, the silence and the overall atmospherics are absolutely perfect and Krasinski achieves everything that is required. I hope he does more directing soon and am very excited to see what he comes up with.

To sum up, it’s a great movie with really immersive storytelling and one of those rare gems where everything comes together to give you what feels like a complete package (something that is actually very rare) – two thumbs up and a strong recommendation to watch it!