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!

"The Shape of Water" movie review

“The Shape of Water” by Guillermo del Toro is a fantasy tale which touches upon themes like acceptance of those that are not like us, compassion winning over cruelty – themes that seem particularly relevant today. I can see why it was so loved by the critics and the awards shows. However, I found the entire experience quite underwhelming.

The movie’s protagonist is Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute woman who works as a cleaner in a government laboratory in Baltimore. Her friends include her closeted next-door neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins) and her co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer). When the lab gets an amphibian creature which has been captured by the cruel Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), Elisa forms a bond with the creature. How their relationship develops and the lengths that Elisa will go to in order protect the creature is the main focus of the movie.

The movie hits all the standard tropes but works best when the subtle touches come into play. The visuals are beautiful and it is great to see Guillermo del Toro’s imagination come alive. The movie is a cinematic triumph and uses the medium of cinema very well. The performances are also good throughout.

The issue I had with the movie is that for a fantasy movie, it felt very much by the numbers. Especially with Michael Shannon’s character, he is so purely evil and has no redeeming qualities – it is to Shannon’s credit that his performance is able to bring some humanity to the role. It is set in the cold war and is a period drama so it feels old and dated – unfortunately I also got the same feeling for the movie in general. The ode to the movies and the luxurious pace has a feeling of indulgence, though that is not necessarily a bad thing. The biggest problem for me was that the movie lacked freshness, which made it a bit boring for me. Granted it is a romance and fantasy, but the treatment could have been more engaging.

All in all, I felt I could have given “The Shape of Water” a pass. As I mentioned, I understand why the movie is such a darling with the critics – but as an audience it felt a lot more “meh”.

"Black Panther" movie review

Marvel continues its successful run of solo superhero movies that work on their own, and at the same time gels well with the larger MCEU. A big reason for this is that they select writers and directors who lend their own distinctive touch to the stories. And with Ryan Coogler, Marvel has once again made a brilliant choice – he has made Black Panther with a distinctive voice and has probably helped usher in a new era in superhero movies.

Black Panther picks up after the events of Captain America: Civil War – following the death of his father King T’Chaka, Black Panther T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) inherits the throne of Wakanda and assembles his trusted team including his bodyguard Okoye (Danai Gurira), his sister and agent Q Shuri (Letitia Wright), his confidant W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) and former lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). Things get serious when T’Challa tries to capture Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) who is working with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who seems to have a connection with T’Challa that threatens to bring up stuff from the past.

The biggest strength of Black Panther is that the movie hits pretty much all the right notes. Each character is well defined, especially the supporting characters – the female characters in particular are so great, it is so refreshing. Wakanda, the new world in the ever expanding MCEU, is beautifully rendered. The movie is visually stunning, with excellent action set pieces and the cool stuff like the new technologies, etc. are a lot of fun. The performances are all rock solid – it is a great ensemble cast that delivers, irrespective of the screen time. The soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar is just perfect. And of course, with Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, Marvel has tackled their villain problem – Killmonger is not a generic villain with a generic motivation. It is a rich, nuanced character with a good backstory and motivations that make you question right and wrong – and of course the performance is one of the biggest highlights of the movie.

On the flip side though, I felt the movie could have been longer – not the worst problem to have. There could have been more backstory to the characters, especially Killmonger. And with the supporting characters, a lot of them seem to overshadow Black Panther – despite Chadwick Boseman’s screen presence. The final act also gets a bit cliched, especially with Martin Freeman’s bit.

But these are minor squabbles in what is a memorable movie. And it is an extremely important movie for a variety of reasons – the diversity angle in particular, especially given its timing. Ryan Coogler has made a movie that is entertaining, thought provoking and just so woke – you can’t help but ignore it. The movie deserves the success it is getting, and I hope it goes on to mint a lot more at the box office.

"Padmaavat" Movie Review

The only reason I went to watch “Padmaavat” in the theatre was that curiosity got the better of me. And, as it often happens in such cases, I came out disappointed – I should have waited for the movie to stream, or better still, avoided it altogether. While there is no denying that the movie is visually great and has all the grandeur of that era captured in a way that can only be called ‘cinematic’, the overall experience feels hollow and empty – mostly because the focus is more on style over substance. (To be clear, I am considering the movie as a pure work of fiction – the makers have gone to great lengths to put it out there – and am not putting any emphasis on things like historical accuracy.)

“Padmaavat” tells a pretty simple story about a war fought for want of a woman – Sultan Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) wages war against the Chittor ruler Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor) in his single-minded obsession to attain the famed Rani Padmaavati (Deepika Padukone). Basically, a spoilt brat with a sense of entitlement wants something he can’t have, and goes to great lengths to get it. The fact that this story is told over a 163-minute runtime should tell you something. You would hope that some of the screenplay would focus on things like politics of the era/region, war strategies, etc. Surprisingly, there is not even a lot of time spent on the relationship between Rani Padmaavati and Maharawal Ratan Singh. Their romance before their marriage is literally over in four or five scenes (maybe five lines of dialogue)! The screenplay felt aimless and haphazard, and funnily, the movie loses steam especially after Alauddin decided to wage war against Chittor – exactly when the setup is over and the main storyline kicks in. Again, the attempt to beef up (strictly as an expression, don’t want to offend anyone) a pretty straight forward story with anything is clearly evident here – so we have lots of screentime spent on Diwali and Holi celebrations while the enemy is twiddling their thumbs in the name of a siege. Even the climactic battle between Alauddin and Maharawal Ratan Singh, a-la the Hector-Achilles battle in Troy, is shown very briefly and barely holds one’s interest. The possibility of the battle sequences held promise, but hardly anything materializes. Though, to be fair, the movie was meant to focus on the heroine’s portion of the story, which gets a whole 5 to 10 minutes in the end – really not sure what they were trying to do here.

The movie is a visual spectacle and every frame is a painting here – no overstatement. It is clear that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has an eye for spectacle and grandeur, and every shot is beautiful. The music by him is also pretty good. That being said, the direction is heavy handed – the characters aren’t fleshed out, and end up being not much more than cardboard cutouts and caricaturish presentations of historical figures. The screenplay is the movie’s biggest flaw, and the editing comes in a close second. The dialogues have the nuance and subtlety of a sledgehammer. The CGI is decent at times, bad at others.

In the acting department, the weakest link is, surprisingly, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh. It doesn’t help that the character is the most underdeveloped. He seems ill-at-ease and it’s just a lot of posing in the name of being regal. Deepika Padukone in the (formerly titular) role of Rani Padmaavati is good, but again surprisingly, there is not much by way of character development and, barring the climax, too much to do. The highlight of the movie is Ranveer Singh by far, who embraces the evilness of probably the only fully defined role. His interpretation works well with the extravagant nature of the film, and he balances the humanity (or lack thereof) of the character with the exaggerated antics he is required to portray. He creates a memorable character, often despite what he is working with.

On the whole, I have to say that the movie felt like a pointless affair. Even discounting the controversy surrounding the movie and all the brouhaha, this feels like an exercise in futility.

"Aadhi" Movie Review

“Aadhi”, Pranav Mohanlal’s debut movie as an adult, is tailor made to showcase his skills in parkour, music, and of course, acting.  And while the movie is far from perfect, director Jeethu Joseph delivers a fun ride that pretty much achieves everything it sets out to do.

The plot is fairly simple – Aadhithya Mohan (or Aadhi, as he is affectionately called) is an aspiring music director who is unable to catch a break. While performing in a club in Bengaluru, he is involved in the accidental death of a wealthy banker’s son. Now Aadhi is being hunted around Bengaluru for something he hasn’t done, and he must try to survive and prove his innocence. The screenplay and direction do a good job in not complicating the storyline, and there are ample scenes to showcase Pranav’s acting skills as well as his action abilities.

The direction by Jeethu Joseph is good, but not without flaws. He is able to bring out the best in the young actor, and does a good job in highlighting his skills. The chase scenes in particular, where Aadhi must use his parkour skills to elude capture, are choreographed and shot very well – special mention to the stunt coordinators who have done an amazing job (the end credits montage showing the behind-the-scenes moments are reminiscent of Jackie Chan movies, and shows the dedication of both the actor and the crew). The support cast is also pretty good, with the ever-reliable Siddique being the highlight for me as Aadhi’s loving father.

On the negatives, the film could have done with some tighter editing – not every single decision needs to be explained, and making the film crisper would have definitely added some more tension. Tension building, apart from the chase sequences, is something that is lacking here in general – even scenes where ideally the audience should be at the edge of their seats end up lacking. Even in the camerawork and direction, there are too many close ups to showcase his acting chops and similarities between Pranav and his superstar father which aren’t really necessary, and even make some of the scenes seem shoddy in its execution. The background music could have been better too. The deliberate praise of certain movie songs and actors seem too much on the nose and stick out like sore thumbs.

The star of the movie is, needless to say, Pranav Mohanlal. The young actor has a good screen presence, and though he may seem raw in certain scenes, the potential cannot be denied. He makes full use of what is given to him, and it’s clear that he is confident and capable. Would definitely be interested to see what his future holds – I’m sure that if he makes intelligent choices, he is surely someone to watch.

All things considered, the movie is definitely enjoyable. There is enough to keep the audience engaged and entertained, and at the end of the day, the team has successfully made a good movie which is a good launch vehicle for its young lead. Worth a watch! 

Some stuff I missed – closing 2017

With 2017 coming to a close, in an effort to reduce the never-ending list of things left undone, I decided to do a superfast review of some of the movies I missed reviewing during the year for whatever reason (mostly laziness). So, in no particular order, here goes:

Star Wars Episode VIII– The Last Jedi

This movie is arguably the most polarizing movie of the franchise. Director Rian Johnson definitely took a sharp detour from a lot of things considered canon and brought a movie with many twists and turns and discarded a lot of setup from “The Force Awakens”, angering and disappointing a lot of the die-hard fans. I am not the greatest Star Wars fan and just enjoy the movies for what they are, so I felt the movie delivered in a lot of ways – good strong performances, especially from returning Mark Hamill, as well as Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver and not to forget the last performance from Carrie Fisher (the other lead and supporting casts were great too); great effects and visuals; a decent plot touching upon a lot of core themes while bringing up more new ones. If only some of the subplots which really don’t amount to much could have been avoided, it would have been a far leaner and, in my opinion, better movie (this is the longest movie in the franchise so far). Given the number of things it disrupts, it would be interesting to see how J. J. Abrams takes it to the finish line. All in all, a good time – but I guess I can see what all the hate is directed at.

Angamaly Diaries

This one wasn’t initially anywhere near my radar, but the positive reviews and general buzz around it got me interested. Though the movie doesn’t have a real ‘plot’ so to speak, the way it captures the flavour of the region and progresses with so much energy and fun made it a really enjoyable watch. Introducing a lot of newcomers who mostly came through, the interesting mix of unique characters, cracking dialogue, excellent cinematography and one of the best tracking shots I’ve seen as its climax, this movie really worked for me. Probably something only I felt, but this felt very similar to last year’s ‘Kammattipaadam’ (follows the life over time of its main characters, featuring a gang of youngsters who are on the shadier side of the law, with focus on the uniqueness and nuances of the region the movie is set in). While I found ‘Kammattipaadam’ overlong, plodding and slow; ‘Angamaly Diaries’ was a joyride pretty much throughout. Watch it if you haven’t – may not be for everyone, but I think mostly you will enjoy it.

Coco

Pixar really got back to their element with ‘Coco’, a gorgeous looking movie with music at the centre of its tugging-at-the-heartstrings story. While it deals with death, a theme that would not seem the most appropriate for a children’s movie, the makers masterfully handle the subject and infuse so many beautiful moments that would resonate with both children and adults. And of course, it was nice to see Mexican culture take centerstage with its vibrancy and vitality. With its heavy focus on family, music and fun, this is a great one to be seen on the big screen with the entire familia.

Newton

‘Newton’ is definitely a good movie, but not necessarily the easiest watch since it is slow, a bit longer than it should be and generally leaves you with a feeling on nothing happening. That being said, it tackles a very relevant theme with humorous moments that will make you laugh and think at the same time. It’s also especially good that delicate subject matters are neither trivialized nor handled controversially. With amazing performances from Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi, the movie also cements the fact that actors with talent are getting good roles, which is slowly becoming a better option than making a senseless movie with just the standard trappings of a commercial potboiler. ‘Newton’ may not be for everyone, but it was one of the better movies of the year.

Get Out

Jordan Peele’s psychological horror thriller is so disturbing (as a good horror thriller should be), what makes it so fascinating is the evident U-turn it takes from standard race centric movies – while making sense all the while. With some terrific acting, brilliant atmospherics which keep an element of unease throughout the movie, and masterful writing and direction, this was one of standout movies of the year for its sheer audacity. Highly recommended.

Aval

This horror movie has good performances from Siddharth, Andrea, Atul Kulkarni and many of its supporting cast, but it’s a surprising, star-making turn from Anisha Victor that is the highlight of the movie. While ‘Aval’ is pretty much by the numbers (except for the surprise ending I guess) and adopts the usual tropes to scare its audiences, it does it well and has a good mix of jump scares and tension building. It is one of the better Indian horror movies solely because it executes the usual stuff well. Nothing ground-breaking, but a decent watch nonetheless.

A Death in the Gunj

Konkana Sen Sharma’s directorial debut is a good example of a slow burn, where events and situations occur and accumulate over the course of the movie to result in a climactic moment. Though the movie is slow, the way it builds up it characters and adds so much nuance and backstory with very little, if any, exposition is to be appreciated. With great performances from a very strong cast, and confident directing at its helm, ‘A Death in the Gunj’ is a class in film making. Though not really ‘enjoyable’ in the strict commercial sense of the word, this one would be appreciated by those who are interested in the art of cinema.

Justice League

Easily the most disappointing movie of 2017 for me given I was hoping DC would get its act together after the success of ‘Wonder Woman’. The worst thing about ‘Justice League’ is that it isn’t really bad but more a just-there, ho-hum and generally lacklustre experience. What was expected to be a course correction for the universe ends up being a hotch potch that takes no risks in an attempt to appease everyone and ends up pleasing no one. And ofcourse for me personally, it sucks that the movie reduces Batman to pretty much a muscle man who has no place among people with superhuman abilities. It is no surprise that it didn’t generate any kind of buzz or excitement since its promotion also was pretty much nothing. Atleast ‘Batman v. Superman’ and ‘Suicide Squad’ had its moments, be it in gorgeous comic panel style shots or some good performances. ‘Justice League’ ends up being just a big nothing – DC really are in a spot and need to do some serious rethinking here.

Vikram Vedha

‘Vikram Vedha’ shows that you can make a movie that is both entertaining and intelligent. A good cat-and-mouse chase and cop movie, this was an enjoyable watch from start to finish with hardly a boring moment. The highlight of the movie is obviously the cracking chemistry between its two leads, and Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi are pit against each other in roles that are perfect for them. Full credit to the writer-director duo for delivering on the super high expectations this pairing created. The visual imagery and dialogues alluding to the story of Vikram Betal is a nice touch. Definitely a must watch.

Lipstick under my Burkha

Needless to say, this movie had its fair share of controversy. But we won’t go into that here. As a movie, ‘Lipstick under my Burkha’ points the spotlight at its female protagonists who are across age groups but pretty much in the same regressive social structure of small-town India, and talks about their hopes, dreams, trials and tribulations. It is telling of our society and also of the relevance of this movie that so many people were uncomfortable and upset by it. While it is not the greatest movie I have seen, the good performances and storytelling with its shades of humour make for an interesting watch. One area I felt the movie was lacking was its portrayal of all male characters with the broad brush of negativity. A breakthrough movie for its relevance in our times.

Thor: Ragnarok

Marvel has to be commended for its sheer genius when it comes to identifying what their characters need. Thor’s solo outings have been less than exciting – and all that changed with the breath of fresh air that is ‘Thor: Ragnarok’. Taika Waititi’s unique vision reigns supreme throughout the movie and there are amazing visuals, good writing with all the irreverence and humour that is needed to shake up the franchise-within-a-franchise (if you can call it that), and a starcast that takes full advantage of the material they have. And of course, there’s Jeff Goldblum at his weird and wacky best – who doesn’t want more of that? Fun times!

Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru

Based on a true story, ‘Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru’ is an excellent police procedural, which focuses on portraying real-life events without much frills. Barring the very unnecessary love track, this is a movie that engages you from start to finish and does not insult the audience’s intelligence. Yes, it could have been tighter and some of the unnecessarily long action sequences could have been avoided, the focus on things like war tactics and strategy and a strong lead performance by Karthi makes for compelling viewing.

Blade Runner 2049

Surely the most visually stunning movie of the year, ‘Blade Runner 2049’ – the much-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s ground-breaking and polarizing sci-fi (what some call but I don’t necessarily agree) masterpiece – ticks all the boxes for what could be called a great sequel. A movie that just doesn’t ‘reboot’ or ‘rehash’ the original for the sake of it, but instead delivers a compelling story and takes the world of the original forward while adding new elements both thematically and otherwise, while maintaining the heart of the original, it is disappointing although not surprising that ‘Blade Runner 2049’ repeats history – like its predecessor, it has polarized critics and audiences and not done well box-office wise. My take though – I am not a die-hard fan of the first movie, which I saw just before ‘2049’, but appreciated it a lot. ‘Blade Runner 2049’ from Denis Villeneuve – who I feel cannot make a wrong move at this point – is a gorgeous visual masterpiece (definitely has to be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated, though you will marvel at the sights no matter how you watch it) and though it is slow (again not unlike its predecessor), it has a good screenplay which pays homage and respect to the original and also respects the audience. Along with some great music and stellar performances from a great cast, I really liked the movie. There was a lot to discuss and debate over afterward as well. I hope like its predecessor, ‘Blade Runner 2049’ gets more recognition in years to come.  

Here’s to a great 2018 at the movies!