Change Your Image
rpuller
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Birha : The Journey Back Home (2022)
Great watch with just one flaw.
Birha is a great watch that will stay with you for a long time. The film looks great and had an authentic Punjabi setting. The performances are great expect Rajit Kapur's Punjabi accent. Every frame is good and captures the sense of longing and guilt and difference between a father and son. The cinematography and sound design are well-crafted. The background music uplifts the film. The dialogues are very apt. A must watch short available on JioCinema. The director has crafted this short with his whole heart and I'm looking forward for what he makes next. Overall, a great short and highly recommended if you are a fan of emotional and heart touching tales.
Sandeep Bhaiya (2023)
Sandeep Bhaiya is a shining star from TVF's galaxy.
Simple yet great writing and impeccable direction that holds you throughout the show. Very effective story telling keeping all the emotions intact. Production value and continuity were a bit off but with such an engaging story, these flaws look negligible. Being a spin-off of an already popular show, SB has passed it's predecessor with flying colours. Sunny Hinduja has immortalized Sandeep Bhaiya. Deepali as Aarushi lead a great support and performance to remember for. Dialogues are simple but yet very effective that convey the inner journey of all the characters. Supporting cast did their part very well. Cinematography was above average and edit was point on. Overall a must watch for everyone.
Udta Punjab (2016)
Dark, relevant & to the point with great performances by the assemble cast!
UDTA PUNJAB is worth the hype. And not in terms of all the bad things said about it, it's genuinely an eye opener. It talks about the drug scenario in the youth of Punjab in a very relevant and realistic way. Following the three disclaimers initially, film is a pure truth under the camouflage of fiction.
UDTA PUNJAB revolves around the four lead characters connected with the substance abuse. Tommy Singh (Shahid Kapoor) is so high, under his fading success that you can't guess what he will do next. He is the direct result of what we consume and idolize. The persona, the crass, the love for hate, Tommy has it all. Shahid Kapoor's skin deep Tommy is a must watch. And so is Alia Bhatt. A Bihari migrant worker trying to make her life better, ends up in an unexpected mess. She takes you just by one strike, down and out. Alia Bhatt is not a pleasant surprise in such a different part, but an emerging talent which might level out all other to the ground. See it to believe it! Preet (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is a Doctor working at rehabilitation for the addicts is good and bold in her approach. She looks more bright with here curious eyes and that connects. And Sartaj Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) is a cop stuck between money and wrong. He is so true and innocent till his core and from there on what we see is solid performance. What a debut!
UDTA PUNJAB is choppy at places, but I love the transitions with the structure. The edit is not much to talk about, but it sets a pace with gripping background music. Second half is bit slow and few things looks like losing control. Songs are good and my personal favorite is Ikk Kudi
It's still there, humming somewhere.
Characters speaks out from real life. And Punjab is captured in such a realism, thank god, no mustard fields this time. Language is well taken care off, it's very true to the way we speak. And this is the most important aspect of UDTA PUNJAB for me, its authenticity! The unconventional story telling might not be for everyone, but it's intriguing. Technically UDTA PUNJAB is not in its best form which itself is a way to take story forward. Cheers to Abhishek Chaubey for this.
UDTA PUNJAB is neither a great film, not a path-breaking technical scorer. It's a mirror which some wanted to smash before we could see. The struggle has paid off with somewhat shady and choppy, but reality is stark. Let there be reflections!
Kaafiron Ki Namaaz (2013)
Impressive & disappointing at the same time!
To be true to the zest of the film, I decided to watch Kaafiron Ki Namaaz twice. I have almost read all about the film's journey from the festival circuit to censor board trouble and finally the online release. I was very intrigued by the trailer. So hats off to the team who engaged in such a challenge and then released it online with such strong belief against all the odds. Kudos!
After the first watch, I was impressed and disappointed at the same time. All these reasons make KKN a difficult watch and a more difficult film to write about. KKN speaks what we should listen and then shouts out loud to the utmost distortion leading us towards a blank notion and empty opinion.
KKN is a story of an Army Man (Alok Chaturvedi) who is interviewed by a Writer (Chandrahas Tiwari) after his court-martial. The conversations between both the lead actors are amazing, intense and yet quirky. The dark deep secrets starts unfolding one after another some of the most impressive dialogues in recent times. Both the actors have defined their characters with all from within and it shows on screen. But I seriously hated the writer's Tagore inspired beard which looked very silly and fake. Tiklu (Joydip) as a quite assistant and Junaid (Megh Pant) as the tea seller and part-time musician are okay. I wasn't convinced with Junaid's character as it lacked the conviction to be the important part of the story all of a sudden.
Camera is handled beautifully by A. Vasanth and showed Kashmir a beautiful place with an undercurrent of uneasiness. Set of the hotel is okay. Ram Ramesh Sharma showed all his skills with his impressive debut. But there are many things which he needs to be look into. Music by Advait Nemlekar is blended rightly into the film with amazing voices of Usha Uthup, Javed Ali & Sukhwinder Singh. Jhalkiyan track is my favourite. All the other departments have done well, but nothing extra ordinary.
KKN raises some very important questions on some very hurting subjects, but leaves them in mid-way, where they needed to be addressed in totality with a rigid stand. The filmmaker wanted to tell so much in every direction but couldn't justify any one of them & this is disappointing. With such a good start, I wanted to invest all in but started losing interest as after few discussions towards third act as I realize that the subject would be changed suddenly to a newer direction. And climax was a disaster for me, an easy way out which could have been the striking highlight of KKN. After the first watch, I recalled so many things, but in fragments without the establishment with the core story. From my perspective, KKN looked like a conversational play with interventions of beautiful Kashmir. And so the second watch became more difficult.
Is KKN a good film? Yes, it is & it deserves a watch. Either you may like it in totality or not. A bold narrative which takes off with some amazing dialogues and good performances penetrating deep down inside, but crash lands halfway. Alas! KKN could have been a flight of pinnacle if aims in one single direction. As a filmmaker, I would love to see more work coming from Ram Ramesh Sharma.
"Jab ruh hi kaafir ho jaaye, tab jism kab tak khudai par jiyega" and this is what happens with KKN after a certain point.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
A perfect summer blockbuster, but only in parts!
I was waiting for Captain America: Civil War since Avengers: Age of Ultron to see that have Marvel learnt how to handle a set of superheroes together with so much diversity in a grounded story. And I must say that Civil War is better film than Avengers 2 in terms of talent management, but as a Cap film, The Winter Soldier was a level above. Marvel has made money and raise expecting every time with their shared Marvel Cinematic Universe while pleasing critics too over last few years now. But will they continue? Won't audience get bored of the same superhero story lines after a point of saturation? The answer is not clear, but there always would be something new to keep the audience glued.
Captain America is one of the most important character in the shared universe, with deep down grift and pain which keeps him going. Chris Evans has come a long way as Captain America/Steve Rogers in this third installment and I can't imagine anyone else other than him as Cap. He has the right flexibility in his body and on his face to deal with all the actions and emotions in the most apt way. If Ironman is the heart of MCU, Cap is the soul.
Civil War starts with a mission which ends up with civilian casualties and world wants all the superheroes to work under their supervision. Bucky (Sebastian Stan) gets involved in an attack on the summit and things starts rolling when Cap comes in to save his good old friends. Cap knows that his friend is not the same one which they were in their good old days and Bucky has committed very bad things, but he still helps his friends going against all the odds because he is a good man and this is what keeps audience invested with Civil War. Iron Man/Tony Stark tries to convince Cap to give in which after a point feels to be very repetitive. When Cap goes rogue, Tony comes in with his gang and a new recruit to stop Cap and Bucky with their set of friends with super powers. And we also have Spider-man.
Civil War keeps you glued for the first 2 acts with some good dialogues, battle of ideologies, solid motives and impressive action. I loved the airport scene were Russo brothers have gone all out to squeeze all that they can get from their super heroes. Russo brothers know what can be done with Cap and they have done it best with an experience of The Winter Solider. Third act starts losing its grip as the intentions of the main villain Zemo (Daniel Brühl) blur down, out focusing his agenda. Martin Freeman had a very small part, but as we comes near the end, I hope he might be a new nemesis in the future.
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) has a spark as always but sometimes looks less involved. But he has his own tricks and tools, with witty lines to keep you engaged. Black Widow has done some serious action and has grown with every MCU film. Falcon fly's and give Cap a good support. War Machine & Hawk Eye are good in their part. Vision is trying to evolve as a human and Wanda is still guilt ridden trying to control her powers. Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther and has some cool actions with his solid motive to avenge his father. He is a bad ass with an awesome costume and would love to see more of him. Scott Lang/Ant Man does some amazing size shifting which you can't miss.
And then we have Spider-Man. The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Tom Holland has all his charm in place to play the third Spider-Man after Tobey Maguire & Andrew Garfield. And everyone would agrees that Spider-Man is the best thing in this film. He is so much into the story and then he can be separated and nothing much would happen. Tom Holland is the perfect choice after Tobey Maguire. And how much Spider-Man comics I have read, I believe Tom Holland is the closes to the comics. He literally steals the show. Thanks God, Marvel cracked the deal with Sony and we got Spider-Man in this film. Let's hope the same with Fox and who knows we might get Wolverine in the next Avenger film, against Iron Man or Hulk. Fingers crossed.
Airport battle sequence is the best part of the film with Spidey in full costume as a cherry on the top. The fight is worth the wait and exceeds the expectations. People will remember the action and intensity behind it. And due to this high-octane action sequence, the emotional ending looks energy less. But wait, you have a mid- credit scene with a surprising post credit scene. Keep on guessing. Finally, I will admit that Civil War is a flawed film which shifts interests from one point to another in swift of a moment. But Marvel is known to present the same old, world at stake kind of a story with new punches and actions. Civil War is no way near The Winter Solider, but the action lifts the film. And one of the best depiction of Spider-Man. Go watch it!
Ex Machina (2014)
EX MACHINA - review
Ex machina is a hell of a story. Very simple from the surface, but deep down it's polluted with the raw notions of betrayal. It's one of the few sci-fi films which under limited resources makes the fullest utilisation with brave direction and seamless vfx. I simply love the plot and how it unfolds. The way the film has been visualized with metal, lights & glass goes very well with the chemistry of all the 4 characters. As deeper we get, we find a mythological connect which is not complex but very effective. Alicia Vikader (Ava) has done justice to her character true to her core. She makes you feel the realism in artificial intelligence. All her movements and gestures of a robot are excellent, especially in the blackout scenes. Oscar Isaac (Nathan) has a great command and controls the film until everything falls apart. Domhnall Gleeson (Caleb) is a clean slate which can be written and rewritten. His character of a chosen participant for a strange, but a fascinating experiment who eventually discovers the dark truth of AI. His interactions with Ava as the world's first true artificial intelligence, a robot are scenes not to be missed. Alex Garland's direction and the way he handles his writing shows a master in making. I liked his work since 28 Days Later (2002) & Sunshine (2007). Everything has a great character like the spare parts of the robots and the house. The philosophical plot has been handled very well which shows what can happen and go wrong. This is an impressive directional debut. Background score is good. Camera is handled very tightly without giving a jerk in the seamless shot takings. Edited well, but could have been bit more crisp. Overall, I really enjoyed the film except few scenes which get too lost sometimes. And there are few loose ends which keeps you wanting for more and I also expected a post credit scene. This a great piece of work which shows what can be done if you have an outstanding story with a bunch of some skillful actors. Ex Machina leaves you wanting for, hungry and in search of such more films. And when I finished watching it, I remembered Ava's words "Isn't it strange, to create something that hates you?"
Truth (2015)
Seek the truth!
Truth is a film based on true story of Rathergate document controversy before the presidential elections, when George W. Bush was contesting for the second term. The news report tried to uncover the truth that whether George W. Bush avoided being sent to Vietnam through his father's political connections. It also highlights that how Bush didn't reported for almost a year, ditched a physical test and then was transferred without any action against him. It also shows how journalist behind this story lost their jobs and reputation.
Cate Blanchett as Mary Mapes gave us a performance worth an Oscar nomination. She is a hard hitting, truth digger TV show producer who uncover the Rathergate controversy. She has a great conduct for journalism to go up to all the extents, even putting her career on the line not only to uncover the truth, but to show it to the world without taking sides. Her confrontation scenes before the inquiry bench are settle but gives us some powerful performance. Her past about her abusive father and the rage she always carry with her show how layered and powerful character Cate Blanchett had made of Mary Mapes.
Robert Redford as Dan Rather is a fantastic actor who portrayed a liberal anchor who eventually losses at the end. His immense control over his craft shows how good he is with this performance.
All the other actor (Toper Grace, Dennis Quaid, Bruce Greenwood & John Benjamin Hickey) were good in their part with all the intensity in the right place.
A job well done by the first time director James Vanderbilt, who has writing credits like White House Down, The Amazing Spider-Man 1&2, The Losers & Zodiac. James has done a commendable job with the known risk of making this controversial subject as his directional debut. The film is made decently with no surprise and a liner story to follow on. All the technical departments have done their job, but not a single one of them stands out. A great untold story (maybe an one sided one) which is nicely told, but haven't gone down well with many of the Bush supported. This could have been the reason why this film was neither at the Oscar's and nor at the festival circuit. This film has bad rating on IMDb also.
Critics bashed up TRUTH and I too avoided it after reading reviews but now when I have seen it, it's a good piece of cinema which deals with wrongs which have been accepted as rights. It's not a Spotlight, but it has its own strengths as a film. Overall a nice watch of another true story this season. I would have loved if Cate Blanchett would have been nominated for this one.