Change Your Image
averageguyentertainments
Reviews
Ujjhyo - The Unsaid (2022)
All in all it's a good little film, that worth the watch.
This is a 15 minute subtitled short film, by Bengali filmmaker Indranil Bannerjee. Indranil contacted me to review the film, which i was very happy to do. I will do my best to be completely honest, as I always am with my reviews.
It is a simple story of a man called Subho, visiting his aged father, and the relationship between the two of them. The film was, like a lot of short films of this type, made with a small budget. But for this film that small budget feel worked really well.
We have all had moments with our families where tensions run high, and emotions break out. This is what the film is about. Family struggles arise often when there has been a death, and sometimes it was only that person that held the fights at bay. Subho's mother has recently passed away, and his father is clearly struggling with physical impairments. Resentments, long held back, come to the fore between the two men.
This is a simple, close, film shot almost entirely in a small apartment. The location adds to the tense moments between the two characters. It highlights the sometimes suffocating nature of family relationships. The script is straightforward, with some very terse moments and, honestly, there were a couple of moments where i said to myself "Ooh, I can't believe you said that!"
All in all it's a good little film and, despite the small budget, it has already won numerous awards. The actors are utterly believable, and the story is really relatable. Is it good movie? Yes. Is it for everybody? Probably not. I know some would be put off by the low budget look, and some by it being subtitled, but for me it was worth the watch. Im happy to give it a 6.5/10.
Moonage Daydream (2022)
A brilliantly chaotic look at the psychedelic journey that was the life of David Bowie.
"Featuring never-before-seen footage and performances, filmmaker Brett Morgen explores David Bowie's creative, spiritual and musical journey."
I've been thinking about the best way to describe this film. Here we go....
Brett Morgen has brought us a brilliantly chaotic look at the psychedelic journey that was the life of David Bowie. This is not a documentary in the traditional sense. It feels almost like Morgen went into the mind of David Bowie and followed whatever thoughts he found, piecing them together in the most coherent way possible.
This film perfectly captures the alien nature of one of the most unique, and loved, performers of all time. And yet, despite that part of him the film also shows you some moments of hesitation within him. It gives you glimpses into the softer human side of Bowie, casting glances at the tender underbelly of his psyche. It lets you see fragility between the times he was the various characters on stage.
The way film has been fused together, a very deliberate choice of words there, could make it hard to follow for some people. The amount of strobing colours and flashing could be problematic for people with certain ailments, but getting past that and you find yourself down a rabbit hole seeing concert footage never seen before.
You see what appears to be candid footage of the artist in various places, sometimes looking as happy as he ever did and sometimes looking on the verge of falling apart. I have absolutely no doubts that, whatever you THINK you know about David Bowie, you will come away knowing something you didn't know before.
This is not a film for a casual viewer. It's not something you are going to walk into your local cinema and say "Ooh...A documentary about David Bowie. Let's go see that." This is a film you are going to deliberately choose to go and see. This is a movie you've heard of, potentially researched, and definitely prebooked tickets for.
Overall I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot about a man I admired already. This film did nothing to change that. If anything it increased the respect I had for him and his journey. Brett Morgen has done Bowie proud and I think he'd love it. It's getting a solid 8.5/10, with a recommendation to any Bowie fan to go see it asap.
Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022)
An artistic masterpiece that makes me want to see more
"Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language fantasy action-adventure film written and directed by Ayan Mukerji. The film follows Shiva, an orphan with pyrokinetic powers who discovers that he is an astra, a weapon of enormous energy. He attempts to prevent the strongest of the astras, the Brahmastra, from falling into the hands of dark forces that share a history with him. "
This is a film based deeply in Hindi Mythology, telling ancient tales and bringing them into the modern world. Now I can't tell you much, if anything, about Hindi myths, but if the stories told in the film are only a tenth of what the myths actually are then there is a rich tapestry that could be explored astoundingly well by the right director and team.
This film is a fantastic mix, as all South Asian Cinema tends to be. There is romance, adventure, tense emotional scenes, some very dark moments and some truly heartwrenching scenes. Sprinkled into all of this there are the obligatory song and dance sections. The more of these types of film I see the more and more I appreciate the brilliance and uniqueness of these moments. They are moments to breathe and just enjoy, before going back to a story that could be about to rip your heart out. It is something that Western cinema simply cannot do, and I love it.
This is a beautiful film. From the stunning scenery to the mindblowing effects it is art. In the best possible way this is a masterpiece come to life. The director, Ayan Mukerji, has made a truly marvellous film and brought to life characters I feel for, and believe in. He has created a world I want to see more of.
The two leads, Ranbir Kapoor as Shiva and Alia Bhatt as Isha, are just wonderful together. The chemistry between them seems genuine, and their performances on screen really gave the movie a heartbeat that you could feel. Ranbir takes Shiva on the archetypal hero's journey, from not knowing who he is, to conquering his fear and then facing a great challenge, and not once did I not believe his performance. Alia's Isha is his emotional foil. She is not just there to be the damsel. She is vital to the plot for far more than needing rescuing, though that does happen as well.
This is the first film in a planned trilogy, with an apparent aim to create a cinematic universe...."The Astraverse!" They are off to a damn good start. They have done more with one film to create a coherent, believable, universe that is filled with heroes you want to root for, and an enemy that you can genuinely fear winning, than DC and Warner Brothers have in nearly 10 years. That's an impressive feat and I am genuinely excited for part 2.
Overall this is a truly awesome film and I am really glad I got to see it on a big screen. It gets an amazing 9/10 with an immediate recommendation that you go see it at the soonest possible opportunity. Bring on Brahmastra Part 2: Dev.....