Change Your Image
jfungp
Reviews
Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023)
Great if you expect the right tone
Charming arty movie with something to say based on an interesting premise and great acting all around, including from its young lead. It has a slice of life feel even though a lot happens and a lot of time passes. The symbolism of how the families live and also the new aliens is maybe a little blunt, but I loved it.
The R rating was really unnecessary based on one brief scene at the beginning and slightly bad language, it's more PG-13 than movies that actually get PG-13 ratings.
The movie features a lot to do with artwork, and the movie itself is a work of art. It's too bad this came out during the strikes with no promotion.
Dunki (2023)
Mixed bag
"Dunki" is a watchable 7.5/10 to 8/10, primarily good for its message about migrants, but not even close to the warmth and sensitivity of "Lage Raho Munna Bhai," also from director Rajkumar Hirani back in what I consider the good old days. Even Hirani now feels the need to present the one-dimensionally patriotic superstar hero and gratuitous violence increasingly common in Bollywood. The ending is good, with a tear in the eye. Some of the twists are clever. There are some funny bits here and there.
I liked colonial hypocrisy being called out. I liked the reality of the drab vision of the UK presented.
The acting is decent. Vicky Kaushal's character Mr. Sukhi credited as a special appearance, and Taapsee Pannu's determined, complex Manu, are way more highlights than SRK -- mainly because SRK's character is let down by the writing for heroes having to be super-patriotic now. Besides SRK's, the other characters are reasonably fleshed out.
Songs are okay. I found "Lutt Putt Gaya" the only really memorable song, and the only one with an energetic picturization. Others are more background or montage songs, meaningful though.
Jian ru pan shi (2023)
Good thriller, interesting characters, great acting, atmospheric
I think different people will take different things from this movie. On one level, it's just a good thriller with twists and turns. On another level, it's a commentary on corruption with a bit of not-too-intrusive propaganda that it's being fought by the Chinese government and the Communist Party. But for me, the characters make the movie.
And even with the characters, some reviews focus on the vice mayor and the businessman and dismiss the police lead. But I disagree. We all bring our life experiences to whatever we're reading or watching. Jianming and his two other bespectacled partners in the police, his wanting to be a "true policeman for the people," that's the role model of the kind of society of I want to live in. I'm a nerdy guy with glasses myself. I don't need Hollywood's macho police, the police force that breaks rules, or a bunch of violence and guns, although this movie has a gun at the end and some violence.
I also related to the importance of family ties in the movie.
I'm a little hazy on the timeline of the murder victim, and think a repeat viewing at some point would improve my understanding.
A welcome movie set in modern-day China from Zhang Yimou. Loved it.
Jug Jugg Jeeyo (2022)
Finally a family movie again from Bollywood
Great nuanced message for multiple generations applicable to relationships families and marriages East and West, full of twists, laughs, drama, and a bit of tears. Varun Dhawan is reminding me of early Saif Ali Khan with his comic timing and his haircut in this movie. Movie is even better than the trailer. Music a delight. Characters amazing. Dharma Productions still knows how to do family social drama. And still feels fresh and modern. What I needed!!
Some reviewers here hate movies about family, Dharma Productions, and/or Karan Johar. Okay fine, but plenty of people have fond associations and memories with the likes of Kapoor & Sons, and 2 States. When they came out is the last time period when I remember loving a Bollywood movie this much. This movie shouldn't disappoint people like me like that, although the movie is quite different from them.
Hoping the success of JugJugg Jeeyo means family social movies and romcoms will make a comeback!
In the Heights (2021)
Can't get it out of my head
Loved the rootable characters, sense of community, and big numbers! Joyful and emotional movie with both a sense of place and representation, and universal themes. Watched this in the movie theater twice and bought video on demand as soon as available. You notice a lot more "little details" too on second viewing -- it's a great work of art on top of being entertaining. I would have liked to know more about the home lives of all the characters, not just some, which isn't a knock -- it shows how invested I was in them. As for the songs, I now love the soundtrack and listen to it all the time, though initially when first watching the movie I thought the songs were just okay as there was too much "sung dialogue." The songs are definitely meaningful and some of the "little details" I mention are in them like the streetlight metaphor and certain sounds or twists on lines later. Initially I would have preferred they were more distinct from the non-song scenes. But now I can't imagine such a drastic change. I'm going to check out the original Broadway soundtrack next. There's also more of a plot and structure to the movie than some people imply, but I'm wondering what kind of fake drama or fake neat bow people some wanted? This is, as stated at the beginning, a few "days in the life" of Washington Heights. It's still got stakes considering that; it's not a "slice of life" film and has resolution.
Blinded by the Light (2019)
Loved it as a fan of Gurinder Chadha's "Bend It Like Beckham"
Director Gurinder Chadha delivers again with a relatable coming-of-age family drama and second-generation immigrant story that has laughs and a tearjerker of an ending. You don't have to like Springsteen to like it. (Confession: I didn't really think much about Bruce Springsteen before this movie.) Doesn't match the high of "Bend It Like Beckham," but close. British social realist bleakness mixed in with musical bits, bursts of exuberant optimism, and nostalgic 80s touches (some over my head), even what feels like a nod to the style of the opening of "Dallas" near the beginning. Memorable lines. Great acting from the young lead. Interesting relationships with the family and friend characters. For people who are into Bollywood, stay to the end of the credits for a great original song by AR Rahman that I don't think was in the actual movie. I'm still not much of a Bruce Springsteen fan, but I appreciate the effect he had on the characters and their real-life counterparts.
Shakalaka Boom Boom (2007)
Underrated gem
This movie is right up there with "Dosti" as my favorite Suneel Darshan movie (though very different from "Dosti"), perhaps even better. I would give it an 8.5/10. Darshan retains his well-honed emotional sensibilities at key effective moments, as well as his trademark ear for good music and his belief in songs being integral in telling the story of a movie. But he tones down the melodrama a lot, uses a new editing style that is neither too hip nor too dated, and substitutes the cooler sound of Himesh Reshammiya for the slower Nadeem-Shravan of his previous movies. He also gets fairly good performances out of a mostly new, but talented, star cast.
The story in the movie is different, not yet another rehashed love story or rehashed action plot or rehashed family melodrama -- inspired by, but not slavish to or merely copying, the movie "Amadeus." The power play in the music industry portrayed here is both gripping and, to me, believable. One can see parallels in the story to real life in the way certain directors or stars become blacklisted in the Hindi film industry and its associated media because of fear of someone's No. 1 status being taken away by superior new talent, or perceived humiliations and slights. I think Darshan himself may relate to that struggle, as he finds himself seemingly cast aside as old guard, and so too from another angle might many of the young actors, who do fine work in this movie, relate as their work is ignored for the latest SRK/Akshay/Salman/Saif retread which has way better publicity (but don't misunderstand me, I like those actors too, and I don't think all of their movies are retreads). This genuineness of the theme, and the likely relevance of the movie to the people making it, are part of what makes the movie work so well.
Further, the movie is not typical Bollywood in being gray-shaded. Neither of the two lead male characters is wholly sympathetic or wholly villainous. It's hard to say who I rooted for more and who I rooted for less. They were both wrong. The ending is probably a just one for the characters involved though.
Don't get me wrong, this movie is an entertainer, and a star vehicle for Upen Patel and Bobby Deol, with the trademark Suneel Darshan emphasis on songs telling a story -- it's not a social commentary! It doesn't claim to be a "Page 3", and it certainly isn't! But I just think the story is a worthy one.
As mentioned before already in this review, the songs propel the story forward. For example, Bobby's character AJ sees Upen's character Reggie for the first time in the picturization for "Dil Lagayenge," and the seeds of both appreciation for Reggie's talent and jealousy/insecurity form there; the same picturization also introduces (tastefully) the fact that Reggie and Celina Jaitley's character Sheena have a sexual relationship. My favorite song and favorite picturization, "Thade Vaste", is perhaps less important in propelling the story, but establishes Reggie's love and respect for both his father (played by Anupam Kher in a short, but effective appearance) and for Ruhi, which we keep in mind despite Reggie's later actions when angry and bitter.
Acting: The acting of Bobby Deol in his part-sympathetic, part-villainous role is great -- believable throughout, and mostly subtle but with some good "villain faces", as one follows his transformation from well-meaning to embittered and vengeful. Upen Patel is good for a newcomer, and improves steadily as the movie progresses. He seems kind of one-note-arrogant and a little scummy looking at the beginning, but in the second half displays a wide range from the expressive exuberance of "Thade Vaste" to the subtle heartbreak of "Namumkin", and is especially effective when his character is sick, portraying his illness and passion for music and gratitude to AJ. His best scene is probably when his character apologizes to AJ. Patel is also a great dancer, which was already evident in his previous movie "36 China Town." Kangana Ranaut does fine in her first glamorous, commercial role, particularly when she is concerned for Reggie or standing up to him to try to get him to see sense, and also in the songs. Celina Jaitley makes an impact as a powerful and sexy businesswoman, despite having few scenes. The supporting actors are also good.
There are lots of effective scenes in the movie -- from the opening where someone is putting a CD into a player (right away you know it's not the same old Suneel Darshan movie) and the bouncy credits sequence, to the mysterious opening with AJ staring down his guru, to, after a bit of a lull, Upen arriving on scene with "Dil Lagayenge," the first of several effective song picturizations, to the humiliation of AJ in the studio, to the hilarious sequence where Ruhi thinks Reggie is a serial killer stalking her, to Reggie's dad's parting speech to him at the airport about needing to apologize for bitter words (so well acted by Anupam Kher), to Reggie's drunk scenes, to Ruhi's departure, to Reggie's composition while ill, to hospital scenes, to AJ in a dream version of Hell attacked by demons (pretty good special effects!), and yes, even a horrifying disco ball scene.
The ending is abrupt but is probably just, and leaves you thinking.
I only have a few complaints. A subplot with the music mogul's wife having an affair with AJ is only half-developed. The US setting is not that convincing. Some friend characters are not developed. And, I wish we had seen more of the characters' families than just Reggie's dad -- he brought an immediate reassuring typical Bollywoodish family touch when he showed up briefly in the second half (but I guess it worked to have not much family in that sense).
Anyway, overall, awesome movie! A must for Suneel Darshan, Bobby Deol, or Upen Patel fans!