Dune : Part Two – A Review

Believe the hype! The hyperbolic reviews that flooded the internet a week prior to the release of the movie had me worried – not dissimilar to the worry I had when Inception was released. All the positive reviews, calling it a ‘masterpiece’, ‘Villeneuve’s Empire strikes back’, ‘the best sci-fi file of the decade’,etc were going to be working against the film, I was sure of it. Rarely do movies reach the lofty expectations set by the reviewers. But this movie, this movie goes above and beyond.

Denis Villeneuve takes us back to planet Arrakis as we continue with the journey of Paul Atredis played by Timothée Chalamet and Chani played by Zendaya in Dune Two. After having spent the first movie world building, Villeneuve wastes no time in setting up the messianic chapter of Lisan al Gaib – the chosen one, the voice from outside who will lead the fremen to paradise.

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are the beating thumping heart of the movie – they literally carry the entire movie on their slender shoulders. Their innocence and bravado are only matched by the duplicitousness and maniacal machinations of Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica.  Rebecca brings such a quiet, sinister energy to Lady Jessica that it is a thing of beauty to witness. The journey her character goes on from being a refugee to eventually reverend mother is absolute perfection. Austin Butler as Na-Baron Feyd Routha is equally sinister but his is a wild animal like disposition, there are many comparisons of his villainous turn to Heath Ledger’s Joker and while he is excellent, I wouldn’t be too far off to say that it is Rebecca who reaches closest to Ledger-like iconic villainy than Butler.

Florence Pugh’s portrayal of Princess Irulan in “Dune Two” is a marked improvement over her previous roles, yet I find myself standing hesitantly on the edge of the Pugh bandwagon. While her presence adds undeniable flair to the film, there’s an element of predictability to her performance. Whether she’s navigating the treacherous waters of political intrigue with the emperor or grappling with her obligations as a Bene Gesserit, Pugh’s portrayal feels somewhat one-dimensional. I’m yearning for that extra layer of depth, that spark of unpredictability, which seems to elude her grasp. Here’s hoping she’ll surprise us all in the next installment of this epic saga! Javier Bardem’s rendition of Stilgar is nothing short of spectacular, injecting an electrifying energy that breathes life into a narrative teeming with political intrigue, mythological depth, and religious resonance. His presence on screen serves as a beacon of levity, offering a much-needed respite from the weighty themes that permeate the story. Meanwhile, Lea Seydoux, Charlotte Rampling, and Christopher Walken grace the screen with fleeting but unforgettable performances, leaving an indelible mark on the viewer’s memory.

Timothée in the third act rousing the tribe leaders to join him in defeating the Harkonnen is peerless – all actors, young and old, need to take notes. As Paul Atreides, Chalamet commands the screen with a magnetic presence, embodying the essence of a reluctant hero thrust into a destiny beyond his control. His portrayal is imbued with a sense of strength and determination, capturing the complexity of a young leader grappling with immense power and responsibility. Contrast this with his gentle vulnerability and raw emotional depth when he effortlessly portrayed the tumultuous journey of self-discovery and longing, drawing viewers into the intimate moments of Elio’s heartache and yearning as we see the light of the fire dance across his face glinting in his tears as the credits roll in Call me by your name. Chalamet is destined for greatness and we are glad to bare witness. I have many, MANY thoughts about Zendaya – but I will reserve those for when Villeneuve directs her in and as Cleopatra a role she was born to play – as magnificent as Chalamet is – it wouldn’t have the arresting effect it does if it wasn’t supported by Zendaya.

Greig Fraser’s cinematography brings the haunting Wadi Rum to life as the spice filled desert lands of Arrakis. In the course of the press tour, Villeneuve spoke about the importance of visuals over dialogue when it comes to cinema. Fraser helps Villeneuve achieve some of the most beautiful, poignant, awe inspiring, goosebump inducing, frightening and reverential images that deserve to be seen on the largest screen possible. Fraser plays with aspect ratios to show scale, the beautiful almost monochromatic vistas of dunes only punctured by the blue of Chani’s eyes, the close-up shots of increasingly ornamental headgears of Lady Jessica, the black and white landscape of Gedi Prime, the gladiatorial fight shot in infra-red to render a bug like appearance to the hairless visage of Austin Butler. The playing around with the aspect ratio and going wider when the sheer scale of it warrants it was at many points delirium inducing. The vision that Paul sees of Lady Jessica walking through the southern Arrakis while people around her were dying reminded me of the most beautiful shots from Terrance Malick’s Tree of life scene. The scenes of Paul riding the sandworm for the first time, him cutting through the throngs of fundamentalists, coming out and raising his knife in an apparent salute would have me joining the cult of Lisan al Gaib in a heartbeat.

Speaking of heartbeats, Hans Zimmer’s score is enough to give you a full cardio workout without having to move an inch as the simultaneously mournful and soaring,  almost Bedouin like chanting makes your heart race while the barely there string notes underscore the impending explosive action. The characteristic thumping, the last notes of a drum, the whistling of the wind as it caresses the spice laden sand together with Fraser’s visuals, Zimmer’s score creates a sensory experience that transcends the confines of the screen..

Denis Villeneuve astoundingly achieves the seemingly impossible feat of honoring Frank Herbert’s revered novels while simultaneously captivating both devoted fans and newcomers alike with “Dune Two.” even those who may not have watched his 2021 Dune. In this cinematic masterpiece, Villeneuve fearlessly reinterprets Paul Atreides as a reluctant yet compelling messiah, injecting fresh vitality into the beloved character. Similarly, Chani’s portrayal evolves from passive, fount of simple Fremen wisdom of the books, into a relatable figure, a proxy for the audience who views Paul’s march to messiah with skepticism while maintaining an undeniable allure. Villeneuve’s decision to eschew unnecessary exposition in favor of allowing Herbert’s rich universe to unfold naturally results in a breathtaking cinematic experience that leaves audiences spellbound. With each scene meticulously crafted to serve the greater narrative, “Dune Two” beckons viewers to revisit its wondrous world time and time again, promising new discoveries with each viewing. Villeneuve’s unparalleled commitment to storytelling shines brightly in this awe-inspiring film, solidifying his place as a visionary director in the realm of modern cinema.

This movie is an absolute powerhouse! With four (or maybe just three, but who’s counting?) of Hollywood’s most electrifying new talents delivering performances that will redefine a generation, backed by acting legends providing spine-tingling support. The cinematography is beyond compare, painting a canvas of visual splendor that will leave you breathless. And that iconic background score—it’s a symphony of perfection that elevates every moment to unparalleled heights. With a director at the zenith of his craft, delivering a magnum opus in a career already adorned with brilliance. Production design, hair, makeup, and costumes so divine they’ll make your head spin. This film has garnered universal acclaim. But here’s the kicker—nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING, can prepare you for the sheer spectacle of experiencing it firsthand. From the moment you lay eyes on it, to the instant the final note fades, you’ll be swept away on a cinematic journey that will etch itself into your soul as one of the greatest experiences of your life!

Rocky aur Rani kii prem kahani – A Review

Karan Johan directs Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani. Ranveer Singh plays Rocky the flamboyant Punjabi lad stereotype to the absolute hilt and Alia plays Rani the cultured Bengali lass like only she can. Both Ranveer and Alia infuse so much genuine warmth and charisma into their characters that you cannot help but grin from ear to ear!

Rocky is from the ultra rich Randhawa family led by the venerable matriarch Dhanalakshmi played by Jaya Bachchan whose husband is played by Dharmendra who is confined to a wheelchair with his memory fading. Bachchan rules the family with an iron fist and has tried to mold her son Tijori played by Aamir Bashir in her image, driven and arrogant with nary an emotional streak. A couplet read out by host at a awards function jogs Dharmendra’s memory and reignites a long-suppressed flame of lost love. The love in this case is Jamini Chatterjee played by Shabana Azmi, Rani’s grandmother, the cultured, sensitive, and convivial matriarch of the Chatterjee household. Rocky and Rani try to reunite the lovers Dharmendra and Azmi in the hopes of improving Dharmendra’s health and memory.  What transpires from there is the clash of families, values, cultures, and their very very different worlds.

The magic that Shashank Khaitan, Ishita Moitra and Sumit roy weave through their story and screenplay is where this movie turns all the usual Bollywood family drama tropes on its head.  But more than anything else this is Karan Johar’s love letter to Bollywood, to the world his father inhabited, and that Karan Johar has a very unique perspective on. He furthers the narrative with throwbacks to old classic Bollywood songs, Abhi na jaao chod kar to stop a loved one in their tracks, Aaj Mausam bada beimaan hai to romanticize the rain like only Bollywood knows how to do, Aaj fir jeene ki tamnna hai to symbolize the breaking of long suffering housewife’s shackles the list goes on and on. Not since Anupam Kher and Sridevi’s medley in Lamhe or the antakshari in Maine Pyaar Kiya has the Bollywood nostalgia been deployed with such precision. Karan Johar innately understands the language of Bollywood. He also understands culture and the zeitgeist as no one else does. He released the song Dhindhora baaje re knowing that he will face criticism of him still having a Sanjay Leela Bhansali hangover (aka Kalank), I even saw someone call the song cringey online and they mashed the video together with Dola re and said that works better but the moments that precede the song tells you that Karan Johar is in on the joke and that this movie is singularly his vision.

Ranveer and Alia are on top form. Ranveer is gaudy in Gucci, he is vain like no one’s business. His introduction is by means of the song Heartthrob ji literal minutes into the movie and you know you are in safe hands, an actor who doesn’t do anything by half measures and a director who is assured in his vision. What is usually saved for the end credits with a carousel of Bollywood actors popping in to shake a leg or two is turned on its head and becomes the opening song. Alia Bhatt brings a luminescence to screen that would brighten the darkest of forests, she scoffs at everything Rocky is but cannot help herself falling in love, with the slightest of inflections in her laughs they go from mocking Rocky to falling in love with him. Alia Bhatt gets several big moments, and it is the dichotomy of her diminutive frame and ability to assert her presence and making her voice be heard which lets her make mince meat out every one of those big moments. The tender moment between Tota Roy Chowdhury, Rani’s father and Ranveer Singh were reminiscent of tender moment between Michael Stuhlberg and Timothée Chalamet in Call me By Your Name. I was prepared to dislike Jaya Bachchan in this movie based off of the trailers, thinking how one note her performance felt instead I  came away empathetic for her character’s plight, never shown love or respect when she marries into a new family,  married to a man who seemed more interested in poetry and pinning for a lost love than in providing for a family she took it upon herself to put on the pants and be the breadwinner and in the process become so hardened that she forgot to feel anything for anyone not too dissimilar to her perceived public persona of late. When she mischievously (maybe malevolently) giggles she is still that girl from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Guddi.

There has been a lot of talk in the past week about how subversive Barbie movie was to bring forth discussion on feminism, misogyny, existentialism and capitalism, my thoughts on barbie were far from that. If there is a subversive blockbuster this summer then in my opinion it is Rocky aur Rani kii prem kahani. Karan Johar turns the sanskari family Bollywood crutch on its head, gone are his K3G “its all about loving you family” days and he ushers in a millennial India which asks for respect from family in trade for love. The Heroine is the one who is day-dreaming of the Hero dancing in the snow, runs back to her hometown, chases down the hero and stops traffic to confess her love, she is the one who goes down on bended knee. But he does all this with his typical Karan Johar touch, there is a the barren tree in the middle of snow a la Ishqwala love, monochromatic chiffon sarees fluttering in the winds a la Suraj Hua Maddham. Like the new advert of Dhanalakshmi sweets says Soch nayi, Swaad vahi. I am even willing to forgive the blasphemy that is the What Jhumka song – we’ll chalk it up to sampling rather than remixing – I mean if Beyonce does it on Renaissance who are we to stop Karan and Pritam from doing it? Especially if the results are as foot thumping!

Barbie – A Review

Greta Gerwig directs Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in Barbie. The movie introduces the world to Barbie by means of a 2001: A Space odyssey monolith monkey scene inspired opener narrated by the inimitable Dame Helen Mirren. It introduces us to the perfectly pink utopia known as Barbieland where all the barbies live and wave at each other “Hi Barbie” “Hi Barbie” with a plastered smile permanently affixed on their faces very much like the iconic plastic dolls.

Margot Robbie plays stereotypical barbie, the one most resembling the original barbie with the impossible figure and perfectly chiseled cheekbones and a tumbling mane of gorgeous blonde hair – essentially Margot Robbie herself. Robbie sets in motion a series of events that threaten to disrupt the utopia when she has the existential thoughts about dying. To fix things she must go on a journey of self-discovery – of sorts. She has to find the girl who is playing with her and to make her happy and not have those thoughts of death and then the balance will be restored, and things will go back to being fantastic in plastic. Safe to say things don’t go as planned. Robbie puts her whole self into this and has the distant vacant stare perfected to near science.

Gosling is Ken to Robbie’s barbie – there’s more Kens but Gosling is Kenough! If Robbie is the physical embodiment of Barbie – Gosling is the physical embodiment of Ken and the psychological embodiment of a Ken as played on an extended SNL skit, his goofiness is just incredible, and you are waiting for him to break character break the fourth wall and look at you with a smirk and a shrug. There is a lot of other actors, some notable and others less so but they all are more a part of set decoration than anything else. Kate McKinnon being the exception – she gets to be a slightly more developed character than the rest. America Ferrara plays Gloria – the mother of the girl whose barbie is Robbie’s real-world counterpart. Ferrara more so than Robbie is the beating heart of the movie, but you wouldn’t know it going off of the extensive marketing.

The production on this is incredible, everything looks fake and shiny, like it came out of acetate lined box. The costume design is incredible with many iconic barbie looks being prominently featured. The music is poppy, the Ryan Gosling solo “I’m just ken” although a bit anti-climactic is still a fantastic song that does more to further the inner dialogue of Ken than most other material Gosling is given to play with.

I really wanted to like this one – I even went in barbiecore (well a bright pink tshirt is about as barbie core as I get) but I was massively disappointed. For a runtime of almost 2 hours nothing of significance happens in the movie. The story meanders from a portrayal of a “life in plastic, is fantastic” to patriarchy on steroids real world. The conceptual setup doesn’t make sense is there 1 barbie in the barbie world for each barbie that a real person plays with in the real world, what happens when a barbie is discarded in the real world – something akin to the toys coming alive in toy story would have atleast helped this make more sense. Also, the barbie and ken role reversals in the real world as compared to barbie world comes about a bit too suddenly and jarringly. There is a tender moment when Robbie tells an old woman she’s beautiful and she retorts “I know” a thing one barbie says to another in barbie land – this would let us believe that the old woman played with barbies in her youth. A few more moments like this would have helped ground the story a bit more. I got why barbie went to real world, I still don’t think I understood why gloria and her daughter come to barbie world. And how gloria’s daughter an angsty gen-Zer verging on goth just suddenly turns pastel-y. Ken brining patriarchy to barbieland and then losing interest in it just as quickly after forgetting to vote it into constitution seemed rushed and inconsequential other than to let Robbie deliver a monologue. Simu Liu was right there – Ryan Gosling being interested in horses and Simu Liu wanting all the other perks of patriarchy would have atleast made more sense, and then Gosling no longer wanting to participate in patriarchy would have been a better logical conclusion.  The Mattel execs led by CEO Will Farrell seem to bridge the real world and barbie world by means of acting a fool in both worlds. Much like Barbie if you scratched beneath the surface you’d find a hollow shell of an idea – Greta could really deliver a story that really spoke meaningfully about the absurdity of patriarchy, the burden the society puts on women to look a certain way, act a certain way, and if you ever stepped out of line, you’d be outcast. But instead, we get a movie that is more style over substance, more rhetorical than introspective, more choreographed dance routine than coherent story telling. I wanted to sit with this review to check what my problem with the movie was – was it the “wokeness” or the purportedly women-centric story telling? On the contrary I wanted the movie to be properly woke, I wanted them to struggle to solve patriarchy – at least in barbie world – I wanted it to actually hold a mirror to the society to show them that under the aegis of barbie that allowed little girls to dream about other things than just being mothers they haven’t solved anything. I just wanted Barbie to BE everything but its just not.

Oppenheimer – A Review

Christopher Nolan directs Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer, the biopic on the rise and fall of Robert J Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer is Nolan’s lengthiest and quite possibly his most ambitious and most meditative film so far. The film also stars Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Josh Harnett, and Florence Pugh amongst a whole host of familiar faces in pivotal roles

Told in a non-linear fashion the story written by Nolan himself as an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin tells the story of Robert J Oppenheimer as a troubled physicist who travels to Cambridge and then Netherlands to “mop-up” in the second wave of quantum physics . The story tracks Oppenheimer’s dalliances with communist ideology, his setup of the quantum physics at Berkley and the move to Los alamos to lead the Manhattan project and the eventual downfall and withdrawal of his security clearance.

The movie is more than just a typical biopic, Nolan’s Oppenheimer is not the perfect demi-god like Prometheus of the Greek mythology who steals the fire from the gods and gives it to men for which he is chained to a rock and an eagle eats a part of his liver each day which regrows again, Prometheus continue to suffer for eternity. Instead in Cillian Murphy, Nolan finds a Oppenheimer who is a womanizer, easily influenced by the pull of communism, and just as easily swayed to give up the cause of unionizing so that he can join the Manhattan project, he is not perfect, he is plagued by indecision and regret. Murphy turns in a near perfect performance, the moral conundrum on his face as he takes the podium the day after America drops the nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima is a masterclass in acting. He goes from fearful for the horrors he let loose upon the world to triumphant and jingoistic when delivering a speech, he doesn’t even believe in. Murphy’s internal dialogue is never once espoused in literal words when he is sat in front of the bogus hearing for the renewal of his security clearance but with a far away stare Murphy lets the audience know exactly what is going on. His performance is simultaneously subdued, and explosive aided by Hoyte Van Hoytema’s brilliant closeup work and Ludwig Goransson’s operatic background score.

Robert Downey Jr. turns in a fantastic performance on the back of a brilliant story, his Lewis Strauss switches from being a beleaguered cabinet secretary nominee facing questioning by a senate commission to being a petulant man child who perceived slights at the hands of Oppenheimer where none were intended and quite possibly altered the course of history by not paying heed to Oppenheimer’s warnings about a nuclear arms race out of spite and political ambition. Emily Blunt plays Oppenheimer’s wife and she eats up the scene she’s in and leaves no crumbs. The range she swings from is incredible- she is at once stoic, when she finds Oppenheimer curled up and grieving over the news of Jean Tatlocks’ death she tells him “ he doesn’t get to make mistakes and feel sorry about it , there are too many people who depend on him” and belligerent, when she hurls a glass at Oppenheimer who refuses to fight for himself in the sham hearing over his security clearance.  Josh Hartnett is a welcome surprise and plays the perfect foil to Oppenheimer’s wild swings of emotions. He is grounded and pragmatic. Florence Pugh fails to impress as Jean Tatlock, Oppenheimer’s tragic communist girlfriend as she comes off as nothing more than a joyless scold, I am yet to see the promise in Pugh what every critic everywhere seems to see in every single one of her outings.

The much-hyped Trinity Test sequence where Nolan reportedly did not deploy the use of CGI to replicate the mushroom cloud that results from the explosion of the first ever atomic bomb is an incredible moment of cinematic splendor not because it is explosive and impressive – it IS but it is the moments leading up to it, the breathless building of crescendo thanks to Goransson’s score and Hoytema’s incredible camera work. The back and forth pacing and dialogues have the energy of a Sorkin-like walk and talk that adds to the building momentum and then when the bomb is dropped the deafening silence with nothing more than a leftover violin note and Cillian Murphy’s labored breathing that seems to resonate with yours, heightens all your senses before you are knocked back into your seat by the delayed sound of explosion several times over. This intensity is revisited upon the audience towards the end when Rami Malek delivers devastating testimony to the senate committee that blows up Lewis Strauss’s world. Special mention to Alden Ehrenreich who is a vessel for the audience’s indignation at the injustice Strauss directs at Oppenheimer for his own gains.

There are many layers to peel back with this movie which will need many a revisit. The who’s who of the science community who Oppenheimer studies under and considers his peers, the dichotomy of Oppenheimer claiming Heisenberg “failed” and took a “wrong turn” when Heisenberg’s research is more focused on nuclear reactor for power source instead of a bomb when eventually Oppenheimer himself comes to regret making the bomb. I had an entirely different review typed up at 5 in the morning but I threw it all away simply because revisiting Goransson’s original soundtrack flooded back the memories of the night before, the many world ending existential thoughts I felt while watching the movie. This movie also felt like a personal growth for Nolan – in all his previous outings the flawed hero at the center of the story (Bale’s Bruce Wayne, DiCaprio’s Cobb) always had a moral compass and voice of reason outside of themselves, whether it was Michael Caine’s Alfred, Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox and Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon in the Batman Trilogy or Michael Caine’s Miles in Inception. With Oppenheimer the central character is not just the mythical hero himself but an entire mythology unto himself. I love Scorsese and The Aviator but Oppenheimer makes me wonder what Nolan would have done with his take on the Howard Hughes biopic he planned to make with Jim Carrey as the lead.

Nolan’s dedication to the craft of film making is second to none and it is on full display here. His vision, the visual translation onto film and the aural harmonics come together in a trifecta rarely seen. With a once in a lifetime performance from his principal cast of Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. elevated several notches above a typical biopic by Hoyte Van Hoytema’s arresting visuals and a transcendent original score, this is a cinematic achievement that is unlikely to be dwarfed this year or even for some time to come. Make no mistakes this IS the movie event of the year.

Brahmastra – Part One : Shiva – A Review

Ayan Mukherji directs Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in Brahmastra – Part one : Shiva (B-P1:S) This is intended to be the first in the ambitious trilogy under the banner of Astraverse. Ranbir plays Shiva the orphan who falls head over heels in love with Isha played by Alia Bhatt when he first lays eyes on her at a Dusshera celebration. Shiva soon loses consciousness as the effigy of Ravan is set alight. He sees visions of terrible destruction being wrought on a person unknown to him and only referred to as Scientist. This sets in motion a series of events that will lead Shiva on a path to finding out about his own identity (a question Isha often poses to Shiva – “Shiva , who are you?”) and probably the destruction of the world as we know it.

The scope of B-P1:S is ambitious to say the very least. Ayan Mukherji who also conceived of and wrote the movie himself spends a large chunk of the movie in its world-building as one is prone to do in a king of origin story. The world Mukherji builds is imbued with many stories from Indian Mythology and Mukherji deals with them in a sensitive and respectful manner something Bollywood is often accused of (and perhaps rightly so) being rather insensitive about. The initial voice over on graphic novel like animation is impressive in how concise it is getting the message across. This urgent tone of story telling is something the movie fails to capture through its entire 2-hour 40 minute. In many places Mukherji overindulges, one song too many, one training montage too many, one damsel-in-distress moments for alia too many.  Also, what takes you out of the Astraverse is the weird dialogue choices that writer Hussain Dalal makes. Ranbir speaks in a manner that often grates and diminishes any narrative tension that might have been created in the scene leading up to him speaking. Even the sonorous Amitabh Bachchan is left to spout some ridiculous nonsense about finding the “buttons” to “ON” the power of the Astras. It almost feels like the actors were asked to improv given the basic sketch of the story and Dalal wrote down their colloquial dialogue as the final verses on to the script itself.  The songs are too cacophonous – almost too chaotic and a tune as beautiful as Kesariya is rendered neutered by trying to rhyme Kesariya with Love-storiya. More of the Deva Deva instead and the almost Enigma like chanting of the Mantras would be more effective. The sound editing and mixing also need serious thought as it veers into Hans Zimmer on steroids territory and dulls the narrative adrenaline rush with a chaotic din.

The movie succeeds each time Alia is on screen. The bit about finding the light is a self-fulfilling prophecy for Alia as she lights up the screen each time, she is on it. Ranbir embodies the physicality and the fluidity that one would expect off a superhero, he is nimble on his feet whether dancing or fighting. The Action scenes are expertly crafted and vibrant, some sequences seem overlong, stretched for so long that they end abruptly and almost anticlimactically. Mouni Roy as the lead antagonist is surprisingly effective, she never once over-vamps her Junoon. The Visual effects are top notch. The holographic representation of the Astra’s avatars is an absolute delight. Each time they show the magma-rock like embodiment of Dev it actually reminded me of how poor the animation was in Marvel’s Eternals!

There are many a thrilling moment and enough easter eggs and self-referential jokes to keep you entertained. Shah Rukh Khan saying “mein kabhi haarta nahi” is very very reminiscent of Baazigar, the Fire taking form of a serpent as Mouni approaches Alia Bhat in the climax seems like a callback to Mouni’s break out role as Naagin. There are plenty of cameos to keep pushing that dopamine hit, Dimple Kapadia in her very Gandalf like avatar elicited a proper squeal from me! Speculation was rife that Amrita – a crucial character was played by Deepika Padukone and Dev seemed to possess a physical similarity to Ranveer Singh. If Mukherji and producer Karan Johar manage to pull off these casting coups Part 2 promises to be a firecracker of a sequel with Ranbir, Ranveer, Alia and Deepika all very capable of chewing up the scenery individually, all 4 of them together might be equivalent to a nuclear explosion that the mythological Brahmastra is supposedly capable of being.

Despite lethargic editing and overindulgent world building the scope and ambition of Brahmastra overcomes any minor misgivings. Having been fed on a steady diet of LOTR, Harry Potter and the Marvel uni/multiverse it might be too convenient to look for visual similarity, but the heart of the story feels very original and therein lies the success. I do hope for Brahmastra- Part 2 : Dev Mukerji pay close attention to editing and pulls of the casting coup. I highly recommend you put your cynicism aside and give this ambitious movie a honest shot. Years from now it may very likely be looked up as a new narrative jumpstart to Bollywood story telling.

Everything Everywhere All at Once – A Review

The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) direct Michele Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan,Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere all at once. The story of an aging Chinese immigrant Evelyn Wang played by Michele Yeoh who is thrust into the impossible position of being the only one who can save the different multiple universes. That un itself sounds crazy enough but there is literally nothing that can prepare you for the absolutely insanity that unfolds on the screen.

I have tried to write and have deleted so many paragraphs to describe the experience of watching the movie, but it is nearly impossible to fully explain the absolutely bonkers plot without giving away major plotlines. The movie got a nearly unanimous applause both from the critics and casual movie goers, for a while it was the highest rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes. I had tried and failed to catch this movie earlier, but I am so glad I finally did, in a theatre, away from distractions, without the ability to pause. To consider this a sci-fi movie would do it great disservice, it merely used the sci-fi as a conduit to get to the most fundamental philosophical question at the heart of human existence, what are we doing, why are we here and where we go next. There are many “Multiverse of Madness” comparisons and jokes, so I won’t add to that cacophony – instead this movie reminded me of another Disney property – Pixar’s Inside Out. It feels like a companion piece where Riley grows up to be Stephanie Hsu’s Joy, the unhappy, unfulfilled, gay daughter of Evelyn who is struggling under the weight of expectations that immigrant parents tend to put on their offsprings.

The opening few minutes are so chaotic that you cannot help but be on the edge of your seat as the tension builds up with Evelyn going into the IRS office for her audit. Ke Huy Quan as the silently suffering husband Waymond Wang is brilliant as he verse-jumps between longing to reconnect with the wife that he fell in love with and teaching Evelyn the dynamics of what multiverses are and how to jump between them to call upon the skills she possesses in the alternate universe to fend off the mercenaries of the Jobu Tupaki! Trust me when I tell you I read the previous sentence and I agree it reads absolutely ridiculous and as Evelyn says to Waymond “you are just making up sounds now”, but it is the absolute commitment to this absurdity that makes everything make sense. I would love to “Being john Malkovich” inside the collective brain of The Daniels to understand how they came up with the story and the screenplay. The production design by Jason Kisvarday in creating so many multiverses with such exacting details and the costume design by Shirley Kurata whose maximalist styling especially for Joy are Camp personified.

Where the movie succeeds is in not taking itself too seriously, there is a very crucial element of the movie that is essentially a sesame bagel, but just the same it does not cross the line of making one too many self-referential jokes. It is not playing to the audience to get a cheap laugh – but it does elicit a chuckle or two and maybe even a guffaw. It does not play to the audience to tug at their heartstrings but it manages to imbue enough tenderness that the audience is pulled into the emotions of the characters. It does not go for the big action pieces but manages to pack a punch in the tiniest of pinkie-flicks. There is a love story at the heart of it, there is a coming-of-age, coming-out story at the very centre of it, there is a journey of self-realisation and self-actualization that is the narrative force that drives the story forward.  There are so many multitudes that the Daniels have packed into this movie that I cannot wait for repeated viewing of this absolute masterpiece of a movie, and this time I will have the luxury of being able to pause and contemplate. If it is playing at a theatre near you – please go and watch it – watch it for the first time without any distractions, go on a journey with Evelyn – maybe the meaning of life itself will come to you.

The Batman – A Review

Matt Reeves directs Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz in The Batman. Robert Pattinson dons the famed cape and mask of the haunted vigilante of Gotham city. Zoe Kravitz slinks into a catsuit as Selina Kyle.

Taking a markedly different approach where Reeves and story writer Peter Craig do not spend anytime giving us an origin story and setting up the myth of Batman, they instead start with the killing of the Mayor of Gotham setting up a parallel to the oft-retold story of Thomas and Martha Wayne being killed and a young Bruce being left to deal with the horrors. This sets off a series of gruesome murders each followed by a clue and a note left for the Batman. But this isn’t the slightly camp, almost comical Riddler as played by Jim Carrey from Batman Forever or even Frank Gorshin from the TV series. Paulo Dano’s Riddler is a more psychotic version who seems to take more pleasure in killing than leaving clues for Batman to solve. I wish Dano leaned into this even more so as did playing the unhinged Alex Jones from Villeneuve’s Prisoners.

Running at almost 3 hours this is a tedious movie to get through – with Craig and Reeves choosing to not invest any time in the origin story I do not think such a long runtime is really justified. The stakes feel too small. The missing girl, the rat, all seem too self-indulgent. I do not have a problem with a Batman that is dark and gritty, I loved Adam West’s goofy campy batman from the 60s TV series (which I watched growing up in the late 80s early 90s) I don’t quite remember Keating’s Batman but I wasn’t too impressed by either Kilmer’s or Clooney’s either. Bale to me was the definitive Batman and with the less I speak about Affleck’s Batman the better it is. I had my doubts about Pattinson being able to do the role justice. I think Pattinson as the brooding, border line Emo Batman is a definite improvement on Affleck, but it isn’t a patch on Bale.

The problem is less so Pattinson but what he is given to play with, or rather who he is given to play with. Collin Farrell is unrecognizable as The Penguin. The acting is also nothing special that would justify Farrell donning the Fat suit and the prosthetic makeup. Jeffrey Wright as Lt. James Gordon is woefully miscast, after what Gary Oldman did with that character in Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy the shortcomings of Wright are rather obvious. Wright lacks presence, gravitas, and a certain benevolence that I’ve come to expect from Gordon. The whole suite of supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired.

Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle is also a lost opportunity. With such luminaries as Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, Michele Pfeiffer and Julie Newmar having donned the catsuit Zoe seems lacking, her attempt at being badass seems to be that of a little girl playing dress up. The over exaggerated swaying as she walks, the caressing of Batman seems a little too forced. The Falcone, Penguin, Maroni double cross, triple cross all comes to naught as that really has very little bearing on the overall mission of the Riddler. At the end of the 3 hours I really couldn’t really care any less. And the final “Day After Tomorrow” sequence was the final straw.

For me personally the movie jumped the shark when Batman casually enters the password with spaces in it and clearly visible (without the show password box checked) – that was Ajnabee “everything is planned” level ridiculous. The incel brotherhood in the climax seems to be a last ditch attempt at contemporising the movie. The music by the usually competent Michael Giacchino has one too many operatic flourishes for my liking, however the common thread of Ave Maria running through the movie is perhaps something that I will allow as it is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever. In the trailer, in a scene where Batman fights off a bunch of crooks in darkness lit only by gunfire is scored so perfectly with the gun shot sounds and the same scene in the movie is so anti-climatic with the musical choices that is it criminal. Greig Fraser’s work behind the camera is competent and he does well to light the scenes in such a way that they neither look oversaturated like the Gotham TV series or Snyderverse, nor are they as clear eyed as Wally Pfisher’s work on Nolanverse but still moody enough and brightly lit enough to transport you into Gotham. One other thing I found entirely lacking was the Production Design, it seemed like darkness was the entire set piece, the Wayne Manor seemed too ornate and gothic to exist in the world that is inhabited by this Batman. Andy Serkis as Alfred is given very little to do and makes me miss Caine’s Alfred even more.

Even crowd-pleasing crumbs like the bat mobile, the bat blades, the introduction of Joker (rather obvious once you see where the Riddler is locked up) are all underwhelmingly executed. I honestly do not know what there is for me to come back to this franchise if there is next chapter.

Some called it Fincher-esque in its noir like execution – it is not. It has noir aspirations, but the flabby screenplay, unimpressive supporting cast and small potatoes stakes do not make it a compelling watch. Rather than waste 3 hours risking your life (covid isn’t over yet) I’d recommend revisiting the Nolan-verse and getting all worked up about how Warner Brothers have bungled up what could have been a far more critically and commercially successfully multiverse (for grown-ups!)

Gangubai Kathiawadi – A Review

Sanjay Leela Bhansali directs Alia Bhatt in and as Gangubai Kathiawad. A marked departure from the trademark Bhansali universe of star-crossed lovers, opulence, and grandeur Gangubai is a story adapted from Hasan Zaidi’s book “The Mafia queens of Mumbai”. I’ll be the first to admit that I was fully expecting this to be another Kalank where Alia is woefully miscast with her modern-day sensibilities trying to shoehorn into a period movie. Without a male lead to really play off, will this be too much for pull off? Will this finally sound the death knell on the world of virtuoso film making that deserves to be seen on a large screen.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the best Indian director bar none. His visual style is unparalleled in contemporary cinema. And for a man who keeps wanting to pay homage to the greatest Bollywood movie ever made (Mughl-e-azam IMHO) he can never go wrong in my book (well except Guzaarish). This move in many ways feels like a departure for SLB from his trademark style. Gone are the rousing musical numbers that were always plentiful in all his previous movies, scant are the grand set-pieces with a trimurthi looming large over the diminutive heroine, the closeups of his female protagonists lit only by the flicker flames of an oil lamp are replaced by tracking shots that pan out rather than zoom in, the diminutive heroine stands tall in a sea of people as the camera cranes to capture every wide-angle detail. But despite some departures in style the hallmark of a Bhansali movie is still very much at the heart of this movie, the strong female lead, despite charges to the contrary SLB loves his muses, no one does justice to their turmoil, their resolve, their innocence, their sass, their bravado, their triumphs quite like SLB does.

Speaking of his muse and it seems that all the concerns I had about the choice of Alia Bhatt as Gangubai are utterly misplaced. Alia Bhatt delivers a cracking performance as the daughter of a barrister who gets sold to a brothel by her beau while dreaming of making it into a movie with her favourite Dev Anand, who then becomes madame of the same brothel and then the president of the red-light district who goes on to meet with the then prime minister of India to ask for legalisation of prostitution. Alia’s talent isn’t so much of a glow as it is a full-blown explosion. She has always demonstrated an ability to delivery a blistering monologue  about being abandoned ( Dear Zindagi) or being abused (Highway), here too she gets to deliver a speech about virtues of prostitution that may feel sanitised or watered down almost to the point of glamorisation, but when you have lived through the experience that Gangu goes through in the movie it lends a sense of gravitas that may seem missing if you were to deduce the movie just to plotlines. There is a tenderness to Gangu that would not have been done justice had it been anyone else but Bhatt. Hence the questioning of her casting was stupid. And I have another personal apology to deliver – Alia can dance, she can hold the beat of a garba song as well – I am sorry that I actually doubted (and made fun off) based off just the promo clips

The movie however is far from being perfect. There seems to be some weird narrative jumps or lapses which make very little sense. The whole declaration of war with the reigning president of Kamathipura, a trans woman by the name of Razia doesn’t come to pass – I don’t know if that was something that was left off on the editing floor but it is a bizarre narrative omission that leaves the viewer wanting for more as the whole election arc seems to be wrapped up too quickly and too conveniently. The introduction of Jim Sarbh as the Journalist Fezi seems like a narrative crutch that needs to be relied upon to quickly take the viewers through the final slides of a presentation of what all Gangubai achieved, also it takes away the agency from Gangu herself as a lot of her later victories seems to rely on the journalist being the catalyst. If a sutradhaar was necessary it could have been a whole host of journalists, each one picking up the baton from the other to further Gangu’s story while she continued to march to her own beat. Also this might seem trivial but the role of a transwomen should have been played by an actual transwoman, Vijay Raaz has very little to do other than appear brooding and he does that quite well but it could just as well have been a victory for representation in Bollywood. Another bizarre moment that made very little sense was the mood shift mid-song in Dholida one moment she is dancing in ecstasy ( as one is want to do while doing garba IMHO) and then she seems too distraught – I do not know if that is because it triggers the last time she danced to garba was when she was tricked into leaving her parents house and being sold into the brothel or something completely different. A brief flashback to that moment would have really made the narration feel complete – I am thinking of Beyonce Homecoming (Beychella) performance cuts where the same dance steps were edited over in such a clever way that you couldn’t tell which day you were watching but knowing it was still different.  

Despite these minor shortcomings the movie is nothing but a tour de force of SLB’s auteurist film making, Alia’s phenomenal turn as gangubai and a visual style that is reminiscent of one of Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s initial shows on the sex workers., the way the camera pans and captures all of gangubai’s cohorts is visually very similar to sabya and I wouldn’t be surprised if SLB unconsciously influenced by his past collaborator (Black). This is nothing but a round about way of saying that it is visually stunning, rich in textures even though at first glance it may seem plain, and muted but to me it is just another keeping in style with how SLB tells his stories. And I have to mention the panning shot of Mughl-e-azam poster that then leads straight onto the Shikaayat  song which is clearly an homage to Teri Mehefil aakar humbhi dekhenge. The movie is also ably supported by Seema Pahwa Gangu’s madame who does not overplay the evil, Ajay Devgn a man of few words but extremely effective nonetheless and Shantanu Maheshwari who plays Afshan – the tailor’s apprentice who falls in love with gangu, who gangu loves too but sacrifices in queen’s gambit move to secure the election.

Watch it for SLB, Watch it for Alia and watch it because if you are anything like me who’s been living under a fog for the past 2 years of the pandemic where nothing seemed to be worth the effort, this one is. SLB never does anything in half measures and while the initial promotional posters of “cinema’s back” may have seem presumptuous it certainly was what I was saying out loud as the credits rolled and the fog seemed to have lifted even if just for the brief moment that is the 152 minutes long. Nolan and Villeneuve couldn’t but Bhansali got me back to the Theatres and I am so glad that I went!  

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan – A Review

Ayushmann Khurrana stars in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, probably India’s first Rom-Com with Same-sex Lead Couple.  Hitesh Kewalya a former dialogue writer makes his feature film debit as a director with this movie. Does Ayuhsmann continue pushing the envelope with his risk-taking choices as a leading man, does the movie successfully move beyond the often caricatured LGBTQ+ character portrayals that seemingly stem out of self-loathing in Bollywood? Or does this end up being the same flaccid dissatisfaction that was Shubh Mangal Savdhan?

In a baffling opening sequence Kartik played by Ayushmann and Aman played by Jitendra Kumar are on a bike dressed as bargain basement super heroes off to helping Bhumi Pednekar elope. As it turns out Aman and Kartik are in love and Kartik convinces Aman to go to his cousin’s wedding to get away from the mess of having helped Bhumi elope. Once on the wedding express – literally a train ferrying the wedding party all hell breaks loose once Aman’s father catches Kartik and Aman kissing.

 

First things first – Jitendra Kumar is an absolute revelation. He isn’t the conventional Bollywood leading man as far as his looks are concerned but when it comes to screen presence and acting chops, he more than holds his own against Ayushmann, often showing him up. While Ayushmann’s overtly flamboyant portrayal seems jarring and forced in places Jitendra’s struggle to reconcile his identity with the pressures of his family is writ large on his face but he doesn’t need exaggerated body movements to communicate. Ayushmann is charm personified when he is with Jitendra but when it comes to interacting with an ensemble cast of Aman’s Father played by Gajraj Rao, Aman’s mother played by the incomparable Neena Gupta and others he goes overboard. The cast of characters are almost given too much of a back story which they try to ram into the story to try and add layers to the dysfunctional setup. Gajraj Rao is a scientist who has invented a maggot infested Black Cauliflower that threatens the peace in Allahabad, he is also apparently pining for his lost love Rani Asthana, Neena Gupta is still hung up on her former lover Rakesh, Gajraj’s brother is a failed law student who perpetually lives in the shadow of his older brother, his daughter is called Goggles because she lost one eye and now no one will marry her so she is marrying a man who has a son her age, Ayushmann’s father beat him up when he came out of the closet, there is a Kusum character who is meant to be comic relief but is just annoying after the first time.

The dialogue are overwrought and schizophrenically switch between the Love is Love enlightened liberal talking points to absurdities about comparisons about peeing and the chemical deconstruction of what the body goes through when you love someone. Character development is seriously lacking and because of which you do not engage with the plight of any of them. Take Goggles for instance. She is this loud mouth bratty child who seems intent on getting married but her angry portrayal makes very little sense. There are many a lost opportunities to give the characters some depth even within the confines of the story for instance, instead of Goggles being angry at everyone for not getting married she could just as easily be mad at everyone for always wanting her to get married to an unsuitable match due to what her parents see as a defect in her. Instead of both Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao actively pining for lost love and living half a life, one of them could be allowed to have gotten over their lost love and see the light in letting their only son chose a life of love in its fullest. But alas it is not to be. Instead we must endure a Priyadarshini like slapstick comedy that is not worthy of Ayushmann’s choices in movies, Jitendra’s talents and Neena Gupta’s effervescence. Also what is the point of the movie title? What does Zyada mean in this context? Also are we not done with directors who think DDLJ is the gold standard in RomComs! enough of the running to catch the train sequences!

 

This movie does however get some things right. The kiss between its two leading men 20 minutes into the movie that is not made to feel salacious or scandalous, Aman’s struggle and his compliance to his parents in spite of everything. Being sat in a theatre with little kids around me laughing at the right moments and not cringing or groaning tells me that maybe there will come a time when this movie for all its shortcomings will be looked at having made this the new normal. Hopefully Neena Gupta is still around  then to light up the screen with her mere presence still. Ayushmann Thank You for your courage you were however under-served by the script and the direction!

 

Joker – A Review

Todd Philips directs Joaquin Phoenix in Joker. Much has been written and said about how this movie is the definitive Joker performance that snatches that mantel away from Heath Ledger, who posthumously won an Oscar as supporting actor in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. There has been a lot of pre-release buzz about how this movie could trigger violence due to the incel manifesto. Is this genuinely a grim yet refreshing take on the comic-book genre or is it simply much ado about nothing?

Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck a professional clown who suffers from pseudobulbar syndrome, this causes him to laugh out loud at inappropriate moments. But that is not all that makes him feel a little bit “off”. We are introduced to him at his weekly counselling sessions with a social worker, there is mention that he spent some time in the mental institution but that is not expanded upon. He gets picked on by bullies and lives with his mother. If all of this seems cliched its because it is. Philips and writer Scott Silver deploy every known trope to suggest that Fleck is nothing more than a loser. Instead of feeling sorry for the guy you are left fielding empty provocations. There are gaping plot holes which add up to nothing. His clown-league Randall played by Glen Flesher(Billions) hands him a gun and calls him “his guy” but rats him out to the boss. Joaquin Phoenix is coming hard for that Oscar – and Philips and Cinematographer Lawrence Sher keep zooming in on an emaciated Phoenix every chance they get highlighting the weight loss. Add to that the odd waltz/jazz dancing which isn’t a character trait we have been introduced to in what is supposedly an Origin story.

Gotham is always meant to be grim and crime infested but the Gotham of Joker is simply filthy, the graffiti is meant to evoke the grim and gritty underbelly of Gotham, but it fails to do so. The sense of gloom and despair is so oppressively shoved down the audiences throat that you are left essentially unmoved by the plight of the “clowns of Gotham” a Thomas Wayne reference that echoes the “basket of deplorables” from the 2016 presidential race. The Subway scene is constructed masterfully but all it does is act as an inflection point for a mass riot – the killing of 3 young wall street guys is termed to be the start of “Kill the rich” craze. There isn’t enough build up to warrant such a giant leap in the narrative.

I also found it particularly problematic how the women of colour are used as vessels for channelling Fleck’s mental illness, first it is the social worker, then the pretty neighbour and her daughter, then at the end the lady doing the mental health assessment. Some might say that it presents an unvarnished look at the mental illness and that it is revolutionary in its depiction or a guy going through a mental breakdown. That would be superficial in my opinion, the writers, the director and the actor do not delve into the psyche and only rely on the narrative crutches of economic anxiety, political unrest and societal breakdown to the point that it becomes psychosis-porn. Robert Di Nero is criminally underutilized given that Taxi Driver is a clear inspiration. Speaking of homages and Inspirations there are several including Nolan’s The Dark Knight with the joker leaving the mask in the bin and the scene where he is being taken in the back of a police car. And the scene with Di Nero harkens back to Network

Joaquin Phoenix is an amazing actor but he is done a greater disservice here that Casey Affleck did with his mockumentary I’m Still Here. The performance has some high points but is rendered empty, reductive and derivative. By attempting to do an Origin Story for what is essentially a villain and arguably batman’s nemesis the movie would have been more successful trying to make The Joker truly scary and fearsome, unstable yet unpredictable and wholly evil. Instead you are left baffled wondering how this guy is capable of raining down chaos on Gotham. Skip this and give The Dark Knight a rewatch atleast Ledger’s Joker is delightfully frightening!