one time wanderer

TRIGGER WARNING : child abuse, r*pe, police brutality, d*ath As with most anthology films, my lasting impression of Onir's I Am is one of utter confusion. On one hand, I can't help but applaud him for the choices he makes while deciding the themes of his shorts- on the other, I can't see why he chose these 4 shorts specifically to be bundled together in a single movie. One short is about sperm donation, one about the Kashmiri Pandit exodus, third about child abuse, and fourth about being a gay man in India. They just don't add up in a very coherent way, especially because some of them are handled better than others (or maybe that's just me).  I personally feel that "I Am Megha" deserved to be a full-length movie on its own. There is no doubt that Juhi Chawla and Manisha Koirala were the best actors in all the four shorts, and its their performances that will stay with me for a long time. I particularly appreciated how well-written Juhi's character was...

I was quite excited to watch this (no I haven't seen A Wednesday , and now I probably never will), because of Venkatesh and his proficiency in thriller movies. It's kind of amazing how the two genres he excels at are comedies and thrillers- an appropriate reflection of his range, methinks. Here too, he is in his element as the duty-bound cop caught in a high-stakes situation over which he seemingly has no control. The way Venky manages to convey his frustrations with the job along with his unceasing admiration for the same is a sight to behold- unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of the movie. My biggest problem with the movie is its confused politics, which verges on straight-up Islamophobia. I was quite fed up by the film's self-righteous and didactic tone, and I really could not figure out what point it was trying to make, except the glorification of police brutality and encounter killings. The line "if terrorism is instant, then justice should be i...

I am still in shock and can barely formulate a sentence other than "What a movie". I was not expecting to be this shook by it, probably because I had seen and loved Black Swan (2010) and a lot of people have commented on how it is somewhat of a remake of Perfect Blue . But honestly, now I'm questioning if Black Swan really was all that good, because this movie hit raw in all the places it meant to hit, and then some.  Through the protagonist Mima, the reality of being a woman crashed on me and I could hardly think about its implications, symbolism, etc because it was too real to so much that we have to go through on a daily basis. even when we are not necessarily in the entertainment industry. We are constantly haunted by this inescapable hungry gaze and even though we tune it out and learn to live with it, there are times when it shines like a spotlight on us and adds to the general sexual trauma that we have to live with. And yes, most of us (if not all) have some sexua...

I would have happily watched full-length movies based on the second (the one with Jung Eun-chae) and third (the one with Han Ye-ri and Kim Hye-ok) segments, that's how much I loved them. The conversations were brilliantly written, the actors were marvellous, and the stories themselves quite intriguing.  The second story floored me completely- I was hooked onto every word they exchanged, every glance, every gesture. Even more than the story and the dialogues, the reason for this was Jung Eun-chae and her superb performance. It was so good that I paused for a while after this segment and quickly looked through her filmography. She communicated through her eyes everything that she couldn't speak out loud- how does one not fall in love with her? The ending left me feeling very soft and wholesome, and I'm smiling just remembering how cute this couple was now. The third story was definitely the most powerful one, probably because it had two women and because of the way it transit...

Two hours and forty minutes of blissful Thalapathy simping in what is bound to be one of my favourite mass movies ever- what else do I need in these troubled times? Vijay is unmatchable here- he carries the entire movie on his shoulders, and if there were any flaws, I certainly didn't notice because I was too busy being in love with him. Okay yes, I did notice the r*pe joke and the occasional slimy humour at the expense of women, and I wish the movie had done away with them because I think it would have been much more appreciated otherwise? Because it is perfect in every other parameter. Vidyasagar's soundtrack is outstanding, especially the title track and the romantic songs. This is the only film, along with Indra (2002), that made me feel like I was having the theatre experience even though I was in my own room. And if that isn't the sign of the perfect mass movie, I really don't know what is. Trisha ma'am is pitch perfect as Devi, and it's always a good time...

A very typical 90s "family" rom-com with good comedy scenes and a banger soundtrack- the title song has been stuck in my head and I've been humming it ever since I first heard it. Vijay looks unbelievably cute and I wanted nothing more than to go on a Europe tour with foetus Thalapathy. However, the "India and Indian traditions are the greatest, anyone disagreeing will be beaten up" narrative got tiring real quick. Pack it up, Pardes (1997) lite!! Two people I really loved in this movie were Raghuvaran and Bhanupriya, and I wish we had more scenes with them. Raghuvaran being openly affectionate with Vijay gave me so much joy and the Vijay-Bhanupriya bond healed some of my COVID-19 anxiety, but I would have appreciated if we had bits of them individually too. Also, I just felt bad for Raghuvaran a lot of the time- poor guy had to make sure everyone was happy and that everything was working smoothly, but at the cost of his own mental health and happiness. I do wis...

After having seen enough early Sridevi (as lead heroine) films, I had very little expectations from Kavikkuyil . Surprisingly though, this was quite an interesting movie to watch. Both the love stories in this movie were completely different from each other in tone yet were woven together so seamlessly that I was not ever bored by the proceedings. The first love story, with Sridevi and (a much, much older) Sivakumar, was completely mystical in its tone, substance and treatment. Not only was it reminiscent of Kalidas' Abhijnanashakuntalam , but also of the Krishna-Radha story. Sivakumar and Sridevi were both really good in their individual roles, but as a pair... nah, fam. He was literally 22 years older than her, and she was literally 14 years old when this film released. No matter how many such pairings I see her in, I can never get used to this phenomenon. I mean, I LOVE watching teenage Sridevi- it never ceases to amaze me just how talented an actress she was, and I am reminded ...

Quite possibly one of the greatest casting coups in Hindi cinema- Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Vijay Verma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Jaideep Ahlawat and Barry John in the same movie?! One would not be amiss in expecting a LOT out of this movie, especially since it's a retelling of one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring incidents from Indian history.  On paper, this should have been a movie I loved and fell in love with- it has two of my favourite actors working in Hindi cinema currently (Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao), and the events that transpire in the movie are dearly close to my heart. Every time I have had to study the Indian Independence Movement in my 24 years of life, the portion I looked most forward to was about the revolutionaries. And don't get me wrong- I tried hard, really hard, to appreciate this movie. But for some reason, it just didn't work for me. Everything felt flat and dull, including the actors. It's like their talents cancelled each other o...

My search for a gets-under-your-skin-and-has-you-terrified-from-beginning-to-end horror movie from India finally comes to an end (for now). Kothanodi was such a unique and brilliant experience, I am afraid (pun intended) that I might not be able to do it justice with my words.  I was most impressed by how seamlessly the film wove 4 different narratives into one in such a way that nothing and no one felt out of place. I was completely invested in the trajectories of all characters, so much so that for two hours, I never once even felt like checking my phone. Let that sink in. This is the kind of immersiveness I want while watching a horror/thriller movie, and I felt so satisfied when it ended (the ending was as creepy as the rest of it, which is my favourite part about horror movies) that I ended up having a good night's sleep after a very long time. Yes, judge me all you want, but I do love good horror stories that much.  Even apart from its merits as a horror movie, there is ...

Is there anything that Revathi cannot do? The last thing I had seen her in was the horror movie Raatri (1992), and she was believable as a happy-go-lucky college student in that as she was as a young Brahmin woman on the verge of modernity and tradition here. She is such a phenomenon, and my love and admiration for her just grows with every performance of hers that I get to witness.  Pudhumai Penn was my third Bharathiraja movie, and I am so in awe of the tight control he sustains over the world he creates in his films. Even when the movie was riding high on melodrama (which was a lot) I didn't feel detached from the characters or their circumstances. Revathi's performance, as I've already mentioned, was brilliant- she shoulders most of the film's weight, especially the parts that might seem dated to those watching in 2021. I might sound like a biased fangirl, but the rest of the cast really can't hold a candle to Revathi, and it's the trio comprising of her, Bh...

This will always be both the ultimate James McAvoy, AND ultimate Keira Knightley movie for me. I have seen it at least 4 times, and every time I fall just a little harder for the pairing that defines my bisexuality.  Another thing that has intensified over time is my absolute abhorrence towards Briony. That self-righteousness gets to me every single time, and I despise her with more vehemence than is strictly necessary for a fictitious character. Maybe this is why I can never completely warm up to Saoirse Ronan- my feelings about Atonement are too strong to move past.  A big reason why this movie has become a "comfort" film for me is how beautiful it is to look at. It's so easy to forget what's happening in your own life and just lose yourself in this world that Joe Wright and Ian McEwan have created. My two favourite scenes, the ones that live rent-free in my head are the fountain scene and of course, the beach scene. A screenshot of the beach scene was actually my d...

Another lovely example of a"no plot, just vibes" movie- a pleasant surprise in more ways than one, since 1) I did not know or anticipate the movie to belong to this genre and 2) I did not know how much I needed to watch another movie from this genre. From the earliest scenes, I was completely invested in Mizuki's (Eri Fukatsu) story- the way she clutched on to Yusuke (Tadanobu Asano) when he returns made me feel alive in the way only a good romantic drama can. Plus, the magic realism was on point: neither too much, nor too little, just adequate enough to be compelling storytelling. Mostly though, I loved how soothing I found the film's pace. Everything moved so slowly and quietly, with such beautiful and engaging visuals- this really was perfect for the mood I was in. Even the very dramatic confrontation scene between Mizuki and Tomoko (Yū Aoi) was so quiet but also so intense that I was hooked for every single second of it. This brings me to another thing I appreciat...

Easily the best example of the "no plot, just vibes" genre of movies. I had been feeling really drained for the last couple of days, and My Neighbor Totoro was exactly the warmth and comfort I desperately needed in my life. Director Hayao Miyazaki and art director Kazuo Oga have imbued their film with so much innocence and child-like wonder without being patronising in the least, that I was immediately transported back to my childhood days. It made me forget for a little while the dystopia I am currently living in, and made me feel safe and cozy as only a beloved childhood classic can. And that's the thing- it is not a beloved childhood classic for me, this is the first time I'm seeing it, and yet, I felt drawn to it just like I would feel drawn to some of my old favourite books from when I was a kid. I loved how full of life and energy the two sisters were, and all I wanted to do was run around in rural post-War Japan with them, without a single care in the world. Me...

This is probably one of the worst historical movies ever made, if not the worst. I only have rudimentary knowledge of the whole Mary-Elizabeth drama (derived mostly from the young adult The Royal Diaries series which were honestly some of my favourite books growing up) and even I could clearly see that the characterisations of the historical figures were way off. There was an obvious attempt at portraying Mary as the morally and ethically superior woman, which is fine- filmmakers and storytellers are, and should be, free to interpret events in their own way. But it is absolutely disgraceful when there is not a single layer or nuance to Elizabeth's character. Show her as a villain, sure, but do not show her as a useless moron who relied only on the counsel of the men around her, and was jealous of Mary because of her "womanly attributes". It is even more shameful when you realise that it was a woman directing the movie, especially such a wokeTM woman who was okay with cast...

Does a movie have to be good? Is it not enough to watch Shashi Kapoor being the most beautiful man on the planet for 2 hours straight? My favourite part of the movie has to be the bit towards the end where Seema (Sulakshana Pandit) gives a whole monologue about how the men in her life are basic scumbags and that she can't trust anyone. That's the biggest mood there is, and I love how done she looked and felt while delivering the speech. Quite authentic. Otherwise, I'm just very satisfied that 80% of this movie was Shashi Kapoor. It's what I needed as a coping mechanism in this ridiculously shitty time in the country, and well, I got it. Also, some of the scenes were so ridiculously funny and I loved how the movie never took itself seriously enough to feel like a drag. As a bonus, everything was delightfully amoral- no preaching, no glorification, just vibes. Mehmood was lit as always, and I LOVED Amrish Puri as one of the villains. What an icon, and both of them had gre...

Another example of a movie that has questionable scripting choices but is saved by its superb casting choices, and of course, GOAT A.R. Rahman's music. The Aayitha Ezhuthu album is one of his best works, in my humble opinion; and as with most A.R. Rahman films, I am convinced that the album is half the reason for the movie considered a "classic".  The most overwhelming feeling I had while and after watching the movie was that men are so annoying that it gets exhausting real quick. Apart from Michael (Suriya), every single man in this movie was the perfect example of why men should be avoided at all costs. Inba Sekar (Madhavan) was easily the worst of the lot, and his toxicity made me lowkey nauseous. I loved Meera Jasmine's performance as Sashi, Inba Sekar's wife, and I honestly wish Sashi got out of the abusive cycle that her marriage was and found peace and happiness somewhere. Esha Deol as Geetha (Michael's girlfriend) was surprisingly good, and complemente...

I can't believe I'm saying this for a Hrishikesh Mukherjee-Amol Palekar movie, but this was almost unbearably boring. I had zero motivation to finish this, except my respect for the two people mentioned above. There were bits that caught my attention, but they were so fleeting that they left me even more frustrated than before. Plus, A.K. Hangal whining about his "jawaan beti" was 15 different kinds of annoying and wore my patience really, really thin.  In conclusion, I was probably the most irritated by how Kusum (Swaroop Sampat) kept trying to be a feminist icon, but the script just didn't let her. How hard could it have been to let her have her own voice in a more definite and conclusive way? Also, I am so mad at how Dina Pathak was under-utilised yet again?? Why are men so insecure, can someone please explain to me, because this is all kinds of preposterous. Watch at your own risk, and completely avoid if you're a Hrishikesh Mukherjee fan. 

Let me begin this "review" by stating that 90s Rajendra Prasad is a whole MOOD. Apart from the male entitlement, of course, but otherwise, I can't help but relate deeply to him.  Now, for the true hero of the movie, and the reason why it has stayed fresh even after all these years- Jhansi, played by the lovely and talented Aamani. The scene where she visits her future office for the first time and becomes a marketing queen within minutes is one of the best scenes I have ever seen, no kidding. The best part is that it felt fresh and organic, because the ideas she came up with were so simple yet brilliant?! They also gave the audience a lot to think about, how companies function and about the relationship of consumers to brands and products. As my bestie said, so much can be analyzed from it. Aamani maaaaasssss.  Apart from the occasional misogyny spouted by the male characters, this movie was overall quite cute and fun to watch. Rajendra garu's antics are always a hoot...

My third MUBI movie, and with this I complete the hat-trick of "movies that I am not sure how I feel about", the other two being Makalkku (2005) and My Favourite Fabric (2018). I don't even know what is it about these movies that makes me feel conflicted- half of me is in love with them, and the other half feels distanced from the entire spectacle.  With Mullum Malarum , what disturbed me the most is its misogyny, despite the presence of a strong female protagonist Manga, played by "Phataphat" Jayalakshmi, who I simply adored and considered the true hero of the film. Her constant refusal to completely supplicate to Kali's (Rajinikanth) demands was what won me over, and made me look at the movie in a different way. However, there is no doubt whatsoever about whether or not the director chooses to glorify Kali and his understanding of gender politics (he does, be warned). One can interpret the whole thing as a mockery of his fragile male ego, but at the end of...

Manal Issa is(s) a revelation. She is the reason my interest was sustained till the very end- she became almost like a comfort character to me, even though this was my first time watching the movie.  Had the entire movie been like the first half, I would have loved it. It would have automatically become one of my favourite movies of all time. The vibes in the first half were pitch perfect, character and story development was excellently done to lure the viewer in, and the cinematography got more immersive with each frame. I loved seeing the world through Nahla's (Manal Issa) eyes, and like her, I too became fascinated by the new neighbour upstairs, Ms. Jiji (Ula Tabari). Also, the director and this woman have the same last name, is that supposed to mean something? Must find out.  Coming back to the movie though, it's so well shot that I felt physically uncomfortable when Nahla did (which she did a lot); and during that shot where she lies naked on her bed, I was immediately tr...

Makalkku had a lot of potential- and to be fair, it lived up to quite a lot of it. Where it failed though, was in achieving some kind of coherence. I would have loved to see a deeper storyline connecting the sub-plots together- I kept waiting for the point it was trying to make, but to no avail. Another issue for me was the Shobana character. Since we enter the movie through "Killeri" and the deeply traumatising experience she's just had, I felt a little cheated at having absolutely no answers for her situation. Forget answers, no one even questions her situation after a point. Shobana puts up an excellent performance that could have haunted the viewer for years, but sadly, she is not given enough room to really engage with the audience, and one suspects, even with her character.  However, this is not to say that the film is absolutely lacking in merits. I felt emotionally connected to the inhabitants of the mental asylum, and my heart ached for them, thinking of the crue...

I'm going to make a big statement here, but I don't think anyone has ever looked as angelic as young Revathi- which is partly why I felt anxious and horrified throughout the first half. The second half though... I mean, it wasn't bad, but compared to the first half it was something of a let-down.  My favourite part of the movie was the wholesome father-daughter relationship between Mini (Revathi) and her dad (Akash Khurana). For me, it was this relationship that acted as a foundation for the conflicts and eventual climax in the second half. I was also somewhat impressed by the sensible psychiatric advice doled out by Anant Nag, but in the greater scheme of things happening in the movie, that advice was more ironical in nature than anything else.  Raatri has one of the best endings I have seen in a horror movie. It leaves you with that final jolt that I very much crave from this genre, and despite the second half that dragged a little too much for my liking, I found myself f...

Can't believe Amala Akkineni invented feminism with the 'Rapadi Pakshikoottam" song. No really, she did! Not many are aware of this achievement of hers though, sadly. Truly an underrated and under-appreciated actor. I don't really know what to say about this movie- it has left me absolutely speechless in the best way possible. Watching this movie was such a personal and deeply moving experience for me, I can't really explain. Both Srividya and Amala are actresses that I admire, and their roles in this movie seemed to be tailor made for them. Even Suresh Gopi being a dickhead (ain't nothing new about that) didn't ruin the movie in any way for me- the leading ladies ate up the entire movie and made it hard for me to nitpick and find faults with anything. Fazil's writing doesn't miss a beat either- every single scene lands right where it's supposed to, and you don't want to miss anything that's going on. Man, he really was at his peak in th...

I had been warned beforehand that the director of this movie is a hardcore sanghi, but sheesh. Even if I hadn't known, it wouldn't have been too hard to guess. The movie had an extremely dismissive treatment of its women characters, and moreover, it was justified within the universe in which it was set. It made the "happy ending" slightly less happy for me, and I wondered what kind of life Pavizham (Shobana) would lead henceforth- especially considering how it was established that it was Hari's (Jayaram) father who was majorly responsible for the mess, and yet, there was not a single moment of introspection, let alone an acknowledgement of how toxic he was even in the most superficial terms.  However, despite all of this, I have to admit (a little shamefacedly, to be honest) that I did enjoy watching this film. It was quite entertaining when it wasn't being messy, and there were moments that made me laugh out loud. The Shobana-Jayaram pairing is too cute and f...

This was the feel-good but thought-provoking intersectional feminist movie that I needed. And Keira was so masterful as the semi-annoying typical white feminist (don't worry, this movie had a fully annoying typical white feminist too, for the purposes of realism) that I was immediately sold. Even when I thought this movie would go in a completely different (and pathetic) direction, I still believed in Keira.  However, I should not have worried about the politics of the film at all. The writers and director (all of them women, yaaasss queens!!) had a very clear vision of where they want to take the movie and it showed. Every woman was treated with respect, but no one was glorified as the "ideal woman" or even the "ideal feminist". It felt quite cathartic to watch the "to be or not be beautiful" dilemma, or rather "to be or not be aware that you're beautiful" dilemma play out on screen, something that almost every woman with a feminist cons...

No one does it like Bunny (both the character and Stylish Star Allu Arjun), and that's a fact. He is such a joy to watch on screen, and his screen presence is so magnetic (in the most Tollywood-way possible), that you can be assured of a good time always. (No, we do not acknowledge S/O Satyamurthy on this blog).  Bunny is a template Telugu revenge saga- a son out to avenge his father's murder; and also a template #BaavaPropaganda film, where the alludu gets what he wants. It gets its massy elements right, and I was immersed in the peculiarities of the world that the film sought to create. Prakash Raj was in top form as both the fatherTM and the villianTM- easily one of my favourite performances of his. He truly is bae. M.S. Narayana was just too funny as the Principal (and his father) and I kind of regretted the small part written for him. I don't care, they somehow should have inserted some scenes in the second half as well. Raghu Babu's comedy kind of makes up for hi...

Works mostly because of the sheer conviction with which it was made. You can't help but admire the sincerity, the diligence and the hard work that must have gone into making Virus happen, and it makes you respect not just the people whose stories it attempts to show, but also the people responsible for ensuring that these stories are preserved for posterity.  The first thing that I appreciated about the movie was the background score. Not only does it fulfil its task of not allowing your attention to wander elsewhere, it is also stupendous on its own. It really makes you alert to the proceedings of the film from an early point itself, and Sushin Shyam and Ajayan Adat deserve full credit for their work. The second thing was the community feeling that pervaded the narrative. Having lived through the Great Coronavirus Lockdown of 2020, a period which was characterised by a confused and lonely feeling for me for the most part, and staring straight at the Yet-To-Be-Determined-Coronavir...

I have a few words to describe the effect Suchitra Sen had on me with her performance in this movie- (and I shall use them all together, regardless of coherence, because that really is the kind of effect she has had on me)- effortless, beautiful, magnetic, enchanting, gorgeous, supremely talented, graceful, hilarious, and above all, intriguing. I am honestly so captivated (another word!) by her that I feel like watching all her movies on Eros, which I recently got a subscription to (to watch April Okati Vidudala on my birthday, of course). And maybe I will, because I don't think I can have enough of her even then. Anyway, moving on from the Suchitra Sen fangirling (in this "review" only, of course)- I really enjoyed the movie otherwise as well. It was a lot of fun, and didn't feel as dated as I was expecting it to be. The Suchitra-Uttam chemistry is every bit as good as the hype will lead you to believe, even in a movie where they only have a platonic relationship, an...

It was such a delightful experience watching this movie. I honestly did not expect to love Soul as much as I did, but its lovely balance of entertainment and wholesomeness won me over. Even a cynic like me was left with a big wide smile plastered on my face at the end of the movie, and I am soon going to change the fact that I don't watch too many animated movies. Yes, this movie won me over that much. One of my favourite parts of Soul was the music. It was enchanting, breath-taking and calming all at once, and really conveyed just how in love with music Joe Gardner was. As a consequence, you feel every bit of his desperation and anxiety, and forget that objectively, his frustration is nothing but a ridiculous tantrum. My second favourite part is, of course, 22. For the first time, I understood what Taylor Swift meant when she sang "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22!" More than Joe, I related to the existential dread of 22, and at the cost of sounding cor...

Can't believe Nedumudi Venu was barely there for an hour (in total) and still managed to outshine Suresh Gopi who had the maximum screen-time. (Actually, I totally can). The film was so good while Venu and Tabu were there. They had such amazing dynamics that I ended up making the mistake (quite naturally, I must say in my defence) of expecting a satisfyingly good movie. However, Suresh uncle had to come in and ruin everything. Also, watching Tabu fall in love with him was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life.  All of this is so sad because the premise was super intriguing, and so was the first hour- the way it went downhill (along with my patience) is truly an enigma. It had full potential to be Andhadhun lite, but just left me seething with anger. Tabu was easily my favourite part, but the way the script let her character down was another reason for me being absolutely done by the time it ended. I didn't even care about the climax or anything anymore, the story...

I had refrained from watching this for a couple of years (2017, I think) because I was very apprehensive about having another #childoodruined moment (just literature degree things). So when I finally watched it on Heath Ledger's 42nd birth anniversary, my joy knew no bounds upon discovering how it has aged in such a lovely and charming manner, all the while retaining all its credentials as one of the best rom-coms in the history of rom-coms. And also as one of the best movies set in a high school. And one of the few Hollywood movies with amazing soundtracks.  Another thing I love about revisiting old beloved favourites, apart from the sense of comfort, is seeing how much of my personality is borrowed from them. And here, I found more than I was expecting to. For one, I could chart how I had grown up- as an adolescent, all I wanted to be was Kat, and in most ways, I really was her. But now, seeing it as a 24 year old (yelp), I think I have grown up into Michael, and I really don...

This was certainly an experience. While not my favourite mass movie, it was certainly entertaining for the most part, and managed to keep me invested till the very end with its mostly well-fleshed out characters and interesting settings. That's the thing with this movie- it works, till it doesn't. And when it doesn't, it makes you look a little too closely at it and see all the flaws that you were willing to look earlier when you were having a good time.  For one thing, the movie is too long and tries to do too much. There are at least 4 different stories rolled into one (5, if you count Trisha-Rajini romance, but are we counting it is the real question) and the only thread connecting them is of course that they all involve or are triggered by Thalaivaa's presence. Not gonna lie, I have been growing fonder of Rajini saar ever since I watched Johnny and Pokkiri Raja , so I didn't mind all the elevation scenes that much, especially when they were so well shot. Which r...

Everything about this was hilarious, but unintentionally. After a while, even the food shots lost their charm for me, and I hung only because this film was in the "so good it's bad" territory. The two leads were terrible actors- I suffered a lot of second-hand embarrassment watching them try to emote basic expressions. Nicholas Tse in particular was so bad with the same 2 expressions throughout the movie. It also reeked of an Indian mass movie, with its random elevation scenes and songs, which lowkey raised my hopes up only to have them come crashing down within the next few minutes. The tension between them could also have been used for some excellent gay content, but nah. This movie stuck to its belief in being as cringe as possible. The only good thing about this was that it was short and that the storyline was interesting enough to watch till the end. Otherwise, a lost opportunity. In conclusion, I just remembered how much I love Chinese food, and now I dislike this m...

This was less like a movie, and more like a series of elaborate comedy sequences held together by a threadbare plot and some fantastic chemistry between the leads. And it works, primarily because the actors are really good at their jobs, and almost all of the jokes land right where they need to. I do wish they had cut some scenes out though- the movie wasn't very long objectively, but it felt a little too dragged. There was also the strange bit involving the wrist sl*tting, which left me feeling super uncomfortable for some time. I also have to say that I found the last half hour way more delicious than the rest of the film. I loved the sheer absurdity that was happening, and it made me wish that the rest of the movie had dived deep into this level of absurdity from the beginning itself. Special shout-out to a wholesome found family moment in the end though- left me smiling and feeling warm, which is always welcome. I mean, obviously. In conclusion, a fun movie to watch with your b...

Cult classic for a reason. There is never a dull moment, thanks to Vamsy's brilliant ensemble characterisations, and the comic timing of all actors. The emotional scenes hit as hard as the comedy, and by the end, you're feeling swept up by a wave of such wholesomeness that you wish this movie was a TV series instead, so you could explore the lives of these characters in even greater detail. Be that as it may, it works perfectly as a film, one that can be revisited countless times without boredom- just the fact that it has stayed fresh even after 30 years is testament to that fact. One of the biggest reasons it works even today, unlike other 90s comedies which have similar plotlines, is because it never resorts to cheap misogyny or the tiring trope of "teaching the bossy woman a lesson". Rajendra Prasad's Diwakaram is a simp for Shobana's Bhuvaneshwari (big, bigger and biggest mood), and that is that- there is no bigger moral science lesson associated with it. ...

After a recent conversation with a friend, I got concerned about whether I was slowly normalising teenage actresses getting paired opposite actors much older than them, because of all the older Indian movies I've been seeing for the last year. Thankfully, after watching this movie, I realised that that was not the case at all- I squirmed mightily during those intimate scenes between Sridevi (14) and Vincent (29), and wanted to bash someone's head in the final and completely unnecessary sequence where Sukumaran (who was middle aged in the movie) attempted to r*pe Sridevi (who was a teenager). I mean, Sridevi is amazing as always, but really, they couldn't have found an age-appropriate actress for this role??? Why have men been allowed to get away with this, I'll never understand. This film was as messy as they come, but I surprisingly was engaged throughout its runtime (not surprising actually, we all know how much I appreciate trash). A lot of it has to do with the stro...