one time wanderer

Where do I even start with this Freudian mess of a movie? Like I said a couple of days back, nothing is more annoying than a movie that had all the potential to be good and thoughtful and funny and everything else that one looks for in a cinematic experience, but turns out to be bad anyway. Atrangi Re  just might be the perfect example of that genre. As everyone on social media has already pointed out, the depiction of mental health and disorders in the movie is extremely problematic. It mocks the trauma Rinku (Sara Ali Khan) has gone through her entire life, and to make matters worse, it does so through a psychiatrist. I honestly felt quite triggered and sick afterwards— it's been 24 hours and a part of my brain still hurts. It's that bad. Also, the sexual politics are so messed up. I cannot believe that big twist actually happened, and that it was supposed to be a reasonable justification of why Rinku was the way she was.  Canadian Kumar is immensely forgettable here, which ...

Madras (2014), directed by Pa Ranjith, is one of those movies that only get better with every rewatch. There are so many nuances packed into every scene— watching it multiple times means treating yourself multiple times. To start off, Ranjith has a way of getting career-best performances out of his actors (Arya in Sarpatta Parambarai , Dinesh Ravi in Attakathi , etc.) which ensures that all the characters remain in your memory. This in turn reinforces the strong community feeling that the director is going for, which in turn makes you really understand (or begin to, anyway) the politics of the movie. Another thing that struck me this time was the sports culture of North Madras that the film so subtly yet powerfully uses as both a narrative and subversive tool. Maybe it's because I had to research on the same topic for a documentary recently, but I just cannot get over how Ranjith employs sports in general, and football in particular, to really bring out the various shades of subalt...

Disclaimer: I am not a superhero movie fan AT ALL. I barely watch any, not even the ones that are hyped 24x7 on social media.  However, I ended up making an exception for Minnal Murali . Why? Well firstly because I am on a break from college and I feel so dead inside from how toxic it is that I am seizing any and every opportunity to start feeling something again.  Secondly- I had seen Shyam Singha Roy in the morning and I needed to distance myself from it as soon as possible. Lastly, because Tovino Thomas has replaced Dulquer Salmaan in my simp list and he looked so cute in the promos and all that I thought "hey why not, let's expand our horizons". And I'm so glad I did. The movie is extremely enjoyable and engaging, even for someone like me who isn't really into this genre. I didn't love it or anything, but it was just the kind of fun one-time watch that I needed. Also, Tovino!!  My favourite was little Josemon though, played by Vasisht Umesh. They lit up ev...

There is honestly nothing more annoying than a movie that has flashes of being a good movie, but turns out to be a bad one anyway. Not only have you watched a bad film, but you have also been cheated of all hope and it's exhausting, to say the least.  Also, when this movie is a first day first show, you can't help but feel betrayed. Full "I trusted you!" moment only.  The first half was so tedious to sit through, I genuinely thought of leaving after the interval at one point. I didn't though, because Sai Pallavi only made her entry in the second half, and let's face it, she was the real reason for me to go watch it anyway. I mean, Nani was a huge pull factor too, but after Tuck Jagadish (2021) and V (2020), I was a little wary of trusting this man completely. As I should, because look what he made me sit through... again! (I swear to god, if the Nazriya film isn't good, I just might never watch a Nani movie ever again). Back to Pallu though- she is the onl...

Everything about Attakathi was absolutely delightful, starting from the title itself, which loosely translates to 'cardboard knife'. I loved how almost every character in the film was hilarious and quirky, but more importantly, how all these characters fit in with each other and managed to seem real and not caricatures. Pa Ranjith has a way with good screenplays, and it's no wonder his debut reflects that.  My favourite character was of course Dinakaran or Dina or Atta, the protagonist played by Dinesh Ravi. I don't know how to explain it, but there was something so likeable about Dina that despite having seen the most toxic versions of his character in countless movies before, you cannot help but root for him and his quest for love. Except when you feel exasperated by him, which is every 10 minutes. Basically, his characterisation and development is the perfect formula to keep one hooked to a film. However, I was not just hooked to the film. I actively wanted it to no...

No one except Rekha could have done justice to Amiran.  It feels like this role was specially written for her, even though Muzaffar Ali adapted the screenplay from Mirza Hadi Ruswa's 1905 Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada . That's just how brilliant she is here. Despite the appalling quality of the print that I ended up watching (all thanks to the fact that not one streaming platform features Umrao Jaan in their collection), I couldn't help but be struck by the sheer beauty of it all. The attention to detail is stunning and really brings to life the sheer grandeur of that era.  But— it's the way this beauty is captured and projected on screen that one never truly feels at ease in the midst of all that aesthetic. Something in the air is perpetually unsettling, and only gets intensified as the story progresses towards its doomed end.  In the centre of it all is Rekha, who breathes life into her character in such a way that it's easy to forget you're watching a film. Every...

As my best friend said, Pushpa: The Rise should settle the debate of Tollywood supremacy forever: Allu Arjun is the undisputed king of his generation. My biggest complaint with the movie was how long it was. It could easily have cut down on at least 40 minutes of run-time, had they been smarter about the entire Rashmika track. Speaking of which, how did akka manage to be more annoying and forgettable here than in the magnum opus Sarileru Neekevvaru  (2020)?  Not entirely her fault, I guess, but it's so annoying to see everything else in the movie work out except the female lead's role. Somewhere in the second half I thought that maybe now we'll see some redeeming grace, but no. No chance. The album was another strong point for me, with 'Oo Antava' becoming an anthem. Exactly the kind of feminist bop we need in these times.  Sunil as the villain was perfect— I couldn't even recognise him for thr first 2 minutes or so, he was just that good. Also, the scene where ...