3.5 stars

February 2013

Special 26 – Movie Review

By |2022-10-08T01:20:21-05:00February 19th, 2013|Movie Review, talkies|

There was a time when there were two types of hindi movies, and both were horrible. Those times have changed. Nowadays it is tough to say "a very good hindi movie in a long time", when Gangs of Wasseypur, Matru ke Bijili ka Mandola, and to some (arguable) effect Barfi and Shanghai release in a year's time. "Special Chabbis" is the best hindi movie I have watched in the past month, and Neeraj Pandey almost exceeds expectations with his second movie. When his first movie, "A Wednesday" released, I remember saying "a very good hindi movie in a long time"; times have changed.

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September 2012

The Master – Movie Review

By |2020-05-15T21:49:52-05:00September 29th, 2012|Movie Review, talkies, Video|

The master and the disciple part ways, when Dodd realizes that in Freddie, he has hit a wall, and maybe his methods will not work on Freddie who will serve no master. Dodd says "If you figure out a way to live without a master, any master, be sure to let the rest of us know, for you would be the first in the history of the world."

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May 2012

Mohanlal’s Grand Master – Review

By |2020-05-15T21:49:52-05:00May 11th, 2012|Malayalam, Movie Review, talkies|

Mohanlal plays Chandrashekhar,a defeated IPS officer, who takes his personal briefcase of losses to work. He unlike Sherlock Holmes who uses cocaine, plays chess in office to keep his mind alert. Chess references abound in the movie, as a serial killer challenges Chandra to a game which combines crime and personal life. There is a trail of murdered women. Nothing is out of bounds, as Chandra accepts the challenge. Lalu Alex is the killer. (I'm kidding! he is not there in the film)

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 10

July 2011

Delhi Belly – Review

By |2020-05-15T21:49:52-05:00July 11th, 2011|India, Movie Review, talkies|

Delhi Belly has a very clever storyline by Akshat Verma to start with, but the treatment by director Abhinay Deo, and an intuitive musical score by Ram Sampath keeps the movie grounded and prevents it from going over the top. This script could have become very loud on screen, but despite the butt cracks, and incessant meditation on kitsch, Delhi Belly is a smooth ride that takes you along quite well.

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April 2011

Santosh Sivan’s Urumi – Review

By |2020-05-15T21:49:53-05:00April 17th, 2011|Movie Review, talkies, Video|

Prithviraj disappoints. Then again I am back from watching Mohanlal's Chinatown, so disappointment needs to be understood as occurring when there is hope left. Mohanlal cannot disappoint me anymore. Prithvi loses control at critical junctures in the movie. This is the same actor who gave extrememly controlled performances in Vasthavam and Thalappavu, but he loses it occasionally in "Urumi".

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June 2010

Mamta Mohandas’s Kadha Thudarunnu

By |2017-08-26T02:07:58-05:00June 27th, 2010|Movie Review, talkies, Video|

"Kadha thudarunnu.." may not have the extreme intensity of Thalappavu, or the cunning intelligence and social commentary embedded in Paleri Manickam, or may be the breadth of emotions of a Kerala Cafe, but Kadha thudarunnu in the inimitable Sathyan style portrays the best within us and underlines the timeless creed that we, human beings, are essentially good.

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 4

May 2009

December 2007

Katha Parayumbol

By |2022-01-07T20:44:55-05:00December 25th, 2007|Movie Review, talkies|

The story is a little "Malgudy"-esque and has universal appeal. A simple story set in a village with all its innocence and its unique characters The protagonist is Barber Balan (Sreenivasan) who struggles to make a living with his dilapidated saloon which he wants to renovate.

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 3

October 2007

NO SMOKING – Review

By |2013-10-26T00:43:04-05:00October 29th, 2007|talkies|

Hit or Flop, No Smoking is a very important movie. You could call it pseudo-intellectual, but that would be trivialising the effort, thought and courage that went into this movie. It may not be same as "Black Friday", but if anyone wants "Black Friday" there is no choice but to watch the movie again.

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