Posted in Movie Reviews, Reviews

COLLATERAL BEAUTY

By Saakshi Sharma

Collateral Beauty is an American-drama film released in 2016 starring Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña and many more.

Though it was released almost four years back, it holds a very important message. It is a masterpiece that shows how beautiful grief could be.

It’s an emotionally heavy film that is based on the whole motto of connecting love, time and death.

The movie says these are the three basic elements that connect all the human beings to each other around the world as we long for love, wish we had more time and fear death.

The story starts with a grieving Will Smith, who has recently lost his child, writing letters to the universe, demanding answers from the cosmos to explain why he had to suffer through such an unbearable tragedy. As his friends and colleagues see him wasting his life away while dealing with their own problems, they plot a plan in order to deem him unfit in front of the board members to gain control of the company which they all started together.

Unaware of the plans universe has for them, while trying to pull their friend out of his misery, they heal themselves along the way too.

This movie beautifully portrays that there’s no timeline to get over the grief someone you loved so deeply but time does eventually heal all and even the most hideous of the circumstances have their own collateral beauty!

Image Courtesy: Hbowatch.com

Posted in Movie Reviews

Mother’s Day Special

By Srishti Bansal

Happy Mother’s Day to all the gorgeous mothers out there.
Today I am just going express what I feel about a mother’s love. A mother is a walking miracle , her love is magical which I think no poet or artist could ever portray it or describe it through paintings and poems. Her love is so pure and selfless, that sometimes I wonder that how can someone be so benevolent and self-sacrifising, its just beyond my imagination. In these 19 years of my life, I have learnt one thing for sure that no one will have your back forever except your mother. She will be standing right beside you in every phase of your life and without expecting anything in return. A mother and a child are connected through a umbilical cord at first but then, connected through hearts for life. A mother is the only person who will love you deeply and unconditionally till her last breath.
So, on this Mother’s Day I watched a wonderful movie wth my mother and its name is “ROOM” it is old movie which was released in 2015 but is recently available on online streaming platforms. It is directed by Tommy Wiseau. The movie is based on a girl who gets kidnapped, confined to a tiny room and raped and after 2 years she gives birth to baby boy, who becomes her light of hope to get out of this hellhole. The movie is so beautiful that it just wrenched my heart. Me and my mother both cried atleast twice/thrice while watching it.
The movie also conveys this message that a mother will not even think twice for putting her life in danger, in order to save her child’s life. In the movie the child’s name is Jack, who is unaware of the fact that there is a big world outside the tiny room in which they live. The kidnapper never used to take them out and has locked the door using password protection so that there is no chance they could escape out. The movie is a absolute masterpeice and one of the most underappreciated films of modern era. The character writing is outstanding and every line feels genuine and carries a emotional weight. The story is so suspenseful that it will give you rapid heart beats. The movie has got 4.6 ratings out of 5 and even I feel that this movie is worth watching on this special day.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Reviews

In This Corner Of The World

By Yati Hankar

Now that the world is on hold. Days feels longer and boredom stretches out to this extend that you’ve binged watched almost every latest series and movies and dramas and what not! So like any of you, I started piecing my life with throwbacks and again stumble upon this not so forgotten master piece of 2016.

IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD.

It is a Japanese animated war time film directed by Sunao Katabuchi. The film is a brief piece of world war 2, based on the manga written by Fumiyo Kono.

It circles around the life of a young woman named Suzu, who is very dreamy and naive who loves to draw. She along with her parents and siblings stays in a small town of Hiroshima called Eba. In 1943, Suzu being an 18 year old was arranged to be married to an unknown man named Shusaku, the movie leaves out the deal of ideologies and politics during the war thus the story is solely based on suzu’s prespective. A young common girl. Suzu’s husband turned out to be  a very kind man who comes from Kure city, 15 miles away from Hiroshima. the story gradually unfolds the daily life of common people  during the war and how they manage to cope up with it or manage to survive it also shows how suzu lives like a regular Japanese house wife in her husband’s house.

The movie also highlights the food shortage struggle and how Japanese people built caves to survive bombs. The turn of events during the war led suzu to lose her right hand and her niece Harumi. Despite all the tragedies Suzu faced, she managed to outgrow it but when a big blast in Hiroshima occurred killing many, the emperor of Japan announces the end of war by declaring surrender to allied powers which leaves Suzu in despair remembering her loses. |

This was just a bit of the movie; you can watch it on Netflix. Where I am very fond of Animes which provide a taste of common life, this movie will not disappoint you but will give you a warm nostalgic feeling and has a deep meaning in it. But at the same time it’s not preachy and shallow. And so simply put, in this corner of the world is a delight watch.

Picture Courtesy: @NYTimes.com

Posted in Movie Reviews

The Platform

By Srishti Bansal

I recently watched this movie named The Platform. The movie was a great distraction from this monotonous life which we all are going through. So i thought of reviewing this classic movie. The movie was released on 6th September 2019, the director of the movie is Glader Gaztelu-Urrutia. He is a from Bilbao ( Spain). He has directed many movies like : The house on the lake , Las horas muertas, Crash.

The storyline of the movie The Platform, revolves around a person named Goreng, a man with principles and has recently been send to prison. He awakes in a concrete cell number 48 (forty eight) and he also discovers that he has roommate who’s name is Trimagasi ,a old man , he is been sent to jail due to a charge of murder. Trimagasi explains each and every rule of the prison and the functioning of it. The prison is a tower style facility in which the food is delivered through a platform, that travels from top to bottom. At each level it stops for a limited time so that the inmates can eat food and after few minutes the platform automatically shifts to lower level. The inmates on the bottom levels only get to eat the leftovers by the inmates on the upper levels. There is another rule in it that you cannot hoard any kind of food item otherwise as a penalty the cell will be heated or cooled to fatal extend.

This is a bit of description of the movie but as you go futher you will be introduced to two different characters, these are two women named Miharu and Imoguiri. Now here you will notice a bit of a sensuousness between Miharu and Goreng.

As you move on further you will encounter many brutal scenes and how in order to survive people become ruthless and practise cannibalism in order to survive. The movie is a absolute nightmare that how hunger can turn someone into a beast. It also give a beautiful message that everyone should help, value and share with one’s fellow man.

This movie has got 7 out of 10 rating and is also available on Netflix. The movies has also one “Goya award for the best special effects” and “Gaudi award for the best visual effects”. Altogether, in my opinion, it is a inspiring movie with a social message which one should watch.


Posted in Movie Reviews

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES

                                                                                                By Muskan Mehndiratta

All the Bright places is a 2020 American teen romantic drama film, directed by Brett Haley, from a screenplay by Jennifer Niven and Liz Hannah, based upon the novel of same name by Niven. It stars Elle Fanning, Justice Smith, Alexandra Shipp, Kelli O’Hara, Lamar Johnson, Virginia Gardener, Felix Mallard, Sofia Hasmik, Keegan-Michael Key and Luke Wilson.

“All The Bright Places” may tackle a few dark issues, but this teen weepie about two hurting souls is drenched in warmth and compassion. Adapted by Jennifer Niven and Liz Hannah from Niven’s best selling young adult novel, Haley’s feature contains all the necessary ingredients for success that films like “The Fault in Our Star” and its ilk have undeniably cute reads adept at conjuring cheers and tears, a solid soundtrack and a pass-the-tissues third act— yet its pure beating heart and humanistic undertones make it somewhat of a standout.

That said, audience might want to exercise some caution as content dealing with suicide, grief and mental health, while handled with an extremely sensitive touch, might be triggering for those who feel compromised. while out running one morning, Theodore Finch (Justice Smith) spots classmate Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) silently contemplating jumping of a bridge. She’s been withdrawn and grief-stricken since the death of her sister a year prior. Finch Hops up on the ledge, offering Violet a hand and an unspoken pledge that she is no longer alone in her struggle. He too can relate as he’s looking for reasons to stay alive, scribbling them down on a fleet of color-coded Post-Its that polka-dot his bedroom walls.

Though the filmmakers never never specifically nail down a clinical diagnosis, Finch’s apparent manic depression casts a long shadow over all aspects of his life. Finch’s erratic behaviour– causing destruction and ditching class for elongated stints– at their high school has earned him the nickname “freak.”

Their lives change when their geography teacher assigns them a travelogue project that has the students wandering all over Indiana (Ohio stands in as the filming location), chronicling wondrous sights off the beaten path. The duo bond through these activities, logging local attention like the highest point in the state, a backyard roller-coaster, a shoe- covered tree and an interpersonal chalk wall display.

His affection encourages her to embrace life, while her presence provides him a tether to the living. However, as one of them ascends into the light, the other descends into a darker place. Blessedly, characters don’t always respond in perfect postcard or predictable ways, which keeps things from traversing into afterschool special territory. Finch and Violent don’t do and say the exact right things when called for. It never crosses Finch’s mind that he shouldn’t give Violent a potential death scare when she’s already witnesses her sister perishing. Finch doesn’t verbalize his issues properly to people who could help, like his guidance counsellor (Keegan Michael Key) and older sister (Alexandra Shipp). Violent doesn’t bring her concerned dad (Luke Wilson) along when she’s frantically searching for Finch. Still, the filmmakers take precautions to avoid manipulative devices. The shedding of tears may be unavoidable, but atleast it’s earned catharsis. One of the subtler aspects of the story telling is the context of their geography assignment, which is a metaphor for locating the sources of their pain and shining a light on those patches.

Its also refreshing that this doesn’t play out in expected ways with both characters fixing each other. Those sentiments aren’t healthy and true to reveal life. The filmmakers are interested in showing different facets of grief where one is able to heal and the other is lacking those same capabilities.

Cinematographer Rob Givens’ saturated approach resounds in scenes that unabashedly embrace romantic overtones, basking the two leads in the warm glow of the golden hour, or the soft low light of their rainstorm smooch. It also stands strong in sequences where their emotions become cooler, rougher around the edges and more difficult to define. Suzy Elmiger’s cuts allow for the performers to guide the rhythm and flow of the scenes.

Still,”All The Bright Places” would be nowhere without Haley’s vision and deft ability to deliver all of the feels. He finds places to let his bright intellect shine, perfectly crafting heartrending melodrama through tonal placing that’s never cloying nor disgustingly saccharine.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Reviews

CHAL MERA PUTT – 2

By – Simran kaur

In typical times, or in times where we are not 1feeling good and happy, Chal Mera Putt-2 is a mixture of full of drama, comic portion and the emotional bond that the characters share with each other is what wins your heart over. In this, Simi Chahal as Savvy, Garry Sandhu as Deepa and Amrinder Gill as Jinder, they have worked so well that it can be described a fun film on the basis of their dialogues.

The situations that all the friends throw each other into keeps you glued to the screen. There is not even a single dull moment in Chal Mera Putt-2 .


Throughout two halves, you enjoy the constant leg pulling of each character by the others, which most of the people enjoy a lot. In every movie there is a single male lead (hero) but in this movie, the uniqueness of the movie is that there is no hero , but all the 6 of them did a tremendous job and your heart beats for them all. The romance is relegated to the backseat in this part.

If we talk about the characters, Amrinder Gill has good command over humor, drama and emotion. Simi Chahal has a brief part and she does it very well. Garry Sandhu, in a cameo appearance adds to the star quotient. Iftikhar Thakur, Nasir Chinyoti, Gurshabad Singh, Hardeep Gill and Akram Udas, they all are superb .

The movie carries forward the unique essence of everlasting friendship and love between illegal immigrants struggling for their PR in UK. In this it has been shown how many challenges they face and how they overcome these challenges. They come across a few characters adding more fun to their journey showing us that when it comes to the struggle of life, no border can divide human hearts and the love inside.

Chal Mera Putt -2 is a perfect blockbuster sequel of Chal Mera Putt (2019) . In this movie, Indian and Pakistani actors have shared a single screen space. This movie tends to speak the language of the youth who face problems in foreign lands.

I recommend to every person whether a kid, old aged or our youth to go and watch this movie as they have entertained us in most unadulterated manner which is quite tough in today’s time.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Reviews

THAPPAD: What we Think

By Samyukta Narayanan

From ‘Thappad se darr nahi lagta sahab’ to ‘Bas ek thappad, lekin nahi maar sakta,’ Bollywood has grown up.

Thappad begins like every other rom com movie where Amrita (Tapsee pannu) and Vikram(Pavail Gulati) seem like the usual happy urban Indian couple where Amrita is the dutiful and chirpy housewife and Vikram the ambitious breadwinner.

The first 30 mins lull you into a false sense of comfort till one slap changes the dynamics of the whole movie. Vikram is angry about a failed promotion and Amrita ends up as the unfortunate punching bag as she is slapped in front of a crowd at a party. The movie questions the gender roles that exist in society and what is the worth of dignity. Is it necessary to be beaten up to lose dignity or is a slap enough to lose your self respect?

Anubhav Sinha, the director does a commendable job as he deals with the subject matter with subtlety and treads the fine line between melodrama and realism effortlessly.

Also to be applauded are the actors as each actor plays their part with conviction. Tapsee gives a nuanced performance as the chirpy housewife who finally wakes up to her invisible existence, Pavail Gulati does a fine job playing Vikram, who is not a demon but instead just an entitled young Indian man. Special mention to Kumud Mishra as the doting father who is heartbroken at the plight of his daughter.

Tapsee gives a career defining performance. Amrita is meek, dutiful and chirpy but the sudden shift in her demeanor doesn’t seem unbelievable.She gives off an aura of quiet confidence that is admirable.

One of the strongest points of the movie is that it is never preachy in its tone. The actions and emotions speak for themselves and the director trusts the audience to read between the lines. Emotions are always simmering but rarely reach a breaking point.

Sinha constructs a believable and relatable universe which makes the audience more invested in how things unfurl, mostly because we can feel the familiarity of these situations.
We have all had that house help who complains about domestic violence nonchalantly or worse still, we have experienced it in our own households.

However the movie isn’t without its flaws as it drags a little too much in the second half. But it’s worth it for the heart-wrenching climax that is surely going to result in a few moist eyes in the hall.

I strongly recommend catching this movie in theaters near you. A tight screenplay, strong performances and a powerful theme make this movie a must watch in our opinion.

Posted in Movie Reviews, Reviews

Mardaani II: What we think

By Padma Dolma

In the era where romance and comedy are the most popular genres, a movie like Mardaani 2 is trying to break the shackles. Very different from the mainstream entertainment and with a very important message for the audience, it hits all the right nerves.

For us, it was an eye opener and shows the sick mentality of some men who can’t handle criticism, especially by a woman.

Laced with gut wrenching and hard hitting scenes, it is a good try on part of the team to talk about such prevalent but ignored subject.

The sequel to Mardaani, Shivani Shivaji Roy, a lady super cop is after a young & remorseless criminal who is murdering young women and raping them. Yash Raj’s this film has broke forth wall where the villain talks to the audience directly and keeps that pace through out the film.

The movie portrays the misogyny structure of Indian society where Shivani faces discrimination at her work place.

The story is based in ‘Kota’ city which is a student region where crime happens very often and ‘Sunny” a criminal who was hired by a local politician to kill a reporter and he has a personality where he can’t tolerate the women’s empowerment and their high status in the society ,he has a sick mind and in the process of assassination of the reporter he encountered several girls who he had rapped and murdered and Shivani is the SP of the city.

In the phase of catching him she calls him “Dedd Shana,” an over smart lad in a press conference that made him even more igitated, and he takes it as an open challenge. He sends her flowers, busts into her house and took some of her dresses, even got a job in tea stall near her police station where he got to evesdrop the case. He also abducts the witness who is a kid and kills him, getting all the fingers pointed on Shivani and making her the center of media criticism, resulting in her transfer.

While everyone was busy in Diwali celebration she had just two days in hand to catch the culprit. At last she gets the criminal and allows all her aggression to let go. 

Anupama Chopra says, Mukherjee’s performance was a consistently watchable one , her review on the movie states that she was satisfied by the punishing of the criminal who did heinous crime to women.

Image courtesy: @timesofindia