#MowgliTheLegendOfTheJungle #FilmMovieReveiw #JohnsonThomas #PicksAndPiques Rating: * *

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas Contradicts the very essence of clean kid-friendly Adventure Film: Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle Cast: Rohan Chand, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Andy Serkis, Peter Mullan, Jack Reynor, Eddie Marsan, Tom Hollander, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto Director: Andy Serkis Screenwriter: Callie Kloves Rating: * * Runtime: 104 mins Andy Serkis’ attempt to distinctively humanise the animal characters in ‘Mowgli,’ though path-breaking, spells doom for the overall enjoyment of this supposedly kiddie adventure that gets off on intolerable violence. Mowgli(Rohan Chand), the little orphaned boy raised by wolves with help from a panther and a bear has an animal kingdom that looks and acts like the actors voicing them. It’s photo-realistic motion capture technology that is totally unsuitable for this kind of a story where animals are expected to look like animals and not humans. It’s weird that Baloo the bear (Serkis), Bagheera the black panther (Christian Bale), his mortal enemy Shere Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) who killed and ate his family way back when; and Kaa the python (Cate Blanchett), who narrates the story, don’t seem realistically drawn. They also speak English with distinctive accents. Don’t know why that trick was employed here but the result is a curiously un-affecting movie that leaves you more troubled rather than enthused. By showcasing the brutality of the animals Serkis’ probably wanted to remind us that animals (especially those in the wild) behave unpredictably and shouldn’t be seen as tamed but ‘The Jungle Book’ story implies otherwise. We see compassion and love in the story that talks about two wild animals adopting a little human boy and raising him as their own. Serkis’ rendition is unsure of what he wants to convey. The unrelenting, dark brutality, bordering on the sadistic is certainly unsuitable for children. The dark lighting adds to the ominous quality of this assay. Callis Koves’ screenplay doesn’t do justice to Rudyard Kipling’s grand vision and the treatment is so intervallic and disaffecting that you will feel alienated from it all. Some of the visuals look great but then there are others that are likely to give any impressionable young kid, nightmares. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch can do little to save this ‘horror’ story. Johnsont307@gmail.com

#Cycle #MarathiFilmMovieReview #FilmCriticJohnsonThomas

#Cycle #MarathiFilmMovieReview #FilmCriticJohnsonThomas Marathi Film Review Johnson Thomas A sweetly compelling Drama Film: Cycle Cast: Hrishikesh Joshi, Bhalchandra Kadam, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Abhijeet Chavan, Vidyadhar Joshi, Deepti Lele, Pradeep Velankar, Sandesh Kulkarni, Maithili Patwardhan Director: Prakash Kunte Rating: * * * 1/2 Runtime: 102 mins 'Cycle', scripted by Aditi Moghe and directed by Prakash Kunte, is a light-hearted family film with a ameliorative message underscoring it’s peculiar drama. The film is set in the 1960s, and traces the story of Keshav (Hrishikesh Joshi), a reputed astrologer who well known for his attachment to his unique yellow coloured cycle - a family treasure that was passed on to him by his great-grandfather who received it as a gift from a foreigner. Keshav lives a honest, content life with his father, wife Jayashree(Deepti Lele) and precocious young daughter Mrummayee(Maithili Patwardhan). But that tranquillity was not meant to last for long. On a night when the family and the entire village gather at the temple, two thieves(Priyadarshan Jadhav and Bhalchandra Kadam) in saffron robes go from house to house and vamoose away with a lot of precious loot, including Keshav’s Cycle. Keshav is distraught, worried that the loss of his lucky charm would cause his family and his reputation grave harm. He therefore sets out in search of the stolen cycle. The thieves on the other hand, have a life changing experience altogether, in their effort to distance themselves from the point of crime. Will Keshav eventually find his cycle? The story thus far is just a means to put forward the idea that materialism never pays. The love, affection and bonding that one experiences with his fellow human beings should be far more important than the material gifts he possesses. In the process of the film both the protagonist and his antagonists realise the wealth and meaning of human love. And that message comes through with an impassioned allure that is all too vivid and enlightening –thanks to the compelling simplicity of Prakash Kunte’s unembellished narrative craft. The pace is inviting, background score is enabling and the cinematography, invitingly bucolic. The actors do a wonderful job staying within the strictures inherent in the period and befittingly speaking the language of the Konkan region highlighted in the film. Priyadarshan Jadhav and Bhalchandra Kadam play-off each other in Santa-Banta fashion, allowing for several ticklish moments that inevitably lead to laughter. Hrishikesh Joshi’s performance is heartfelt and sincere but it’s Maithili Patwardhan as his precocious and astute young daughter who steals the show from the stalwarts in this adorable picture! Johnsont307@gmail.com