Jana Gana Mana #MalayalamFilmReview #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReview #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReview #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit Film: #JanaGanaMana #Malayalam Rating: * * * Runtime: 162 mins #MamtaMohandas #OvaisSingstar #PrithvirajSukumaran, #Sari #SurajVenjarumoodu #Mammootty #VincyAloshious #DhanyaAnanya #TomKottackakom #Netflix Director: #DijoJoseAntony Writer: #SharisMohammed Music: #JakesBejoy Cinematography: #SudeepElamon Editing: #SreejithSarang #MagicFrames #PrithvirajProductions

As a college professor's brutal murder sparks student unrest, a cop launches an investigation while a lawyer seeks justice in the courtroom. A blisteringly paced, astutely crafted, twisty, gripping, socio-political-crime thriller drama, this one picks up every conceivable crime in current day history and loops it onto a politician’s sinister attempt to stay in power. It opens our eyes to how media, new media, police, administration, judiciary, and the system fall prey to the machinations of the man in power - to chilling effect. Sharis Mohammed’s expository script and dialogue connect the dots between numerous crimes that have occurred in India to show us that we are gullible fools voting for criminals in political garb. The Nambi Narayanan controversy, the Rohith Vemula suicide, politics of caste and color, encounter murders, mob lynching, hit-and-run revenge killing, and sinister Political media management all come in for a mention as the narrative unravels an expose that will assuredly leave you shell-shocked. The tone may be shrill, the cinematic style is mainstream generic and loud, and the sequence of events may not seem entirely plausible but Dijo Jose Anthony’s sharp-edged helming and Jake Bejoys music combine well to generate a cacophonic yet ensnaring rhythm that emblemizes the chaos that is current-day India - where human life has become the casualty of merciless goons occupying the political space. The film asks some pertinent questions and presents its politics and multiple perspectives rather powerfully and with conviction. It is hard-hitting and keeps coming at you with relentless never-ending truth punches. Watch it!

Samrat Prithviraj, Major, Vikram #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film ‘#SamratPrithviraj’ Rating: * Runtime: 133mins.

Self-appointed historian for the right wing, Chandraprakash Dwivedi’ s divisive, distorted take on history, this period drama fails to arouse sentiment or amiability. One-note Tarzan Akshay Kumar’s attempt to emote is laughable. The attempt to spread propaganda via fake history is contemptible. The only way Prithviraj could have killed Ghori was if his ghost appeared 14 years later to do the needful (Prithviraj died – 1192 & Ghori died – 1206) This movie based on Chandravardai's book takes flight from fanciful poems written in praise of the so-called last Hindu King(yet another phony claim) by a courtier. It would have been better if Dwivedi had a disclaimer before the film claiming it to be a work of fiction. And what a pity the love factory has begun to peddle hate… #AkshayKumar #ManushiChhillar, #SonuSood #SanjayDutt #AdityaChopra #ManavVij #AshutoshRana #SakshiTanwar #ChandraPrakashDwivedi #Yashraj #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #Major Rating: * * ½ Runtime: 148 mins.

A flawed, gung-ho, version of a true story, this film plays to the gallery like any mainstream masala actioner. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan deserved a far better posthumous salute. Advi Sesh has looks and screen presence while Saiee, though pretty, acts rather vapid. #AdviSesh #SaieeManjrekar #PrakashRaj #Revathi #ShobitaDhulipala #SashikiranTikka #UniversalCommunications #ParagDesai #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #Vikram Rating: * * ½ Runtime: 173 mins

A near 3 hour runtime, meaningless badly orchestrated action and Kamal Haasan unmasking himself post interval puts you in a mood to walk away. The logic sucks, the storyline is pretty weird – especially when you have an elite force standing and watching kidnappers/ marauders/ murderers commit offences without any counter offensive. Watch and follow is the key word here. #PenMarudhar #RaajkamalFilms #Fahadfasil #suriya #vijaysethupathi #KamalHaasan #KalidasJayaram #SGayathrie #ChembanVinodJose #Vasanthi #Kumaravel #Santhanabharathi #SwathishtaKrishnan #LokeshKanagaraj #UniversalCommunications #ParagDesai

Haemolymph, Anek, Dehati Disco #PicksAndPiques #filmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas

 #PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

Film: #Haemolymph (#TheInvisibleBlood) Rating: * * * ½

Runtime: 149 mins.

Cast: #RiyazAnwar #RuchiraJadhav #RohitKokate

Director: #GamareSudarshan

Publicity Design #LaljiWagh Produced by #TikatBaari & #ABFilmsEntertainment in Association with #AdimanFilms and Co-produced by #ND9Studio. #PrajaktaBelekarPR #SlamDunkCommunication

A meticulously put together document on the human rights violations against a criminally vilified community and one person in particular (Abdul Wahid Shaikh, a teacher who got an acquittal from the court after being incarcerated for 13 long years – one of the many who were wrongly accused by the #ATS in 2006 Mumbai serial blasts). This film opens our eyes to the injustice meted out to Muslims viz. stringent anti-terror laws like #MCOCA etc., while the justice system plays mute spectator to torture, forced confessions and criminal intimidation under the guise of investigative and judicial custody. It becomes blatantly obvious from this #DocumentOfALifeOfUnderTrials in the #Mumbaiserialtrainblastcase2006, that the lack of sufficient systemic safeguards to constrain misuse and ensure national uniformity in their application has led to human rights abuses and disparate patterns of enforcement throughout the country. Sudarshan Gamare’s film documents most of the macro and micro moments of anguish, pain, despair and hoping against hope that the under trails go through in the long and lonely road to being exonerated. It’s a humanistic piece of work that was in all probability a difficult one to balance and deserves due kudos and credit. The documentary like treatment, realistic performances and tempered unemotional, straightforward narration makes this an experience worth appreciating.

 

 

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Film: #Anek (Hindi/English) Runtime:147 mins.

Rating: * * ½

Director/Co-Writer/Co-Producer #AnubhavSinha

Producer #BhushanKumar #KrishanKumar

Screenplay: #SimaAgarwal #YashKeswani

Cinematographer - #EwanMulligan

Editor #YashaRamchandani Music #MangeshDhakde,

#AnuragSaikia, #BenarasMediaworks #SpicePR #ShilpaHanda

Cast: #AyushmannKhurrana #JDChakravarthy,

#AndreaKevichüsa #ManojPahwa #KumudMishra

Anek could have been a much-needed mainstream cinema representation of turmoil in the north-east – unfortunately it is presented rather lackadaisically. The presence of a Sutradhar who is also in the thick of things (an IB officer sent there to broker peace) tends to take away much of the tension and solemnity from the conflict afflicting the region. Weak dialogue, a whimsical background score, languid pacing and loose performances littered with mostly undecipherable English robs this film of its gravity. Songs that enhance the regional flavor of this representation, inviting cinematography and the vivid depiction of the culture, specific to the region have their own draw though.

   

 

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Film: #DehatiDisco  Rating  *  Runtime: 129 mins

Director #ManojSharma

Producer #GiteshChandrakar 

StoryWriter #GaneshAcharya #VaseemQureshi #KamalKishorMishra

Screenplay #ManojSharma

Cinematographer - #KushChhabria #UniversalCommunicationsPR #ParagDesai

Editor #ManojMagarr Music #DrumsShivamani

Cast: #GaneshAcharya #RaviKishan #ManojJoshi

#RajeshSharma #RemoD'Souza #SunilPal #SakshamSharma

A rather tepid dance-drama this film doesn’t have the wherewithal to attract a large audience. Child artist Saksham Sharma gives a good account of his talents here but the rest of the assorted grouping of comedians, dancers and character actors are pretty much uninspired and boring. Stereotypical characters, exaggerated dialogues, garish musical interludes and shaky camera work make this experience rather enervating. Despite being directed by a reputed choreographer, having Akshay Kumar do the narration and throw-in surprise of Remo D'Souza at the end, this film fails to make a noteworthy impression.

 

Chitrakut, Dhaakad, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Adrushya Film Movie Reviews #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

  #PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

Film: #Chitrakut  Rating: * * *

#MojdehandMojtabaMovies #AkbarArabiyan #MalikPictures

#MajidMajidi #ParullGossainPR

Cast: #AuritraGhosh #VibhoreMayank #ShrutiBapna #KiranSrinivas #NainaTrivedi

Written, Produced & Directed by #HimanshuMalik

Music : #SomeshSaha

Runtime: 130 mins.

A fresh cast, an interesting take on the transient nature of love and bliss (dependent on the baggage we carry forward), this gently persuasive debut effort (screenplay, production and direction) by erstwhile model, actor Himanshu Malik makes for an intriguing, absorbing watch. It’s a well-rounded film with wonderfully etched sensitive ensemble performances, an enticing background score and accomplished helming. Worth a watch definitely!

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Film: #Dhaakad  Rating: * ½  Runtime: 132 mins.

Cast: #KanganaRanaut #ArjunRampal #DivyaDutta #SharibHashmi #SaswathaChatterjee

Director: #RazneeshGhai

#PearlMedia #EbrahimPR

#SohamRockstarEntertainment #SohelMaklai

Kangana Ranaut attempts a #BlackWidow ripoff and its a pitiable sight. The action is pedestrian – mostly spurious and childish (the illusory bang bang kind), the CGI is silly, action choreography is rather dim and the performances downright inept. Attempts by Divya Dutta and Arjun Ramphal to mimic the ‘#NaturalBornKillers’ duo are laughable. The direction and editing is neither slick nor thrilling. At a whopping cost of Rs.100 Crore , this was a film that shouldn’t have been made!

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Film: #BhoolBhulaiyaa2 Rating: * * *   Runtime: 123 mins.

#KarthikAaryan. #Tabu #KiaraAdvani #RajpalYadav #SanjayMishra #RajeshSharma #SiddhantGhegadmal #AshwiniKalsekar

#Tseries #BhushanKumar

Director: #AneesBazmee

#ParagDesaiPR #UniversalCommunications

Typically presented in Anees Bazmee’s trademark comedic style - involving a lot of confusion, puerile comedic movements, a fair bit of horror mystique with fluid editing, smart cinematography, loud peppy music and enjoyable performances supporting it, this unapologetic all-out entertainer is most likely to do a tandav at the Box-office. Both Tabu and Karthik Aaryan are exemplary with their craft while Kiara Advani does well to bask in their reflected glory. 

 #PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#LovelyWorldEntertainmentPvtLtd.

Film: #Adrushya #MarathiFilmMovie Rating: * *

Runtime: 141 mins

Cast: #ManjariFadnnis #PushkarJog #AnantJog #UshaNadkarni #AjayKumarSingh #RiteishDeshmukh

Screenplay & Directed: #KabirLal

Producers: #AjayKumarSingh #RekhaSingh

#FriendsInCorporatePR

#PradnyaaSumathiShetty #PremJhangiani

Digital Marketing #AbhijeetAnilEdlabadkar

#MarathiMovie #marathifilm

A wonderful concept comes-a-cropper because of a shoddy narrative and unaccomplished cinematography. The idea that a nondescript everyman feels the need go psychotic and indulge in a killing spree after being rejected by a near blind paramour is a solid one. It’s just unfortunate that it doesn’t get translated on film with any mystery, thrill or enchantment. The treatment is ineffectual. Manjari Fadnnis’ performance is worthy of kudos but the rest of the cast are wooden and ineffective.

 

Runway 34 #BollywoodFilmMovieDocumentaryReview #JohnsonThomas #PicksAndPiques

 Bollywood Film Movie Documentary Review

Johnson Thomas

Far from gritty or engaging

Film : Runway 34

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Rakul Preet Singh, Angira Dhar, Aakanksha Singh

Director: Ajay Devgn

Rating: * *

Runtime: 148 mins

 

Ajay Devgn’s third attempt at direction ( after U, Me Aur Hum and Shivaay) is a motley collection of verbose sequences and very little crusty action. Designed to be an action cum investigative thriller, this film which is loosely based on a real life near disaster, fails to recreate either the tensions or the thrills associated with high-flying-into-danger scenario.

Inspired by a Jet Airways Doha to Kochi flight 9W 555’s (Boeing 737-800) near disaster experience while flying in turbulent, inclement, stormy weather under zero visibility conditions, neither the script nor the narrative can keep pace with the true-life near death experience. The fictional flight here is from Dubai to Kochi viz. Trivandrum in a much smaller skyline aircraft. While events leading up to the catastrophic circumstances are pinpointed with a great deal of embellishments, there’s very little in the experience to thrill or savour.

Right from the first frame it’s clear that the movie’s main aim is to promote Devgn as a bad boy hero Captain Vikrant Khanna, who has a photographic memory (a fact that is drummed down our throat several times) and a passion for keeping his word. And throughout the runtime we are expected to believe that they are virtues above all else. We know of his oh-so-understanding, loving wife Samaira and daughter already because we are shown him bidding them goodbye and promising his daughter he will be back in time for her birthday. So when the much married Capt. Khanna decides to wear a hoodie to have a night on the tiles pissed drunk with an unknown woman in tow at the Dubai Club, we are expected to be curious but not judgemental. The next thing we know is he is captaining the Skyline flight from Dubai to Kochi in the company of second officer Tanya Albuquerque ( Rakul Preet Singh) whose only instructions ( from the director is my guess) are to look all goggle eyed with admiration at the hero Captain and later on while flying into turbulence – have a meltdown of sorts.    

Though inspired by true events, the film also has similarities to Hollywood films ‘Sully’ and ‘Flight.’ Runway 34 is basically made up of two distinct halves. The pre-interval period is taken up with the near disaster experience while the post interval (120 min) part concentrates on the investigations, the hearing and the media hoopla that surrounds the incident. Amitabh and Boman come into the post-interval part as Chief investigator and Skyline CEO respectively. The script is riddled with many loopholes and the narrative drives itself basically on lofty suppositions and flighty inferences. Several questions are left unanswered and those that find answers don’t have the weight of logic behind them. The director hopes to present the narrative like a sleight of hand but it feels too premeditated and contrived. All the characters are ill defined, they look showy rather than have any substance and the plotting is reduced to showmanship. There’s nothing meaty or rational in this representation and the acting is all about going through the motions without much heft. The VFX of the flight attempting to land while being buffeted by contrary wind and rain turbulence is downright silly and looks extremely tacky. The editing is concerned with setting up stereotypes and the camerawork also glides in the same direction. Certainly not a thrill ride this!

Johnsont307@gmail.com

 

Operation Romeo #HindifilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas #PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews

 Bollywood Hindi Film Movie Review

Johnson Thomas

Too long drawn to be effective

Film: Operation Romeo

Cast: Bhumika Chawla, Siddhant Gupta, Sharad Kelkar, Vedika Pinto, Kishore Kadam, Navni Parihar

Director: Shashant Shah

Producer: Shital Bhatia, Neeraj Pandey

Writer: Ratheesh Ravi, Arshad Syed

Rating: * * ½

Runtime: 135 mins

 

The official remake of Anuraj Manohar’s Malayalam film, 'Ishq Not A Love Story, '  and inspired by a true event, Shashant Shah’s ‘Operation Romeo’ has an interesting enough plot that turns on its head post interval but the manner in which it is narrated and presented leaves a lot to be desired. The setting is totally off. Using Mumbai as a backdrop for a story that highlights toxic masculinity while pitting it against evolving feminism, the director and writers fail to make it compelling or meaningful. The issue or theme is not the problem here. The fact that in a city like Mumbai where nightlife is a given, chances of being caught in the high beams of an immoral trafficking police for merely being in a back seat of a stationary car and indulging in a mere peck on the cheek comes across as far-fetched and improbable. Or for that matter having the hero and heroine behave so scared out of their wits that they literally melt at their extortionists’ feet is also quite unlikely.

 

The narrative construct is interesting enough. What happens when two young timid lovers play hookey from hostel strictures and family responsibility for a celebratory night out drive through the city streets in order to usher in the young heroine’s 19^th year? Aditya Sharma aka Adi (Siddhant Gupta) to his friends, is an IT professional in love with a college girl Neha (Vedika Pinto) living in a hostel far away from home state Rajasthan. It’s her birthday and after celebrating with co-eds in college she agrees to an all-night drive with Adi. It’s a sweet set-up so far but the tentative romantic byplay between the two isn’t what the modern urban romantic is expecting. So it comes as an anti-climax when the two are caught pecking by two aggressive men Mangesh Jadhav (Sharad Kelkar) and Kiran Mama (Kishore Kadam) donning the moral police garb, overplaying the good-cop-bad-cop routine and scaring the bejesus out of the two young wannabe lovers. The fact that the two men posing as cops extort quite a large sum of money on the pretext of allowing the young lovers a reprieve is not the issue. The event that turns the screenplay around and pushes the victim to become the aggressor, is the presumption that Mangesh has made good an opportunity to be alone with Neha and force some liberties on her while Adi goes with Kiran to the ATM to withdraw money. It reveals Adi’s regressive mind-set and allows for the hitherto timid heroine’s feminist outing.

While the latter part of the second half plays out like a punch line there really isn’t enough teeth in the prelude to that event justifying this kind of a turnaround? Adi, an educated city bred male is not interested in avenging injustice of being held captive in what appears to be an extra-judicial siege by aggressive posers. Adi is far more affected/obsessed with the fact that his naïve, puritan girlfriend might have been sullied by the vile Mangesh’s touch and sets out to make fair game of Mangesh’s wife (Bhumika Chawla) and daughter after a chance revelation about the extortionists’ true colours.

Creative license might be forgiven but loopholes and lethargic scenarios in the script are unforgivable. What might have been a taut, nail-biting revenge thriller ends up being an unnecessarily long-drawn psychological exposure of toxic masculinity. This sort of a story idea with a handful of characters works better in the short feature format. An hour and a few minutes plus would have been ideal to make this film a relentless thrill on the senses. But Shashant allows the story to drag, deliberating recklessly on the minor moments and losing out on the bigger payoff. The treatment is rather unbecoming for a suspenseful revenge thriller. Too much time is wasted establishing motives when everything is pretty much obvious and in-your-face from the moment the two lovers are accosted. The slow-turning events fail to up the suspense quotient so the intended surprises fail to come good. What makes this effort bearable are the actors. Sharad Kelkar is in his element essaying a rare full-length villainous role, Kishore Kadam is effective as his partner in crime while Siddhant and Vedika are earnest and amiable as the young couple in the middle of it all. This film is a well-intentioned attempt at thrills but listless segmenting of intentions doesn’t allow for much purchase or enjoyment!

Johnsot307@gmail.com

 

The Matrix Resurrections #HollywoodFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas #PicksAndPiques

 Hollywood Film Review

Johnson Thomas

The weakest link in the Matrix universe

Film: The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Director: Lana Wachowski

Rating: * * ½

Runtime: 148 min.

The first “Matrix” movie since 2003's “The Matrix Revolutions,” “The Matrix Resurrections” is a refashioned reboot with Neo (Keanu Reeves), also known as Thomas Anderson, a brilliant video game programmer, sitting in a board room and under pressure from his boss, trying to come up with ideas for a sequel. His game “The Matrix” was a hit and “bullet-time” an awe-inspiring high that every geek character seeks to top. What’s unique about this attempt to expand the franchise is the merging of the real with the imagined.

You now have to buy into a new-fangled idea that frames “The Matrix” as a simulation, created by Thomas Anderson inside the actual Matrix. It’s basically taken from his dreams arising out of taking a blue pill every day. Whatever happened to the eye-opening red pill he took in the original 1999 film, one might ask?

 Well, it’s been several decades since that film so most of those watching this ‘resurrection’ would have either not had the opportunity to watch the original film or even if they have watched it, would have forgotten about it by now. Morpheus though, does kick open a door and tries to offer Neo the red-pill of enlightenment.

Written by Wachowski, David Mitchell, and Aleksandar Hemon, this effort basically involves using familiar characters and plot elements to create a more with-it world of geeky creators who follow the same old beats in an updated universe. It’s convoluted no doubt but there are striking moments too.

Bugs (Jessica Henwick) is a witness to Trinity’s(Carrie Ann Moss) famous telephone escape, so it isn’t long before she too gets her own swooping, bullet-dodging getaway. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II replaces Lawrence Fishburne as Morpheus, but despite looking the part his purpose of existence here is not very clear. Neo and Trinity return, even though “The Matrix Revolutions” had killed them off. But here, they do not know each other. She is named Tiffany and has a husband Chad (Chad Stahelski) and a couple of kids. The attempt here is to rely on nostalgia to showcase Neo and Trinity as fated lovers. But the ploy fails to find traction, can’t turn up the intensity, mystery or give us any strong reason to care. That sense of desperation of yore is completely missing here. Then there’s Neil Patrick Harris as Neo’s therapist helping him make sense of recurring daydreams (basically repeats of events that happened in The Matrix movies) – a sort of break from reality that previously had Thomas attempting to walk off a roof. There’s a new version of the villain, Smith ( Jonathan Groff) and several copies of agents swarming around, impeccably suited, chasing the good guys. Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) from the underground land of Zion and Priyanka Chopra in a rather inconsequential role, though competent, fail to lend weight to their respective missions.

It’s the action and the FX that clearly holds sway here. Vigorous and flashy fast-paced kung-fu mired with acrobatic gunplay, all in varying degrees of slow motion. You get to see that along with dozens of flying extras and hundreds of bullets in the same frame. The grand finale is an action showpiece and as explosive as they come – but the adrenaline rush garnered from it doesn’t stay with you for very long. This is a showy piece of action cinema but there’s no real depth or value to its myriad philosophical or geeky ruminations.

Johnsont307@gmail.com