Ittu Si Baat #PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReview #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReview #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #IttuSiBaat Rating: * Runtime: 110 mins

Director - #AdnanAli Producer- #NarendraHirawat Cast- #GayatriBhardwaj #RaviChauhan #BhupendraJadawat #FaridaJalal #NeerajSood #SonaliSachdev #AtulShrivastava #MuskaanKhubchandani #TikuTalsania #ButterflyCommunications #YashaChandra #LaxmanUtekar #NHStudioz Yet another vacuous love story set in the Hindi heartland, portraying small-town folks as either dim-witted or avaricious. The romance just doesn’t make sense because it’s between an aspiring 20-year-old, intellectually naïve, aspiring cricketer, Bittu, and a street smart, friendly neighborhood girl, Sapna, whose chance remark that she would say ‘I Love You’ to the guy who presents her with an iPhone sets Bittu off on a pursuit that is way beyond his means. A ridiculous storyline presented in a hackneyed and spurious fashion, this ‘ittu si baat’ makes you wonder what filmmakers are smoking nowadays!

Nikamma #PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReview #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

#PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReview #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #Nikamma Rating: * Runtime: 144 mins.

Juvenile, a daft attempt at comedy action, this film has a terrible story, unintelligent dialogue, a pitiable screenplay, and is entirely too senseless to curry favor from an audience. The cast doesn’t have what it takes to make the experience any better. Best left alone… Director - #SabbirKhan #SonyPicturesInternational. #UniversalCommunications Writer - #VenuSriram Dialogues :#SanamjiTalwar Screenplay - #SabbirKhan Cinematography - #HariKVedantam Editor - #MananAjaySagar Music - #JohnStewartEduri #AmaalMallik #JavedMohsin #VipinPatwa #GourovDasgupta. Cast: #AbhimanyuDasani #SamirSoni #ShirleySetia #AbhimanyuSingh #ShilpaShetty

Bandon Mein Tha Dum #OTTDocumentarySeriesReview #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #OTTDocumentarySeriesReview #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #BandonMeinThaDum Rating: * * * (4 episodes 45 mins each) Director: #NeerajPandey #ShitalBhatia #SudipTiwari #Fridaystoryteller #bootroomsports #viacom18 #vootselect #posthouse #dnbstudiosbeyonddecibels #HeenalShah #AvaianWE

An audio-visual memorial to the valour and grit displayed by the young inexperienced Indian side on their test tour to Australia, this compilation of match footage and candid conversations with #AjinkyaRahane, #RavichandranAshwin, #CheteshwarPujara, #MohammadSiraj, #RishabhPant and #HanumaVihari, their coaches, as well as journalists who covered the series, gives us an inside view as to what it took to win the historic 4 test series. The 4 episode 45 mins. per episode series aptly titled Skyfall, You only live twice, A view to a kill, License to kill, sheds light on how the team played tough and indomitable while navigating their way through injuries, inexperience, fierce, pacy, hostile Australian bodyline bowling - to go from a position of all out for 36 to a hard earned draw in the 3rd test and eventual unforgettable victory at Gabba where Team Australia hadn’t lost a Test match in 32 years. Suitable narration by #JimmyShergill lends definition to the retelling of the historic feat interspersed with interviews and live footage highlights of the actual matches. Unfortunately the pace of narration is rather lethargic and the presentation of highlights isn't as thrilling as what we are used to seeing as post match highlights. It’s an intriguing watch and would have been a thriller if only the pace of narration and editing were swifter.

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.

 

 

#PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

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.

   

 

#PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas

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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#PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

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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#PicksAndPiques #FilmMovieDocumentaryReviews #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit

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.