Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Ranneeti Balakot & Beyond #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Title: #RanneetiBalakotAndBeyond Rating: * * 1/2 A fictional representation of the Pulwama attacks, consequent Balakot air strikes & beyond, this series goes ballistic aiming for hype, drama & Pop-patriotism bollywood style. Pakistan’s ISI is the bogey again so there’s nothing new here just the same old blame game, counters, propaganda, war mongering& trivial pursuits. Aerial shots (CGI/VFX) look flat, action is typically bland…yet the thrills are there for those enchanted by regular theatrics, tempo is alluring & strong earnest performances create impact but the over-reliance on a pyrrhic background score dampens the experience.
Cast: #JimmyShergill #SatyajeetDubey #AshutoshRana #LaraDutta #AshishVidyarthi #PrasannaVenkateshan #ElnaazNourozi #AakankshaSingh #SanjayChopra #AniruddhGuha #SudeepNigam Runtime: 9 Eps(35-50 min/Eps) #PRPunditHavas #JioCinema #everyone

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Love Sex Aur Dhoka 2 #PicksandPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #filmmoviedocumentaryOTTreviews Film: #LoveSexAurDhokha2 Rating: * * * Delving into complexities of hitech aided modern relationships with 3 interconnected stories segmented as Like, Share, Download, this film rouses insecurities and biases within the audience & could therefore cause a disconnect. Incisive and topical, the subject may not hold universal appeal though. Solid performances & apt camerawork lend mood but the narrative feels a little too erratic to hold you in thrall.
Cast: #ParitoshTiwari #BonitaRajpurohit #AbhinavSantoshSingh #SwastikaMukherjee #MouniRoy #AnuMalik #SophieChoudry #TussharKapoor #NimritAhluwalia #UorfiJaved Director: #DibakarBanerjee #SpicePR #BalajiTeleFilms #EktaKapoor #everyone #ATLEntertainment

Friday, April 19, 2024

Kaam Chalu Hai #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews Film: #KaamChaluHai Rating: * 1/2 Based on a true story more suited to a documentary, this feature about Manoj Patil from Sangli filling up potholes in his area following his aspiring cricketer daughter’s accidental death due to a pothole, is rather disaffecting. The screenplay though sincere lacks dramatic intent, the treatment is sloppy and the performances fail to curry favor. Rajpal Yadav thinks he is in a comedy film and displays his usual ticks. The max this can be is a record of Manoj Patil’s single-handed proactive activism.
Cast: #RajpalYadav #GiaaManik #KurangiVijayshriNagraj #ShreyashPandit #ParamDWalia Story/Screenplay/Direction: #PalaashMucchal #BaselineStudios #PalMusicAndFilms #ZEE5AVOD @everyone

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Ameena #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #InternationalFilmFestivalCircuit Film: #Ameena Rating: * * Parallel narratives, a theatrical one representing 32 yr old story of teenage Ameena being sold-off to an 80 year old Arab Sheikh and the other a current reality of Meena the actress playing Ameena being gang-raped by 3 rich politically connected individuals, this film fails to curry favor even though the stories though done to death, were rich with possibilities. Poorly constructed, the treatment lacks bite with the direction losing focus & actors failing to bring legitimacy to their characters.
Cast: #RekhaRana #AnantMahadevan #UtkarshKohli #KumarRaj Director: #KumarRaj Runtime: 109 min #Dharm #AshwaniShukla #AltairMediaPR #Everyone

Friday, April 12, 2024

Amar Singh Chamkila #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #FilmMovieDocumentaryOTTReviews #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit Film: #AmarSinghChamkila Rating: * * * A soulstirring musical biopic on the tragic life of the inspiring Punjabi singer whose unfiltered lyrics invited success & criticism, Imtiaz Ali’s latest hits the sweet spot quite convincingly. #DiljitDosanjh & #ParineetiChopra perform with gusto and verve. #IrshadKamil’s lyrics & #ARRahman’s music take us on a tragic sensory journey thru a retributive Punjab torn asunder by moral policing, religious politics, cancel culture, discrimination, bullying & prejudice.
Cast: #ParineetiChopra #DiljitDosanjh #AnumBatra #NishaBano #TusharDutt #MohitChuhan #RahulMittra Director: #ImtiazAli Runtime: 145 min #WindowSeatFilms #Netflix #PRPunditHavas #MAMI

Fallout #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #filmmoviedocumentaryOTTreviews Film: #Fallout (8 Eps/50-60 min each) Rating: * * * 1/2 A mind-blowing post-apocalyptic dystopian thriller, adaptation of #TimCain's popular video game series, Fallout is a complex, weird, silly yet fun irradiated hellscape, full of revolting violence & gore. A merge of contrasts, its tone is peppy in a landscape dominated by desolation & anarchy. Its retro-futuristic style brings alive video game life in colorful vivacity.
Cast: #EllaPurnell #AaronMoten #WaltenGoggins #MoisésArias #KyleMacLachlan #SaritaChoudhury #MichaelEmerson #LeslieUggams #FrancesTurner #DaveRegister #ZachCherry Director: #JonathanNolan #LisaJoy #GenevaRobertsonDworet #GrahamWagner #AthenaWickham #ToddHoward #BethesdaSoftworks. #AmazonMGMStudios #AmazonPrime #MGM #KilterFilms #BethesdaGameStudios @everyone #MoesArt #InterplayEntertainment

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan #PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas

#PicksAndPiques #JohnsonThomas #internationalfilmfestivalcircuit #filmmoviedocumentaryOTTreviews Film: #BadeMiyanChoteMiyan Rating: * * The overwhelming noise generated by this action thriller is sure to dull your senses. Loads of unbelievable action, cacophony & no story to tell make this film an excrutiating watch. Acting is superseded by action so there’s little hope of any enchantment. Biceps and Bazookas aplenty but it’s a no-brainer that trumpets ego over talent. Everyone is forgettable here.
Cast: #PrithvirajSukumaran #AkshayKumar #PitobashTripathy #TigerShroff #ManushiChhillar #AlayaF #SonakshiSinha #RonitBoseRoy Director: #AliAbbasZafar Runtime: 164 min #AdityaBasu #VashuBhagnani #SurajGianani #VishalDadlani #Joshilay #VishalMishra @everyone #UniversalCommunications