movie

Come And Find Me (2016)

January 30, 2018 Movies

Come And Find Me

I basically like thrillers and this was yet another addition to my list in that genre, Come and Find Me is a thriller and a love story with several angles. When Claire disappears suddenly David relies on the law to make breakthroughs and find her but when they reach a dead-end he decides to pursue the case himself. What begins as a simple case of disappearance gets embroiled in a string of lies and deceit, involving mobsters and federal sleuths. Technically, the movie becomes compelling at various intervals as the story swings back and forth to capture intimate moments between the couple while introducing Claire’s persona before her disappearance and details on their fledgeling relationship. Halfway through the plot as David wades through the suspense, the plot gets even murkier and I am now doubting my knowledge of Claire which forces me to focus more closely on the events and the individuals as they reveal themselves.

The climax left me with more questions than providing the justifications straight away much like the situation I faced with The Open House. This probably comes from my expectations with run-of-the-mill thrillers and I believe the thriller/suspense genre has undergone some welcome changes. But Come and Find Me is still worth a watch.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Padmaavat And A String of Coincidences

January 28, 2018 Happenings

With Padmaavat Sanjay Leela Bhansali has once again courted controversy and his track record over the past few years points to a scary phenomenon. Beginning with Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ramleela in which the Rajput and Rabari communities raised strong objections on the portrayal of their culture, as well as some religious groups who opposed the title of the movie proclaiming that the movie had nothing in common with the Ramlila festival and it hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone portrayed Ram and Leela as lovers belonging to opposing factions. Amidst the uproar to ban the film in some states, the title was subsequently changed to Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ramleela at the behest of the courts and released in 2013.

In 2015, Bhansali made Bajirao Mastani and the ‘Pinga’ song in which the historical character of Kashibai played by Priyanka Chopra danced skillfully with the famed courtesan Mastani (Deepika Padukone). To the descendants of the Queen Peshwa this amounted to an insult and distortion of historical facts on the grounds that Kashibai was afflicted with arthritis since childhood and may not have ambled well let alone perform those wearisome dance moves, and the dubious costume in the music video apart, the duo had formally met only once. Furthermore, an intimate sequence of Kashibai with Peshwa Bajirao (Ranveer Singh) was also deemed as “disgusting” for depicting a private moment between revered personalities on the screen.

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Saving Private Ryan -“Earn It”

January 19, 2018 Movies

Ryan

‘Saving Private Ryan’ is one of those rare movies which I may have caught probably a dozen times. And it breaks me every time I watch the bridge scene at the end where a mortally wounded Captain Miller is feebly uttering to Private Ryan – “James…earn this…earn it…”, a grim reminder that he was saved by his men against heavy odds, and now he mustn’t take this privilege for granted as long as he lives.

Many years later, a visibly tearful and fragile James Ryan, accompanied by his loving family, is standing next to the gravesite of Captain Miller and asking for the departed soul’s acceptance of a cherished life bestowed upon him. His profound words hit me hard every time I hear it:

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]My family is with me today. They wanted to come with me. To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel coming back here. Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I’ve earned what all of you have done for me.[/perfectpullquote]

It’s such a truly, contemplative quote from the movie.

Source: IMDB

Baahubali’s Fantasy Adventure Is Amazing!

January 13, 2018 Movies

BaahubaliAfter brooding over my choice to watch the Baahubali films (BB) for years I finally garnered the motivation to catch up on the series yesterday, both flicks back-to-back. Frankly, I have become sceptical to watch mythological/historical period films with the current spate of drab historical Bollywood offerings not providing any entertainment value per se. And then BB fell into the category of ‘dubbed’ Hindi cinema, the ones made in the South but rarely given its due production importance for its Northern masses. It does remind me of the LOTR series but being made in India on such a grand scale (the CGI, et al) made this series that much more compelling to watch. Here’s the funny part – back then I couldn’t wrap my head around the whimsical Internet memes on “Katappa Ne Baahubali Ko Kyun Maara?” (Why did Katappa kill Baahubali?), but after watching ‘The Beginning’ that question came to haunt me too as it did millions of fans in 2015. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait for a year for the sequel (‘The Conclusion’) to get my answer.

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‘Muramba’ Is Just As Sweet As It Sounds!

December 23, 2017 Movies

Muramba - Movie PosterThe lush warmth of Pune’s sunshine apart, ‘Muramba’ conveyed the quintessential, endearing Marathi culture in oodles and that in itself totally won my heart. I chose to relish this scrumptious cinema on a frigid evening yesterday with only one desire in mind, and that was to enjoy a good Marathi movie. And, oh boy! ‘Muramba’ didn’t just entertain me, but the cosiness and the envious modesty of an urbane middle-class household, the sunny locales, not to mention the constant references to delectable Indian food, and alongside some unpretentious performances by the actors left me completely homesick!

So, Alok (Amey Wagh) and Indu (Mithila Palkar) are passing through some rough weather in their love tale and the parents step into a mentoring role for these youngsters. But that’s not all because there are personality issues to cope with before our man ties the knot. Which is why the agenda is not just limited to bringing the estranged couple together but also to inculcate the essence of life into their tender premature minds. And who could be more qualified to do this job than a paradoxical pair of doting parents who believe in having a friendly chat with their kids? In that, it’s so heartwarming to see the absence of a typical “I told you so” and “you better listen to me” nature of domineering banter that generally outlines a father-son relationship, rather what you experience makes you wonder if this is indeed the real interpretation of ‘Parenting 101’! Enough said. If homey Marathi family dramas suit your taste then you must watch ‘Muramba’, and warm the cockles of your heart.