cinish Reviews

Amar Singh Chamkila (2024)

Heartfelt ode to an artist

[10/10 · 16 April 2024]

Diljit has given a very endearing performance as Chamkila. Very natural acting. Excellent singing.

Chamkila remained grounded in the midst of all his fame, and Diljit has been able to bring that to screen.

I was already in love with AR Rahman's songs in the movie before watching the movie. Chamkila's original folk songs overshadowed even ARR work. While the lyrics are playful, the singer-duo gives a lot of attentiveness to the notes and how the songs need to be sung. All that sincerity towards the making has come out nicely.

The crux of the movie is heart breaking. You are left with a huge void.

Chamkila had the lovely philosophy of "Don't try to understand life. Just live it".

The story line is at once inspiring and tragic. Exposes the two-faced society.

Kudos to Imtiaz Ali for bringing out this story with neatly integrated shots of real life and reel life.

Endearing acting by the actress as well who plays the female singer Amarjot. Subtle build up of affection between the two has been brought out nicely.

A must watch!

Varshangalkku Shesham (2024)

Cringy

[4/10 · 15 April 2024]

Movie started with some promise.

Grand canvas. Poetic romance, heart warming friendship.

Nice pleasant ambience. Good art work.

Then the core script started letting down, big time.

Cringe cliche closure to scenarios.

Whole lot of embellishment, but super weak structure.

Very convenient happenstances all along.

Would even put the matching soap box parts to shame.

There are individual scenes that are impressive but the overall offers nothing. Dramatic emotional performance scene - agreed, but for what!

Crux is super weak.

Nothing new to offer. Wasted potential.

Have tried to explore a little bit of the unsung heroes in the movie making process.

What did work for me was very obvious references to what is happening in the industry. Nivin Pauly does deserve credit for letting himself in. That aspect does have some creativity to it.

In spite of that, too many cliches. Not recommended.

Aavesham (2024)

Mindless fun with Fafa

[8/10 · 15 April 2024]

Fahad, our next-door psycho star gave a home-run in this at once violent and slap stick movie.

The script has Fahad as the fulcrum, which means you never have any idea what he is going to do next. He would suddenly shout out from the middle of the theatre - it could be to make execution instructions, or it could be order another round of beer. The behavior is the same.

Sushin Shyam has done wonderful work. I loved the "Malluminati" lyrics. Fun songs.

One nag I feel is how this mocking of violence also gives the movie a license to show a lot of violence, and somewhere I feel a discomfort with the easy and close association between those sickles and swords and the students.

There is some level of scripting done, but it is mostly a fun-and-forget movie. One might venture re-watches for re-living the fun.

I definitely enjoyed the movie. I am not sure I exactly want to recommend the movie. Just a lot of mindless fun.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Anatomy of a relationship

[9/10 · 30 March 2024]

Movie felt very cerebral and french.

Where nonchalant remarks that might have got overlooked somewhere else, would get dissected at multiple layers exposing striking nuances.

Excellent acting performance from the actress and the boy.

The movie dissects sharply into the relationship and exposes it's complexities.

The child actor has given a phenomenal performance.

Excellent writing. Excellent acting performances.

A very realistic treatment. You would never guess the direction the movie is going to take.

Methodical, scientific, analytic approach to get to the truth. That is the reason the movie felt very cerebral. Is the emotional core of the movie overlooked? Not at all. But what you see people doing are all the hard have-to-do things. Procedures. Practicality is given a lot of importance.

Anatomy of a fall refers to the anatomy not only of the physical fall but also of the fall of the relationship, which gets dissected to a fault in the courtroom.

When the film ends, you are not done. You have a stream of questions still to ponder. It is an excellent work, not an easy watch.

The Goat Life (2024)

Best malayalam movie at this scale

[10/10 · 30 March 2024]

So many great things in the movie.

Prithviraj Sukumaran has done phenomenal world class performance. His physical transformations and his costume and make-up work makes for a screen presence par Hollywood.

Cinematography work is excellent. Breathtaking vistas. So many cinematic and beautiful shots.

There were moments in the second half of the movie where I felt a swell of pride as a keralite as I was watching the movie unfold.

Sound work has been excellent. Be it the diegetic sounds or the thematic ones. A recent desert movie that I had seen was Dune. Clearly, "Aadujeevitham" is no match for the excellence that Dune has. However, Aadujeevitham felt better than dune. Closer to heart.

Script work is excellent. Detailed research has gone in to bring out many poignant moments. Dramatic moments from the novel has also been brought to life.

The actors playing the other protagonists have also done great.

Even the goats and the camels and the other animals and birds have done excellent work - CGI or otherwise.

Slow and straight forward movie. Easy to reach the audience.

Great songs by A R Rahman.

Excellent direction by Blessy. Great editing - no left overs. Every single scene has been done with a lot of care. Prithvi's role is mostly about his make up. But he also has to do his acting part correctly. Blessy has ensured that. No slack anywhere. While the scenes are slow, care has gone in to ensure that they don't drag. Stylish cinematic moments do come up.

Great art takes time. "Aadujeevitham" is the result of all that time and patience and meticulousness from a lot of departments coordinating to make a wonderful movie to tell a timeless human story.

There is nothing really to call out as a "this could have been done better". Must watch!

Merry Christmas (2024)

Grey waala shade

[9/10 · 13 March 2024]

Excellent movie. A very detailed and intimate sequence starts the movie. Soft and nice and charming. It is all good. And you start wondering when the plot is going to start.

And just as you wonder, the movie starts talking. Plot thickens. Craft does stand out. Details come out in a very nonchalant manner.

The plot has a certain made-upness to it that can throw a viewer off. But at the same time, there are some very interesting nuances. I really loved the way the movie ended.

It was a can't put down for me. There are moments that movies present that just bring you joy. Spectacular shots that just bring elation to you out of the blue. There were multiple such moments in this movie.

There is a very fine emotional thread that stays intact through all the drama and that thread had a grey shade to it.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Fly above the noise

[9/10 · 11 March 2024]

Birdman is an intimate look into the daily mental struggles of a drama director. He is fighting his insecurities. His mind tortures him for not having accomplished enough in his career, for not being the ideal father to his daughter, not being the ideal husband.

The movie has some excellent cinematography with it's camera movements in all dimensions. The movie would definitely rank high in the books of movie makers who are trying to learn cinematography, editing etc. The writing is also very interesting and engaging.

The protagonist is very frustrated pretty much all through the movie. And you feel the frustration too. In that sense, it is not a pleasant watch.

I think Inarritu is presenting various challenges with the drama industry. While some of those specifics may not be relatable, the constant dissatisfaction, and the chases are all very relatable.

The only way out is to be above these games. The birdman is metaphorically flying above these everyday nonsenses. The claustrophobic studio felt like it was designed to depict the trap of human mind. Through the movie, the viewer definitely gets into the character's head, and feels all the frustrations and helplessnesses. And hence, the relief and optimism is also felt just as much as the movie draws into an optimistic finish.

The Holdovers (2023)

Excellent journey into the recesses of human hearts

[10/10 · 11 March 2024]

Kind and yet exposing and intimate look into the deep seated emotions of the multiple protagonists in the movie.

Crystal clear characterizations. Breath taking performances.

The movie being characterized as a comedy threw me off a bit. There is plenty of humor. The soul of the movie is not about the humor. It is a beacon that shines light into the deep recesses of the human heart where goodness still resides under the cobwebs of annoyances and denials and indifferences.

Beautiful honest conversations. Excellent performance from the main protagonist actor who lost to Oppenheimer for the best actor in a leading role. And excellent performance by the afro american lady who won the Oscar for the best supporting actress just as we were watching the performance from the theatre.

There is every potential for the movie to be adapted into any language.

There are situations where there are no easy solutions, unless someone really steps up and makes sacrifices. And that is presented without any mushiness. A very realistis and beautiful portrayal. Must watch.

Anweshippin Kandethum (2024)

Even keel police investigations

[8/10 · 11 March 2024]

The script does have substance to offer. There have been so many police investigation movies made that it is a challenge to bring in something new and convincing. This movie has been able to do that. I did not anticipate some of the twists in the plots.

An even keel pacing, not overly dramatic. An easy watch. I watched it at home. Was on the hook through the movie. I could have paused and attempted breakfast but I did not want to break the flow of the movie. And the movie had not been designed to sensationalize. The core is strong enough to keep you hooked.

Tovino has done good work. It is an interesting script selection.

There are two separate plots in the movie. And both plots have worked. Good writing and execution.

I would not classify it as a must watch. It is a pretty good watch though.

Manjummel Boys (2024)

Three less than thirteen lives

[7/10 · 7 March 2024]

I had watched thirteen lives a few weeks back and was blown over by the movie. From the mention of Guna caves in relation to Manjummel Boys, I had the feeling that this is going to be a mild adaptation of the thirteen lives. And that turned true - the movie is made with one spoon of concentrate from thirteen lives, some brovado, some tamil elements.

Sreenath Basi's "costume work" has been exceptional. There are some riveting stills and shots of him.

As I was about to leave the movie with a resigned feeling of having seen a shadow of another movie I had already seen, the end titles showed the actual incident that the movie had apparently got inspired from. So my theory that the makers had done the work of juxtaposing thirteen lives into the local setting was incorrect.

They had not even done that. They found a local incident that they could map the making of thirteen lives with, and then they project the real local incident, and totally push the thirteen lives movie under the carpet. Now we have an exceptional cinematic adaptaion of a real local incident.

One of the smart practical standout strategies in thirteen lives was the effort to block the water from seeping into the tunnel through whirl pools. That is a deep insight that had come from a veteran volunteer naturologist as Thailand was faced with unstoppable rain. That is not the kind of thought a bunch of fun loving easy goers would come up with.

Another striking decision in thirteen lives was to bring the boys back sedated. That decision juxtaposes poorly in Manjummel boys as well.

And we have the director talking in interviews about his earnest inquiry into the real incident. Part of the script is in the movie. The rest is in the media.

Get Out (I) (2017)

Masterpiece

[10/10 · 27 February 2024]

The attack on the subject is head-on.

The plot gets built up steadily, and suddenly you find yourself moving into higher octaves. The octave shifts are pretty quick. You end up in a totally different movie than you started off with.

Racism is not just bad and unjust. It can be absolute horror.

I am not aware if the plot came from a real incident. It is a shocking plot. The horror is not in gimmicks and sound effects. The heart of the script is where the horror is.

The main protagonist of the movie has done phenomenal work.

The writer-director has the movie firmly in his grasp. Mastery in writing, execution, extracting performances.

I was so shaken by the end of the movie that I wasn't sure I would sleep. An excellent metaphorical attack on racism.

Thirteen Lives (2022)

Nail biting rescue movie

[10/10 · 25 February 2024]

Ron Howard is an american director. The movie started off with Thai kids talking in Thai language playing soccer. The movie felt like a Thai movie, and that brought in a lot of credence.

The rescue efforts felt reasonably authentic. Quite a lot of pain has gone into filming the efforts in a realistic manner.

A very ambient movie. You always feel placed in the environment - whether it is within the cave, whether it is the bustling crowd. Good surround sound of rains and crowds and the water in the caves.

The angst that a rescuer feels when he is faced with situations where he almost lost the kid he was trying to rescue has been captured accurately. You feel the shudder, and not a lot of screen time. Just a poignant capture.

More than the movie, it is the tale of the selfless sacrifices, and how everyone came together that wins your heart. Even while the story of the sleeping princess' anger emerges on one side, very practical steps are taken to meet the challenge. In fact, the solution adopted is absolutely brilliant.

You would find yourself drawing parallels to the rescue efforts against Kerala floods that had occured around the same time period.

It is an excellent movie. A very challenging movie to make and very well done.

Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

Dystopian theme ride

[8/10 · 23 February 2024]

Imagination running wild. No holds barred.

You think it, you write it, and you art and costume design it, and make it real in movie land. Probably one of the most striking VFX movies I have seen in a while.

The magic of stories and story telling brought out superbly with lavish sets and costumes and sound design and visual extravagance.

Djinn was amazing. Great performance from the actor.

What I loved most was the abandon with which the script unfolds. You never know where you are going next. It is like an amusement park theme ride.

I had watched it the day before and I have already forgotten most of it. But the movie had definitely left me with a smile on my face. Worth a watch for that if nothing else.

Bramayugam (2024)

Journey through the age of madness

[10/10 · 17 February 2024]

Mammootty has pushed his boundaries once more with this one.

Exceptional exceptional acting.

Black and white cinematography has done justice to the movie.

Color would mostly have served as a distraction.

Remove unwanted elements from the experience so you focus on the core.

Excellent cinematography work. Nice work with light and shadows.

Sidhdharth Bharathan's best performance ever. Arjun Ashokan was excellent too except there were a few points where his lip sync with songs were incorrect. He needs to work on his dubbing too. Other than that, his performance was top notch.

Kammatipadam fame Amalda Liz did her role very well too.

Nothing fell short on the acting side, except of course nobody came close to the legend.

Soundtrack is excellent. Technical perfection in all departments.

The movie's philosphy is about Power being corrupt, and Power being a trap even for the powerful. No disagreement there either.

Art work is excellent. In addition to establishing the movie environment, there are further challenges that the director asked of, and the art team has been able to deliver.

Very careful and distilled screenplay and shots. Very good movie , especially coming from a young director.

A Hero (I) (2021)

An individual versus the public

[9/10 · 11 February 2024]

The movie is a chronicle of the drama a man had to undergo to satisfy the public fabric around him. It speaks to the negative influence of the social media while not directly attacking the subject.

As one would expect from persian/iranian cinema, the entire movie has been shot in a very convincing and realistic style. Exceptional performance by the main protagonist.

The drama is not loud. But you are pretty much at the edge of your seat all through the movie.

Very convincing performances from the "antagonist", and the other family members. Not intrusive controlled camerawork and direction.

Poignant cinema for the current times. Asghar Farhadi likes to delve into moral complexities in his movies. He leaves you time to reflect, and does not force a stance.

Sound of Metal (2019)

Powerful movie

[9/10 · 10 February 2024]

Excellent script.

Mindblowing performance by the male actor.

Excellent sound engineering.

I could feel the pain and the knot of helplessness.

Gives you a seemingly first hand experience at how it feels to be deaf.

How it changes one's relations and the rest of one's life is brought out poignantly. It is in your face. There is no looking away.

This is not a tear jerker. It works on your insides.

You feel the pain and the frustration.

That calls for some serious level of craft.

The making has kept at par with the writing.

The perspective shifts from how the deaf interprets a scenario and how the non-deaf does is eye opening.

You have no solutions to offer.

Acceptance. Would you just accept what life throws at you or would you fight tooth and nail? Nature is shown in some scenes as a witness. The coldness is unnerving.

Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024)

Seen lies, unseen truth

[8/10 · 27 January 2024]

Soundscape was impressive with it's subduedness. Rustic dated instruments.

Movie is designed as a fable tale, aligned with the subject. Lot of care has gone into all the technical aspects to bring in visual and sound frames that capture the canvas of the movie.

Unfortunately, the subtitles spoiled some of it. Tasteless bland font did blemish all the care that went into the costumes, art design, landscape, language, sound work.

Mohanlal has done excellent action work for his age. Action is very artistically done - blending in story telling, sound design, costumes, action choreography, art design.

Mohanlal has sung couple of songs which he should not have done. His singing does not suit the ambience of the movie. Too timid for the all powerful protagonist.

The story line had fable-like quality to it, and reminded me of Aitihyamala stories. There were a few dragging spots in the script. Build up for the second part was good but also felt a little made up.

Cinematography and lighting work has been excellent. There was a painting like quality to the frames as opposed to the overly stylish and loud style that is typical. Same holds for the background scores. Careful thought out work.

The movie excelled in many aspects. Subtitles was the one thing that disappointed. There were spots where subtitles showed but dialogue did not come out. Now that is a mistake. I would have stylized the font to match the canvas.

The language use in the songs and dialogues have been kept folk like, and unembellished.

Not a movie for everyone. There is enough art to appreciate here.

Kaathal - The Core (2023)

Crisp and distilled

[9/10 · 14 January 2024]

I knew the theme of the movie from the beginning, and I felt that that is impacting the experience for me.

Jeo Baby probably casted Jyothika and Mammootty, and gave a romantic "Kaathal" title to set a different expectation, and then bring the viewer into the theme as the watching unfolds. That could have added another dimension I feel.

Mammootty has done exceptional acting. Holding all emotions in for most of the time, and breaking up subtly with excellent acting performances.

Jeo Baby has definitely grown a lot with this movie. "The Great Indian Kitchen" had felt like a twelth standard guidebook with explanatory text, an asterisk with a footnote, and some diagrams to drill in the stance. "Kaathal" is beautifully subtle.

Crisp and distilled movie. Very nicely done. There is a short cinematic romantic scene, complete with rain and closeups. Beautiful honest shot that captures the love.

A controversial topic to work with, the movie has reined it in really well. No crass, no overbearing remarks. The director has made a very watchable movie for such a subject. A very mature take.

12th Fail (2023)

Tale of forging one's path

[10/10 · 2 January 2024]

Honesty and sincerity of the protagonist, and the struggles and the hardships he endures, and how he continues to stay honest in his journey is inspirational.

This is inspired by real incidents. That tag line lends a lot of credence to the movie experience. You feel that someone really did that, and your emotion kicks in against that premise, and thus gains even more strength.

The male protagonist has done exemplerary acting. So endearing and charming, you almost wish to have him break the TV and join you for a cup of tea and some chitchat. Camera work, lighting, set design. Everything has been brilliant. The place really feels alive, an immersive experience.

Supporting actors have all done excellent work. The female protagonist deserves special mention for a very natural and beautiful portrayal. Romance track has been very nicely captured with some amazing poetry, and many small small nuanced incidents.

It is a story of tenacity, and resilience, and purity. A beautiful tale of a young man who stays true to himself in the face of very many challenges. It is exciting and inspiring to see how his path gets forged for him, despite the odds. A must watch!

The Straight Story (1999)

Beautiful movie - Straight from the heart

[10/10 · 25 December 2023]

The movie starts slow. Camera pans slow, people walk slow, talk slow. Yet, the movie had told so much by the end. Seemingly insignificant scenes establish the characterizations and the relationships without a crease.

There is the play of light against the minimal dialogue, and such exquisite expressions. Lovely lovely performances. Nature comes in at many points as thunder storms, stars in the sky, vast expanse of corn fields, in the accompaniment of rich symphonic music.

Our shaken and weak seventy three year old hero has a lot of beautiful truths to impart to the young. A pregnant runaway is ushered back by the text book parable on the strength of unity. Here again, there is the use of the light from the fire to bring in a hell of a lot of beauty and some mysticism into the scene. I found tears rolling down. David Lynch had done something.

I felt a lot of admiration for the protagonist who in spite of how disadvantaged he was from the perspective of age, money, health, pushes his life forward in a practical, self reliant manner.

Exceptional exceptional acting from Richard Farnsworth as the protagonist. The daughter acted exceptionally well too.

The movie is inspired by a real incident. This is not something that can be wrote up. It has to have happened for real. The connection between the brothers is so beautifully established with about two minutes of screen time, and hardly any conversation.

David Lynch's mastery of the canvas, an outstanding script and phenomenal performances makes for an unlikely must watch movie.

Hunger (II) (2023)

Art versus ladder

[9/10 · 17 December 2023]

The movie resonated perfectly with me. Could easily have been a malayalam movie, a tamil movie, a bollywood movie, a hollywood movie. The theme is universal. Hunger to perfect one's craft, how social structure plays into it and messes everything, and how one goes back to one's roots.

The movie does not really say anything new. It takes a very specific stance, conveys it very well. Takes the protagonist on a difficult ride and finally gives her a place to rest. The resting place is not convincing.

The intricacies of the art of cuisine has been brought out really well with great food cinematography with accompanying rich background music and some exceptional performances. Many cut-to-the chase interactions between the characters.

A good watch.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Legendary and disturbing

[10/10 · 3 November 2023]

Watched it in an IMAX theatre yesterday - good screen size for the large, slow and intense movie.

Martin Scorcese is already a legend, and has pushed his legendariness a few more notches with this amazing heart wrenching tale.

Lily Gladstone - shines brighter than the one and only Leonardo Di Caprio. Granted, Leo has been roughed up and toned down. Even then, the ease with which Lily steals the limelight is impressive. Irrespective of where she is placed in the screen, how many people are there with her, whether she is with De Niro or Di Caprio, she just draws you in. The kind of woman who can absorb all the badness around into her peace. As the movie would reveal, her charms were challenged by the viciousness around.

It is not just her presence. Her acting has been just as astounding.

Leonardo Di Caprio kept for himself the most challenging male character. He has performed extremely well - beating any of his earlier performances. Leo's performance has been top notch, dramatic performances that reminds you of "Once upon a time in Hollywood".

Robert De Niro must definitely have felt left out due to his age. He hardly has as much scope for performance. He brings out his protagonist's look and character to a fault.

Scorcese continues to stay with crime as the subject of his movies. This was a much bigger undertaking even then - slowly burning in the shocking vice that was done in american history. Art, grandeur, perfection, performances everything blends in to make a wondrous movie.

Deeply disturbing. I can still feel the pain and the angst that the movie left me with. The slow pace that the movie took and how it snowballed into such a massive force is Scorcese's mastery. I had noticed that there are very detailed shots that by themselves represent a narrative that could have been expressed with a set of shots. I think that is how the movie while it feels slow also intensifies at the same time.

RDX: Robert Dony Xavier (2023)

Action choreography entertainer

[8/10 · 28 August 2023]

Action choreography, direction and background music made the movie.

If you insist on a story, you might want to carry a balarama with you.

Nothing Nolan about this movie - simple stuff, stylish action weaved into emotions. With a no-star cast, the director has been able to pull off a pretty good movie.

Background music had a freshness to it and complimented the action very well. Facial expression closeups backed by Sam CS' BGM.

Action choreography is very well done, lot of meticulous work has gone into stylizing each and every shot. Acting performances have been great - good screen presence from Pepe, Shane and Neeraj. Pepe stood out a little more.

It is a light stylized action movie.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)

Karan Johar is laughing at us

[3/10 · 5 August 2023]

I wasn't sure if I am watching a movie or a spoof.

Dharmendra has been turned into such a caricature, that it is plain disrespect for the veteran.

Lot of yawn tears. Like those college lectures where you sit through as you don't have the guts to walk out.

The money that is thrown into each of the scenes is dizzying. About as dizzying as the melodrama spurts.

Alia Bhatt and Ranvir Kapoor have both excelled in whatever they have been asked to do. Humor has worked out.

Karan Johar is not being sloppy at how he made the movie. He is saying this is all you guys need. I am the king of bollywood - I decide what you get to watch, and looks like he has very little respect for the audience by the prolific amount of crass he laid.

There is a scene with serious emotional drama, and Dharmendra needs to be taken to the doctor. Ranvir cries n..u..r...se loudly, and runs in athletic slow motion in his kathak dance attire.

Painful watch. Wouldn't recommend to anyone.

The Mule (2018)

Clint Eastwood reflects again

[8/10 · 1 August 2023]

Beautifully reflective movie. I watched it at home. Did not pause for a glass of water. I had watched "Gran Torino", and had some expectations - not disappointed.

Amazing acting performance from Clint Eastwood. When the movie ended, I realized that the direction was also by him! For a man in his nineties, that is a lot of good work!

Many well thought out moments in the story. Contrasting moments to nicely capture the change in persona. Mature conversations and dialogues that leave a mark.

Every scene with Clint in it was pure mastery. Very engaging. Some scenes without him may not have been as convincing - some scenes that seemed to be there to fill the gaps.

Grandma's performance was just as exceptional. The scenes where she loses breath and then says - "It will pass" rung very true. Old people in their lonely lives are going through this while the young are lost in their phones.

I have tried to watch some of Clint Eastwood's iconic westerns - couldn't bear half an hour. This one was riveting for a slow drama. He uses the license of old age to talk without filters - that helped.