Recently Seen Movie #13 - Page 20

Originally posted by: blahhhh

I watched Purge and Evil Dead.

Does anyone even make good horror movies? I get excited about the genre,watch few movies based on other people's choices and end up disappointed.

Watch Barbarian (2023). It's really good. It subverts all the popular horror tropes and makes for a compelling watch. The first twist comes out of nowhere. If you're gonna watch though, go in completely blind. Do not watch the trailer or read up about the movie anywhere on the internet. It's all the more exciting.

Originally posted by: blahhhh

I watched Purge and Evil Dead.

Does anyone even make good horror movies? I get excited about the genre,watch few movies based on other people's choices and end up disappointed.

Barbarian came out in 2022, not 23. I'm correcting myself.

Dickinson S1

I have been wanting to watch this for so long. I don't have apple tv so I can only watch when I am pet sitting for my sister.

Dickinson is a quirky modernist take on the life of Emily Dickinson. It incorporates modern music and lingo in the 1800s setting making it relatable and humorous.

The highly fictional narrative arc is inspired by Dickinson's poems and letters, especially her many dedicated to Sue, her best friend and sister-in-law. Each episode follows a specific Dickinson poem.

The entire concept and execution are delightful and highly entertaining. Particularly noteworthy is how the show manages to create many parallels to the present day. The whole discourse about the civil war felt uncannily akin to modern conflicts between right and left. The so-called liberals of the day have their dark sides, not much unlike today.

The love triangle between Emily, Sue, and Austin was well done. I was hoping to dislike Austin, but he charms you. He's a bit of a doofus and a privileged brat. But he also has sincerity and vulnerability to him. He genuinely loves Sue. Despite his jealousy and skepticism, he cares for his sister Emily too. Also, how cute was he in character as Desdemona? None of the characters are to blame for the complexities. It was a different time, and even today it would be complex.

I found Emily's father odd, confusing, and a bit creepy though. He has a bizarre love-hate relationship with her where he frequently berates her but is also weirdly attacked and indulging in her.

Hailey Steinfeld shines as Dickinson. She's also the executive producer who wanted to create this Dickinson biopic. Jane Krakowski is hilarious as the housewife mother. I still cannot get over the fact that Jenna Maroney is Mrs. Dickinson. John Mullaney has a hilarious cameo as Thoreau. But I think Ella Hunt as Sue has my heart. She's too cute.

Agh. I was hoping to get to Ivy - but alas I didn't. But the influences of Dickinson are so prominent in Taylor's work. Evermore.

Six (The Musical)

Please don't hate me for this, but I enjoyed Six more than Hamilton. For one the run time is only 80 minutes. Plus, the six wives of Henry VIII are historically and culturally way more significant than Alexander Hamilton, IMO. And Anne Boleyn is an icon.

Six is pretty much a performed pop album. The six wives have formed a pop band and are vying for the role of lead singer. They decide the lead singer will be the one who has suffered the most in their marriage to Henry. Each wife sings about her miseries. Most of the songs are sarcastic and savage calling to light the misogyny and double standards (some that even prevail today). Finally, Catherine Parr questions the entire premise.

The six wives eventually realize and sing about their individuality and uniqueness outside of just being one of Henry's wives. Its actually far more satisfying than the Barbie movie ending actually.

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani

Spoilers maybe? IDK.

I finally gave in to my FOMO and watched the movie. Between some of the rave reviews and harsh criticism, I don't know what I expected. But I felt both sides had painted an incorrect picture. What I got was mixed bag and a mediocre film.

- Rocky is earnest, has a big heart, genuinely cares for Rani, and is willing to change for her. He is not bothered or intimidated by her fiery independence and loves her for it. So I can see why Rani falls for him over the other intellectual equals she's dated. But at the same time, the love story doesn't make sense and moves too fast. Almost overnight, Rani goes from physical attraction to falling head over heels in love. A girl like Rani would have needed a lot more time and Rocky's willingness to wait. Also - their kissing was just so awkward.

- Jaya Bachchan is fantastic as Dhanlakshmi and is having the time of her life playing the crotchety villain Amitabh usually played. But the character is so one note. There is no character arc, and even the backstory is hollow.

- The use of oldies is fantastic. The movie really taps into nostalgia for beloved old songs and utilizes them wonderfully. But the actual soundtrack is just so mid. Not a single song stands out as a banger or earworm.

- The romance between Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi that forms the crux of the story was sweet and heartwarming. But it had an ick factor to it. I was expecting something like 'The One,' where they reminisce on what could have been, but it turned out to be more like 'Illicit Affairs', where they rekindled their romance while one had a living spouse. [This situation is the exact reason why I advocate for divorce vs. staying together for obligations. Dhanlakshmi remained married to a man who she did not love or respect. She never cheated on him, but there essentially is no relationship. Kanwal decided to return to his wife only to become an invalid dependent who would never receive care or love from his family. Jamini also decided to return to an abusive husband instead of leaving for a man who probably may have been a more supportive father to her son]

- I really appreciated the progressive beats and messaging of the film. It was refreshing to see them in a mass family entertainer. But I felt like we were being hit on the head with it than an organic narrative.

- Overall, the movie is entertaining and fun but could have done with a shorter runtime and less melodrama.

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The big question for me was whether Rocky was an alpha male or appropriating queer culture. TL/DR - neither.

Rocky is the spoiled brat of an obscenely wealthy Punjabi household. As such, he is privileged and used to having things his way. He's also a stereotypical gym rat who likes to behave macho and flaunt his body. Were he an alpha male, he would be stuck in these ways, and it would be a taming of the shrew kind of deal where he tames Rani into appreciating him.

But he's not that. He may not be highly intelligent, but he has emotional intelligence where he sees his shortcomings and that of his family and is willing to change. He is uncomfortable with Rani's progressive family and taken aback by their habits, but not once does he look down or judge them for it.

That being said, you do wish his persona was less loud and his outfits less garish. I mean some of the outfits look like someone took Taylor Swift's glitteriest, most multicolored dresses and made shirts out of them. But flamboyant clothing isn't queer culture unless you want to be stereotypically reductive about queer culture.

If anything, he is a classic nouveau riche. Men whose families are not historically rich but have come into wealth more recently. They wear a lot of bling and dress outrageously garish to signal their wealth and stature. Hip Hop culture is full of stars from the hood who made it big and now they peacock around. Delhi has tons of guys who like to flaunt their wealth similarly.

His dancing Kathak or wearing a bra also have nothing remotely to do with queer culture, but his bonding with his girlfriend's parents and trying to understand and embrace their progressive values. Not for one moment does he drop his testosterone-fueled heteronormativity.

Honestly, I find the argument that he embraced queer culture reductive and somewhat intrinsically homophobic.

Bhe$$$od bhot pichchar dekhelay... Lemme remember....

Tiku Weds Sheru: Decent watch. Merko climax mein maza nahin aaya lekin overall decent pichar tha. I loved all the songs in the movie. Aur Kangu ko iske liye credit nahin milenga lekin... I don't think she (Kangu) is an Islamophobe when she is in her "normal" state of mind. Both the lead characters are Muslim, and pretty matter of factly, as in... their being Muslim is not stressed as a diversity brownie point, just flows naturally. Ladki ne okay acting kiyelay, aur Nawaz as usual top form mein.

Kathal: Mast pichchar hai bh$$$$$d. Maja aa gaya. Sanya Malhotra aur Vijay Raaz in top form. Humor + satire + social commentary. Nicely done. Aur $$ $$$di ending toh rofl hai 🤣

Ticket To Paradise: Achhi pichchar hai. Light romantic comedy. Right up my alley. Senti venti kar diya... bh$$$$$d main beech mein rone veene lag gaya 🙈

I'm of the Poo school of appreciation. If it weren't for Gashmeer Mahajani's good looks, I wouldn't have given Bonus which Prime recommended another look. It's a lovely slice of life film asking important questions.The millionaire hero doesn't understand the need to give bonus to workers. He is challenged by his grandfather to live in a poor neighborhood for 30 days on a shoe-string budget(pun intended.The hero becomes a shoe salesman) just like one of his employees.

The film doesn't shame the hero for being hard-hearted. As the grand father says he's not a spoiled brat. He simply needs to understand a few realities in life which his sheltered upbringing had protected him from. How a simple catastrophe or illness can wipe out your entire savings, what makes poor people not give up and get going, how people dismiss your worth based on your job, the nitty-gritties of living in a community etc.

Red, White, and Royal Blue

Messy but wholesome and cute. After years of burying the gays and melodrama, it is a breath of fresh air to have heartwarming queer romcoms like Heartstopper and this.

In a classic enemies-to-lovers trope, the first son of the United States and the spare to the British throne fall in love with each other. Their respective public stature causes all sorts of complications in their relationships.

Some of the plot lines are too idealistic and unrealistic. The movie paints the whole world in bold rosy strokes. But who cares for realism when you have YA fiction.

Heartstopper S1

Heartstopper gives teenage boys something they don't often receive in media - vulnerability.

Charlie is a shy and awkward gay kid. Recently outed, he is used to bullying, almost believing he deserves it. His clandestine boyfriend, Ben, is very dismissive of his feelings. And the series begins with Charlie finally gathering the courage to break it off.

Nick is the absolute opposite of Charlie. He is a handsome and popular rugby player. His friends are bros and jocks, and girls swoon over him. He is confident, comfortable, and sure of himself. Everyone sees him as the school's heterosexual heartthrob.

Much to the disappointment of his friends, Charlie has a big crush on Nick. The crush intensifies when the two get seated next to each other in homeroom. But it turns out it is not entirely unrequited, as Charlie's friends fear. Nick, too harbors a crush on Charlie that compels him to spend time with him and get Charlie to join the rugby team.

The two eventually get together and embark on a coming-of-age journey. Charlie learns to develop self-confidence and that he deserves to be loved. At the same time, Nick is confused about his sexuality and his identity.

The entire show is absolutely wholesome and adorable. It has all the qualities of butterflies in your stomach and heart fluttering teenage rom-com. The only difference is that the two teens in love are young men. They moon over and pine for each other. They send cute texts full of hearts and emojis. They're just like any other pair of high school sweethearts.

Historically, queer romances have always been tragic. The bullying and hardships always take precedence over joy. It is heartwarming to see shows like Heartstopper normalize queer love stories.

OMG 2

Alright, this is no spoiler - by now, everyone knows the movie is about sex education. The central issue is a young lad being rusticated for masturbating in a school restroom after a video of him doing it goes viral. Here's the thing, though 1) it is illegal to record someone without consent 2) the young lad in question is a minor. Why da fuq is no one suing everyone involved for creating and distributing child p0rnopgraphy?

Secondly, I don't get why they had to create an elaborate backstory for the masturbation. Teenagers can get unwanted erections and the only way to get rid of it often is masturbation or thinking of Joey's bare ass (Friends joke.) For all its progressiveness, the movie doesn't want to admit that sometimes boys masturbate because they get turned on.

Finally, what the kid did would have caused an Adam Groff problem - not what transpired in the movie.

Anyway, I digress. Credit where credit is due, so kudos to the makers for being willing to tackle such a contentious and sensitive subject. It makes a crucial point about sex education and why it is necessary in schools.

Pankaj Tripathi, as Kanti Sharan Mudgal, the devout father of the child, carries the movie beautifully. He is sincere and delivers the punchlines hilariously. Pavan Malhotra cracked me as the judge. Akshay Kumar has a much smaller role, but he embodies Lord Shiva so well the role suits him. A shout out to the actors who played Vivek, Damyanti, and Indumati for how they portray all the motions the family goes through. Yami Gautam is adequate but a bit one-note as the school's lawyer.

Unfortunately, the movie falters in the second half with the courtroom drama. In parts, it becomes too ridiculous. It relies excessively on humor to keep things interesting and makes the entire judicial system feel like one big joke. Some of the end twists were unnecessary and added excess runtime.

The OG OMG was cleverer and tighter. But OMG2 is a good movie nonetheless. It is unfortunate that it faced heavy censorship and needless criticism. This movie is for teens and their families. I know the conversation won't come easy this generation - but maybe in years to come.