Recently Seen Movie #13 - Page 31

May December

Tbh, I watched this movie expecting a romance between Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. I mean, the director Todd Hayne's last big hit was Carol. But I need to stop living under a rock. This was something entirely different.

Gracie and Joe are a happily married couple with a huge age gap preparing for their twins' high school graduation. It all seems fine until you discover that Gracie got together with Joe when he was merely thirteen. Elizabeth, an actress, is shadowing them to prepare for a role where she will portray Gracie.

Although the movie is billed as a dark comedy, I didn't find it funny at all. Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman and brilliant as the layered Gracie and Elizabeth. They are both unsympathetic, predatory women. Behind their sweet and seemingly innocent demeanor are gaslighting and manipulation. But the movie unfolds at such a dull, tedious pace. It is being so critically lauded, but I found it a drag.

But Charles Melton as Joe is brilliant and worth watching the film for. He manages to overshadow the two veteran actors. His mental anguish and emotionally stunted man-child behavior - show the lasting impact of grooming. Even if he is an adult now, the grooming he experienced as a child has impacted his entire life.

A Haunting in Venice

I want Kenneth Branagh to continue making Hercule Poirot mysteries. There is something just so thrilling and entertaining about period murder mysteries. I've loved the Poirot mysteries so far. The atmosphere, the costumes, the characters, the settings - are all always on point.

A Haunting in Venice is no different. The Venetian canals, the local legends, and rumors create such a delicious atmosphere that is prime for murder. There is also a supernatural element to this murder mystery, as legends of curses and ghosts shroud the mystery. For many of the eerie occurrences, I was wondering - how Poirot is going to explain this logically - surely it is ghosts.

The final reveal is a twist, as always. Through the run time, I had suspected everyone else but the culprit. I guess part of Poirot's brilliance is the timelessness of Agatha Christie's novels. Kenneth Branagh is so on point as Poirot. It's interesting to see an Irish actor pull off a French-speaking Belgian so well. I hope to see more of Tina Fey's Ariadne Oliver in future movies.

Age of Adeline: sweet little film with a happy ending. Perfect for December watch.

Originally posted by: Newbird

Not sure about the movie but this review is entertaining to read, is it Hyderabaadi hindi ? Or Mumbai hindi ? Or some other hindi idk, sounded funny and entertaining! 🤣

I'm from Mumbai & Hyderabadi Hindi ... but this is just some random tapori Hindi!

Theatre Camp

A campy, cheesy docudrama about theatre kids. The kids are so sincere and adorable. They're so committed to their bits.

Loki S2

Even though I am suffering from superhero fatigue, I will never tire of Tom Hiddleston's Loki. S2 is full of time loops and paradoxes that will spin your head in a tizzy. But Loki navigates them all with finesse to create an intriguing show.

Been watching a bunch of movies which I missed over the years due to various reasons

Sardar Udham - Finally watched it. Vicky was just brilliant, almost a perfect movie with brilliant acting and direction and atmospherics (only negative was the post Jalianwala bagh sequence went on for too long). Its rare to see a slow burn movie with such amazing art design in Bollywood.

Kaminey - Another amazing movie. Shahid was too good, and it reminded me of those noir crime dramas from Hollywood. LOVED IT

Sherni - a bit slow in places but still a good watch. Vidya giving such an effortless performance with great supporting cast too. The usual conclusion is drawn: Our politicians and media are the WORST and responsible for holding our country back

Now I am on a Quentin Tarantino movie spree. Have only watched Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, Hateful Eight, Reservoir Dogs and Django.

So started with Death Proof. It was quite bad I know its supposed to be his take on a slasher movie and it has its moments of brilliance (the car chases), but the dialogue is so surprisingly bland - very unlike a Tarantino movie

Next up is Jackie Brown and the Kill Bills

Hichki- What an amazing movie! Beautiful concept. A must watch for all. Rani did a fabulous job as always.

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan

A rare Bollywood movie that portrays the existential ennui in modern Indian youth beautifully and sensitively. Ahana, Imaad, and Neil are three childhood best friends. All three are in that transitional phase of adulthood, where they are still discovering themselves and their path in life.

The challenges in their lives manifest in the form of social media — an ever-present specter haunting daily drudgery. Each one of them is addicted to it and consumed by it. And it leads to less-than-desirable consequences, conflict, and rifts in their lives.

A lot of Indian movies tend to be judgmental and preachy in their messaging. I was half expecting sappy apologies and long monologues about the right thing to do. But instead the movie keeps the proceedings crisp choosing to show character growth instead of narrative exposition.

Siddhanth Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gaurav are both delights on screen. Sid is such a chameleon. Some scruff, and he slips into the smooth, suave Zayn in Gehraiyaan. Clean-shaven, he's this innocent baby suppressing childhood emotions with humor and a penchant for sex. The last time I saw Adarsh Gaurav, it was as Balram Halwai, the lower-class servant who has a ruthless aspiration to dream big. Here he's Neil, a youth who's aspiration is tamped down by insecurity, self-doubt, and social media jealousy.

But the biggest surprise was Ananya Panday, who has surprising depth and gravitas. She's not a ditzy bimbo who cluelessly sleepwalks through the plot. Her angst and emotions are real as she processes a breakup and a fvck boy ex. Her pained expression during Imaad's confessional spoke volumes.

The last I saw Ananya convince me in a role was Gehraiyaan. I think nepo kids take it easy when the makers and costars are all industry insiders paving the way for them. But we know from the roundtable years ago that Sid has zero fvcks to give about nepo kids. I think the fact that her best performances have been with him shows that perhaps what nepo kids need is someone to treat them just like the others.

Also - how refreshing is it to see heterosexual friendships that are not tainted by romance, sexual attraction, or catching feelings. It remains a wholesome and pure friendship throughout. We need more of this.

The one major downside is the pacing is a bit slow. All the character realizations could have been hastened a bit. The narrative stews in their social media angst a bit longer than it should have.

I was looking to fill my three must watch Hindi movies of 2023 list!

Found the third one.

*Drumrollll*

Dhak Dhak.



Poignant. Entertaining. Empowering. Nuanced. Fantastic acting. Well written characters. All around feel good film! Adding it to my yearly rewatch list for sure 🥂

It was really good ?